rtell; and while he held Fred down with his
body he continued to pommel the smaller youth with his fists.

"Don't go too far," said Slugger Brown presently, in alarm. "If you do
that, he may squeal and get you into trouble."

"Somebody is coming!" screamed Codfish, suddenly, as he saw a number of
forms running across the parade ground in the direction of the river
road. "Four or five of 'em."

"It's Jack Rover and his chums," muttered Slugger Brown.

He was right. Jack was approaching, followed by Spouter, Fatty, Walt
Baxter and Gif Garrison.

"I was sure they were up to no good--following Fred that way," Walt
Baxter was saying.

"I'm glad you told me about this, Walt," answered Jack. "Three against
one is no fair deal."

As the five cadets came rushing up, Codfish viewed their approach with
alarm and then retreated several paces. Slugger Brown, however, stood
his ground.

"Hi you! let my cousin alone!" cried Jack, and, leaping forward, he
caught Nappy Martell by the collar and hurled him into some bushes.

"Say, this isn't any of your fight," put in Slugger Brown, uglily.
While he spoke, Fred lost no time in leaping to his feet and there he
stood, once more on the defensive.

"No one asked you to butt in, Jack Rover!" stormed Nappy Martell. "You
keep out of this."

"Why did he attack you, Fred?"

"Huh! you know the reason as well as he does," burst out Martell. "You
played a trick on me about that suitcase, and then you came and
rough-housed my room."

"One trick was only played to square up for the other, Martell,"
answered Jack, calmly. "You ought to be man enough to cry quits and let
it go at that."

"I won't cry quits--not until I've given this fellow a good licking!"
roared Nappy Martell; and then before anyone could stop him he lunged
another blow at Fred, who, however, was quick enough to dodge it.

"Stop!" Jack's voice was now unusually stern, and stepping up to Nappy
Martell he caught the fellow by the arm and swung him around so that
the pair faced each other. "If you want to fight, Martell, take
somebody nearer your size."

"Oh, Jack! I'm not afraid of him," burst out Fred. Strange to say, the
excitement of the occasion seemed to have chased his headache
completely away.

"Maybe you want me to fight you," sneered Nappy Martell.

"You'll have to fight me if you don't leave my cousin Fred alone."

"See here, Rover! you've no right to butt in like this," interposed
Slugger Brown. "Why