rt himself severely,
although he struck a very light blow.

"Dat's ter trick," said Kelley, "an' it's a dandy. Don't yer ever use it
'less yer dead sure yer wants ter break der odder feller's wrist."

Then the professor called up a colored boy, who rubbed Bruce down, and
the king of the sophomores finally departed.

As he walked back toward his room in the dusk of early evening,
Browning began to feel sorry that he had learned the trick at all.

"It would be a dirty game to play on Merriwell," he muttered, "but now
that I know it, I may get mad and do it in a huff, especially if I see
Merriwell is getting the best of me."

The more Browning thought the matter over the greater became his regret
that he had learned the trick of breaking an opponent's wrist. For all
that he had a strong feeling against Merriwell, he could see that the
leader of the freshmen was square and manly, and he did not believe
Frank would take an unfair advantage of a foe.

Bruce became quite unlike his old jovial self. He was strangely downcast
and moody, and he saw that he was fast losing prestige with those who
had once regarded him as their leader.

Hartwick, Browning's roommate, was more bitter against Merriwell.

"The confounded upstart!" he would growl. "Think of his coming here and
carrying things on with such a high hand! When we were freshmen the
sophomores had everything their own way. They Lambda Chied us till they
became sick of it, and all our attempts to get even proved failures. Now
the freshmen who are following the lead of this fellow Merriwell seem to
think that they are cocks of the walk. I tell you what it is, Bruce,
you must do that fellow, and you must do him so he will stay done."

"Oh, I don't believe he is such a bad fellow at heart, It wouldn't be
right to injure him permanently."

"Wouldn't it? Give me the chance and see if I don't fix him."

Hartwick began to regard his roommate with disdain.

"For goodness' sake, don't get soft," he implored. "The fellows will say
you are chicken-hearted, and that will settle your case. You'll never
get back to your old position if you once lose it."

"I'd rather be thought chicken-hearted than hold my position by dirty
play."

Hartwick made no retort, but it was plain to see that he entertained a
different view of a case like the one in question.

Browning worked like a beaver to get himself in shape for the coming
struggle, but he promised himself over and over that