traight that he was out to-day and went down to
the nearest gun store," declared Dorman. "Collins says he bought a
Winchester rifle, a shotgun, two revolvers, a bowie knife, a slungshot,
and a set of brass knuckles."

"Wo-o-oh!" groaned Dismal Jones. "Why didn't he purchase a cannon and
start for some battlefield?"

"Look out, Merry," laughed Ned Stover. "He's after your scalp."

"He'll have to get a bigger outfit than that before he takes it,"
declared Harry Rattleton.

"How about it, Merry?" asked Bandy Robinson.

"I'll tell you, fellows," said Frank, who was not smoking. "Diamond is
not the fellow to give up whipped very soon. I'm dead sure to hear from
him again."

"He's a cad," growled Dismal Jones.

"I think you fellows judge him rather harshly," said Frank. "He is a
Southerner, and he looks at many things differently than we do. From his
standpoint he seems to be right."

"Well, he'll have to get those notions out of his head if he wants to
stay in college," airily declared Dan Dorman. "Now, I came here with
the idea of falling into the ways in vogue. Everything goes with me.
That's the way to get along."

"I am not so sure of that," Merriwell returned. "A man must have some
individuality. If you do everything everybody wants you to, it won't be
long before they'll not want you to do anything."

"Oh, well, what's the use to be always hanging off and getting yourself
disliked?"

"One extreme is as bad as the other. Now, I make allowances for Diamond,
and I am not inclined to believe him such a bad fellow."

Harry Rattleton flung a book across the room.

"Oh, you give me the flubdubs!" he exploded. "Why, that fellow hates
you, and he means to do you some time. Still you are soft enough to say
he's not such a bad fellow! It's disgusting!"

"Time will tell," smiled Frank. "All of you fellows must admit that he
has sand."

"Oh, a kind of bulldog stick-to-it-iveness," murmured Stover.

"I'll tell you one thing," said Bandy Robinson; "now that Diamond has
not blowed, he's going to be backed by some of the leading sophs."

"Eh? What makes you think so?"

"Oh, I've got it straight. Browning has been to see him."

"No! Why, Browning is king of the sophs!"

"And he is jealous of Merriwell."

"Jealous?"

"Sure. He says Merry is altogether too 'soon' for a fresh, and he must
be taken down. I tell you I've got it straight. He'll put up some kind
of a game to enable Diamond to get square."

"Well,