“All right,” he said grimly. “I’ll fight now, but not here. Come around the corner.” “You bet you’ll fight!” raged Wink Coles, following the other. “You’ll fight or I’ll chase you all over the lot!” “Save your breath,” advised Tom, and went down the steps, slipping out of his coat as he went. Five minutes later a scandalized first classman hurried over from the tennis courts, followed by a squad of interested schoolmates, and hurled the combatants apart. Even Wink realized authority when he met it, and if he hadn’t there were enough assistant peace-makers to quell him. The first classman delivered a scorching oration, declared that it was his duty to report the offenders at once, made it plain that he had no intention of doing any such thing and finally calmed down enough to offer advice. “You fellows cut in there before any one else sees you and get Dan to fix you up. You’re disgusting, both of you! You ought to know better than pull this stuff. Shut up!” This to Wink, attempting a defense through one side――the unbattered side――of his mouth. “I don’t want to hear anything about it! Get in there, I tell you. And if you want my advice I’ll tell you you’d better keep away from the faculty the rest of the day!” Some fifteen minutes later Mr. Connover stopped in front of Wink Coles and gazed at him in surprise. Wink looked extremely disreputable. Steve hesitated, walked on, turned back and spoke. “Who did that to you, Coles?” he asked. Wink looked away, encountered the amused faces of his mates and muttered unintelligibly. Steve frowned. As a member of the faculty it was his duty to report for discipline any infraction of the rules, and there was a stern injunction against fighting save at a certain place and under established regulations. The regulations provided that an affair of honor must be laid before a member of the upper class whose duty it was to inquire thoroughly into the merits of the matter and, if in his judgment a meeting was advisable, appoint a referee and set the time of the combat. Then, each principal having selected a second, the affair was pulled off with as little publicity as possible and under prize-ring rules behind the stable. These meetings were held in the early morning, and Mr. Connover had only to view Wink’s countenance to know that its unlovely appearance was of short standing. Still, members of the faculty were permitted discretion, and sometimes it was considered unwise to pursue researches too far. Mr. Connover viewed the embarrassed Wink a moment longer, as though lending full consideration to that muttered explanation, and then said briefly: “You’re excused for the day, Coles.”