“If you choose to sacrifice yourself for those worthless bits of paper,” he said, “go ahead. I have told you what I shall do, and you know I never fail to keep my word.” He was going, and Arlington wavered. It was the bitterness of gall to surrender, but he felt that it was better than the disgrace of expulsion. “Hold on!” he said. “I don’t want the old papers, anyhow! Here!” He took some slips from his pocket. “Here they are. Take them. I meant to give them to Savage.” Dick stepped back quietly, with no expression of satisfaction or triumph, and took the slips from Chester’s hand. Quietly he ran them over, glancing at each one. Arlington longed intensely to strike him, but experience had taught him that he had better not do so. “These are right,” nodded Dick, coolly putting the slips into his pocket. Again he turned and walked toward the door. Just as he put out his hand to open the door, something whizzed past his head. Thud!—it struck the door and stuck there, quivering. It was a knife! CHAPTER XVIII—BUNOL HOLDS HIS GRIP Dick turned like a flash. He saw a slender, dark-faced youth, who had stepped from behind the curtains and thrown the knife. He also saw that Chester Arlington had made a spring and clutched the arm of this youth, thus causing the knife to fly a trifle wild. That quick move by Arlington had saved Dick. This Merriwell instantly understood. “You crazy fellow!” Chester panted, giving Bunol a backward fling. “Do you want to ruin us both? What are you trying to do?” “I keel him!” snarled the Spanish youth, his dark eyes glaring murderously. “I keel him!” “That would ruin us! You ought to know that!” Then Arlington turned to Dick. “You can thank me,” he said, “that you did not get that knife between your shoulders.” “That’s a nice, murderous whelp you have there!” said Dick, without a tremor in his voice. “I think he’s altogether too devilish for this school, and I’ll have to report this piece of business. A fellow who throws a knife at another fellow’s back will be fired out of Fardale in a hurry.” “Hold on, Merriwell!” exclaimed Arlington. “Don’t forget that I saved you!” “For your own sake,” returned Dick instantly. “For my own sake?” “Yes.” “Why?” “Because you know the trouble you would get into. Because you were afraid of that. Not from any love of me.” “Did you help me out of the fire from love of me?” “No.” Arlington forced a laugh. “I knew you did not. Then we are quits. The score is evened up.” “But that does not let your fine friend Bunol out. He is a treacherous snake, and——” “Yah!” snarled the Spanish boy, starting to advance toward Dick. “I make you take it back!” Again Arlington grasped him. “Keep still!” he commanded. “You are no match for him, so keep away.” “He have you in bad feex,” said Bunol. “I feex him! You wait! You see!” The eyes of the young Spaniard gleamed with a light that would have made a nervous fellow uneasy.