Again the lads faced each other. They began sparring slowly, Hegner making an effort to control his temper. He led at Frank a number of times, but Merry broke ground quickly each time, and it began to look as if he had resolved to hold off and keep away from Hegner. Wallace decided this was so, and attempted to press the tussle. Right there he made his mistake. Merriwell had been trying to lead him on, and the effort was successful. One of the trainer’s rushes was met as if Frank had been nailed to the floor, and Hegner was sent spinning backward with two well-directed blows, catching his heels and sitting down heavily on the floor. Somebody laughed outright. Almost frothing at the mouth, the fallen fellow leaped to his feet. For a moment he stood glaring at Frank, and then, with a cry of rage, he threw off both gloves and leaped forward! “I know when you try a foul!” he grated. “Two can play at the same trick!” Then he tried to smash Merriwell in the face with his bare fist. Frank was not in the least excited, and he did not attempt to get the gloves off. He met Hegner, parried his first blow, gave him a jolt that drove him back two steps, followed him up and came in with a swinging smash that landed on the fellow’s jaw. Hegner was literally lifted off his feet and sent flying through the air. His head struck against the hard wall with a resounding crack, and then he dropped to the floor, where he lay in a limp and motionless heap. CHAPTER XXXII—A SURPRISE PARTY “I am sorry it was necessary to strike him such a blow,” said Frank, as he deliberately removed the gloves from his hands; “but I call on you all to bear witness that he came at me with his bare fists, and I was forced to defend myself.” “That’s right,” said Charlie Creighton, quickly. “Hegner had no right to do such a thing. You would not have been to blame if you had got off your glove and struck him.” To this a number of the club members agreed, while some were silent. Hank Burk and two others bent over Hegner and tried to arouse him, but the fellow had been severely stunned when his head cracked against the wall and it was some time before he seemed to realize what had happened. When he did understand, however, he was furious. “Let me get at him!” he madly cried, struggling to his feet. “I’ll hammer the life out of him! I’ll have revenge!” “Steady, Hegner!” warned Burk. “You’re in no condition to go against him now. You slipped when he struck you the last time, and——” Hegner caught at this eagerly. “Yes, yes, I slipped!” he snarled. “If it hadn’t been for that, he’d never have got the best of it. And I fell and struck against the wall. I can do him any time.” “Of course you can, old fellow. But you know a fight will not be allowed in this club. You’ll have to wait for your opportunity. It will come all right.” Hegner cooled down. “Take your hands off me,” he said. “I won’t touch him again, but I want to tell him something.”