“Sure you won’t get excited and jump him?” “Sure.” “All right.” They fell back and let him go. He advanced toward Frank, and shook a clinched fist in his face, harshly grating: “This is all right, Merriwell! I’ll not forget you! You can bet your life I’ll more than get even!” “I simply defended myself from an attack on your part, and I kept the gloves on all the time, Hegner.” Frank stood with his hands on his hips, looking the raging fellow straight in the eye. “You struck me foul before that. Oh, I’ll not forget your blow! I’ll have another whirl with you!” “Well, let me warn you to look out for my next blow. It may be much more severe than the last one.” “Bah! You are a blowhard! I’ll not waste my breath on you!” Then Hegner turned and walked away, accompanied by Burk and two or three others. Frank turned to Charlie Creighton, saying: “Old man, I trust you will believe me when I tell you I am very sorry this affair occurred. It was not of my seeking, even though I had no liking for Hegner.” “You are not to blame in the least, Merriwell, and I believe the majority of the fellows who saw it will say so. Eh, boys?” “Not in the least,” chorused nearly all those present. “Still I am sorry it occurred here,” asserted Frank. “I am a visitor here, and——” “That is a reason why we should express our regrets, not you,” said a member. “Hegner lost his head when he saw you were getting the best of him. He owes you an apology for that and for his insulting words just now.” “Well,” smiled Frank, “I scarcely expect an apology from him, for I believe he is a fellow who will nurse his discomfiture and brood over it, thinking he is the one wronged. I am glad, gentlemen, you do not think I was at all to blame.” Then Frank, Charlie, Jack and Bart went away to the dressing-room, where Merry stripped off and was rubbed down with a coarse towel before resuming street clothes. “Merriwell,” said Creighton, as he admired the magnificent figure of the handsome young Yale athlete, whose entire body was glowing from the rub-down, “I want to say right here that I underestimated you previous to this. I knew you were a good man, but did not think you could make a monkey of a fellow like Hegner, who is a semi-professional prize fighter. I was afraid he would be too much for you, and you know I have had considerable to say about you to the fellows.” “I didn’t know but he might be too much for me when I put on the gloves with him,” confessed Frank; “but that would not have killed me. I do not consider myself invincible.” “Well, Hegner was a mark for you, and we have considered him as good as anything going in his class. It made him furious when he saw he was no match for you.” “In my estimation that fellow is a fake,” declared Hodge. “He puts up a big bluff, but——” “He may be a good trainer,” said Frank. “Many a first-class trainer is unable to put up much of a mill when it comes right down to business.”