Flemming did not know what to do. The manner of the angry lads was alarming, and he saw no reason why he should defend a man who was quite unknown to him. But the stranger did not wait to be defended. With a wild shout, that was like the war whoop of an Indian, he leaped up and lunged straight into the crowd, striking out right and left. In less than ten seconds a general fight was taking place in that end of the car. Jack Diamond, who had a grudge against Tom Thornton, collared Tom as he was trying to slip away. "Hold on!" cried the Virginian. "You can't play the sneak in that way! I saw you talking with that scoundrel! Did you and Flemming set him on to bribe Merriwell?" "I don't know anything about it!" protested Tom, struggling. "Let go, Diamond!" "Well, not in a hurry!" returned Jack. "I don't know where the money came from, but I believe you and Flemming tried to ruin Merriwell by bribing him to throw a game and then exposing him. If that was the trick, you fooled yourselves. Frank Merriwell is not that kind of a fellow!" With a fierce exclamation, Thornton struck savagely at Jack's face, but Diamond dodged the blow. "Oh, you will, will you!" he cried, and then he gave Thornton a terrible thump between the eyes. In another moment they were at it fiercely. Although Flemming was a big fellow with a reputation as a bully, Harry Rattleton had not hesitated to lay hands on him. "You're a chine fap--I mean a fine chap!" shouted Harry. "So you are concerned in this attempted bribery!" "Get out!" snarled Flemming. "I'll break your nose!" "Break it!" invited Rattleton. "I'll try to do a little something while you are about it!" Flemming waited to say not another word, but, quick as a flash, he did strike Harry a heavy blow on the jaw. Rattleton was staggered, but he held on to Flemming. A moment later both were swept down by the rush of the crowd. It was something of a blind fight, and it waged with great fierceness, although in an aimless manner, for some moments. Several of the windows in the car were broken. Bob Collingwood waded into the midst of the struggling mass of human beings, scattering them with his powerful arms, and crying: "Here, stop this senseless scrapping! Where is the fellow who tried to bribe Merriwell?" Where, indeed? All looked around for him, but he was gone. In some manner he had made his escape in the midst of the tumult. "He must be on the train!" cried Frank. "He can't escape from the train till it stops! Here--I have his coat! He left it in my hands when the crowd tore us apart." Merriwell held up the garment. "He must be in the car back of this!" declared Collingwood. "I want to see him--I want to get a fair look at his face." "I'd like to do something else to his face!" shouted another student. "Think of any one offering a Yale pitcher money to throw a game to Harvard!" This brought a mad howl from the angry students.