It galled Diamond to think that anybody could sneer at Merriwell, and not be called to account. He did not say much at first, but, after a time, he began to feel that he had stood it about as long as possible. "Look here, Merry!" he exclaimed, as he stalked into Merriwell's room one evening; "how long are you going to stand this?" Frank had been studying, but he flung down his book immediately. "Stand what?" he asked, smiling. "Why, the insolence of this fellow from South Carolina. I heard him in Morey's last evening when he made that sneering remark about you, and it has been galling me all day. I expected you would jump him on the spot, but you never moved an eyelash." "What did you think I'd do?" "Punch him, confound it!" "How can I?" "How can you? With your fist, of course." "But I can't do it, you know. He has acknowledged publicly that he is no fighter with his fists, and I'd seem like a bully if I hit him." "Oh, rot!" exploded Jack. "Think I'd let any fellow insult me and then rub it in without giving him a thump on the jaw? Not much!" "Your ideas on that point seem to have changed since you came to Yale. You will remember you did not believe in fighting with fists when you came here." "That's right," nodded Jack. "I thought gentlemen never fought in such a manner, but I have found out that even gentlemen are occasionally forced to do so." "Marline holds just the same ideas as you held. I demanded satisfaction of him, and he said he'd give it to me, with swords." "He's a chump! What he really needs is a good drubbing, and you ought to give it to him." "And be called a bully. They would say it was a cowardly thing to do. Really, Jack, I'm in a confounded nasty place!" "I believe you are," admitted Diamond, slowly. "But you must do something." "Suggest something." "Fight him with the weapons he named!" cried the Virginian, hotly. "You can do it, and I know you can get the best of him. I haven't forgotten our little duel. Not much! Why, Merriwell, you disarmed me twice! You can do the same trick with him." "Perhaps not." "I know you can. If you disarm him twice, you can call him a bungler, and refuse to continue the duel. Do it, Merry!" excitedly urged Jack. "I'll stand by you--I'll be your second." "Thank you, old man; but aren't you afraid of getting into serious trouble? If the faculty----" "Hang the faculty! We'll have to take chances. You can't stand his insults, Merry, and you'll have to fight him with the weapons he has named. That's the only thing you can do." "You may be right," said Frank, slowly. "I am getting sick of the way the thing is going, but I don't want to make a fool of myself." "You won't; but you'll make a monkey of Rob Marline, and I'll bet on it. Why, Merry, you are wonderfully clever with the foils, and you have nerves of iron." "Still, there might be a slip, you know." "Are you afraid he'll do you up?"