Mason raised his heavy fist. "Tell, or I'll break your pretty little nose!" he grated. There was a step near at hand, and a calm voice said: "Drop it, Mason! You should be ashamed to bully a man smaller than yourself. Don't dare to strike him!" Hock looked around in astonishment. Frank Merriwell was close at hand, coolly standing there, with his hands thrust into his pockets. "Hey?" cried Mason, in surprise. "You heard what I said, freshman," spoke Frank, as coolly as ever. There was a stir at the fence, for the students there saw all and heard all. "Jingoes! Merriwell has a nerve!" gasped one. "Mason will thump him, sure!" said another. "If he does----" "Hark!" "Yes, I heard what you said," flung back the bully; "but what you say chops no frost. If I want to thump this chap I'll thump him, and twenty fellows like you can't stop me." "You overestimate your ability, freshman," said Frank, and his coolness was most exasperating. "If you thump that chap, one fellow will thump you." "Jee whiz!" palpitated one of the students at the fence, "Now he's in for it!" "There'll be gore spilled!" muttered Creighton. "I'm sorry for Merriwell!" said another. "Eh?" gurgled Hock Mason, more astonished than ever. "Is that a fact?" "That is." "Well, I'm going to thump him!" Again he lifted his fist, and Danny Griswold cowered before it. "Stop, Mason!" cried Frank, his voice hard and cold. "Strike him, and I'll give you a mark to remember me by!" "Ho, ho!" sneered Mason, and he smashed Griswold in the face. The moment the bully struck the little fellow, he released his collar and whirled toward Frank. Merriwell kept his word. Crack--Frank's fist struck fairly on Hock Mason's left eye, and the big bully was knocked down in a second. The witnesses gasped with astonishment. With a roar of rage, Mason leaped to his feet and came at Merriwell, somewhat blinded and dazed, but raging like a mad bull. With the utmost ease Frank avoided the big fellow, and then he struck Mason again. The second blow did not knock the giant down, but it stopped him a moment, and the blood began to run down his face. Frank's fist had cut a long gash over the bully's right eye, and the blood quickly began to blind Hock, for already his left eye was swelling swiftly, showing it might be entirely closed in a few moments. Mason wiped away the blood with his coat sleeve, and went at Frank with another rush. Merriwell dodged, thrust out his foot, and tripped the freshman, sending him to the ground with a thud. Over by the fence a little party witnessed all this with astonishment unspeakable. Was this Mason, the freshman bully, who was being handled in such a manner by Merriwell? Was this the man who had knocked out four New Haven cops? Mason had struck at Frank savagely enough to lay him out, but Merriwell easily dodged the blow.