Peet giggled, and then, possibly realizing that appreciation of Longley’s joke savored of treachery to Hugh, passed into a fit of coughing. That giggle was the last straw to Hugh’s exasperation. “I’ve had more than enough of your sort of humor, Longley,” he said hotly, “and I don’t propose to stick it any longer. You steer clear of me after this or――――” “Or what?” demanded the other, thrusting his face close to Hugh’s. “What will you do, kid? Go on, tell me! What’ll you do? Prick me with a hatpin?” “Oh, let him alone, Brew,” interposed Bowen, who had so far observed proceedings with amusement. “We don’t want any international complications.” He winked at Hugh. “Don’t want the British navy over here blowing us up!” “The British navy couldn’t blow a bubble up,” jeered Longley. “Britishers are all bluff. Get that, Ordway? Just bluff and――and swank! You wouldn’t hurt a――――” “Take your face away from me,” interrupted Hugh. “I don’t like it. It’s beastly unattractive.” “Unattractive!” sputtered Longley. “Unat――why, you poor cockney huckster, I’ve a good mind to punch your silly nose!” “Try it!” said Hugh quietly. Longley accepted the invitation, but Bowen jumped in and seized the back-drawn arm. “Cut it out, Brew! You can’t fight here! Come on along!” “Can’t I?” demanded Longley, struggling to get his arm away. “I’ll show you whether I can or not! He can’t call me names and get away with it! I’ll――I’ll――――” “I’m ready to fight you wherever you say,” declared Hugh eagerly. “And if you aren’t a coward you’ll fight, too.” “Better not, Ordway,” cautioned Peet nervously, for once forgetting to giggle. “He――he can lick you, I guess.” “Oh, I’ll fight you, all right,” Longley was saying. “And I’ll make you wish you’d stuck at home with the other English dubs. Come on down to the boathouse if you want to get what’s coming to you!” “Right-o,” responded Hugh calmly. “I say, Peet, nip it, like a good chap, will you?” “Nip what?” gasped Peet. “Toddle, run along,” elaborated Hugh impatiently. “N-no, sir, I’m going with you, Ordway, but you’re a fool to fight Longley. Listen, won’t you? He can lick you easily. Why, he’s bigger than you and older and――and he knows how to fight, too! Let’s――let’s beat it!” But Hugh was already stalking along behind Longley and Bowen, and Peet’s remonstrances fell on deaf ears. Bowen appeared to be rather half-heartedly trying to persuade Longley to turn back, but wasn’t meeting with success. Longley’s big shoulders shrugged impatiently and Hugh heard him say: “Didn’t he call my face unattractive? Well, then!” And Bowen’s reply: “So it is, you silly chump, and what’s the good of scrapping about it?” Peet pegged along at Hugh’s elbow, at once excited and alarmed, hazarding an occasional remonstrance and giggling nervously between. Hugh wished him at the bottom of the river!