"No; my main reason for not caring to fight you, Dodge, is that I don't like the idea of soiling my hands." "What's that?" screamed Bert in added fury. "You insult me---you---you mucker?" "If I'm a mucker, then you don't need to feel insulted at my opinion of you," Dick suggested, with a smile. But this hesitancy on the part of Prescott was filling Bert Dodge with more valor every instant. "Prescott, I've owed you something for a mighty long time," quivered Bert. "And now it's coming! Here it is!" He aimed a savage blow at Dick. Young Prescott, who had really doubted that Dodge had courage enough to invite a fight, was not expecting it. The blow landed on Dick's chin, sending the leader of Dick & Co to the ground. "Now, get up and answer that---you---you sneak!" dared Bert exultantly. Dick was on his feet fast enough, side-stepping just in time to dodge a follow-up punch. "Dodge," Dick remarked, as he threw up his guard, "there, is still time for you to beat it out of here if you don't want to take the consequences of that blow." "You put me out of here!" Bert retorted defiantly. Though Dick was quivering with indignation, he still hesitated to spring at Dodge. Dick didn't want to fight, on the sole ground that he felt too much contempt for his opponent. "Come, on, you mucker!" challenged Bert, dancing about Prescott. Then Dodge delivered two swift, straight-from-the-shoulder blows. Of a sudden Dick jumped into the fray. "Good!" quivered Darry, his eyes flashing. To Dave's way of thinking, Dick's swift vigorous defence should have followed that first knock-down. "Come on, you mucker!" taunted Bert, while the interchange of blows now became fast and furious. "If there's anything you know how to do in this game, let us see what it is! Trot it out!" "I'll attend to my side of this match," said Dick quietly. "My advice to you is that you keep quiet and save your wind for your own protection." "Bosh! You can't do anything to anyone in my class!" sneered Bert. Indeed, young Dodge's address to his task opened up particularly well. Dodge was rather heavy for his years, and he had been doing some good training work through the spring and early summer. Dick, who was lighter and not noticeably quicker, confined himself, at the outset, to his old tactics of allowing his opponent to tire himself. Bert, however, was soon quick to discover this. He moderated the savagery of his own attack somewhat, sparring cleverly for a chance to feint and then land a face blow. Dick gave ground readily when it served his purpose, though he did not run. "Keep back, fellows!" called Tom Reade. "Don't get near enough to interfere with either man." "Don't interfere with either the man or the thing, you mean," interposed Danny Grin. "Shut up, Dalzell!" ordered Reade with generous roughness. "Remember that you're not fighting Dodge, and that it's unfair to say anything to anger him. Be fair!"