Then followed a silence, broken now and again by subdued exclamations, and finally the appearance of Fred and Buttons from between the trees, showing that the fight was at an end. "Why are we going this way?" asked Fred, as his chum led him along the cattle run. "It looks as if I were afraid to be seen." "Well, you're not exactly a fit exhibit for a beauty show," grinned his chum, and then he suddenly gave three whistles, which were followed immediately by the appearance of two girls from behind the bars at the end of the cattle run. "What in the world?" began Fred, then, recognizing the figures, he exclaimed: "Why, it's Marg and Grace!" "My, but you're the fine little guesser," chuckled Buttons. "Who did you think they were, Alice and Mary Montgomery?" His chum's sarcasm was lost on Fred, however, as, thinking only of the position of the girls, he hastened toward them. "Marg, you mustn't stay here! You never should have come!" he cried. "But, I couldn't help it, Fred. I was so worried. Are you--did you--oh! You're all blood! Did that big brute of a Bart get the best of you?" The look that he read in the girl's eyes was so delightful to the conflict-stained boy that he forgot all else and simply drank it in. "For goodness sake! Speak, one of you, and relieve our anxiety. Marg has been making my life miserable for the last hour," exclaimed Grace. "An hour?" repeated both boys, in surprise. "If not longer," smiled Grace. "I told her the thing wouldn't begin till five, but that didn't make any difference. So _please_ tell us how it came out." "No, don't," protested Margie, her eyes on Fred's bespattered face. "I can tell--and I don't want to hear it." Then, her affection asserting itself, she put her hand on Fred's arm and breathed: "I'm so sorry! But we won't care. He's bigger than you are, anyway." "Um-m! You ought to be willing to take a licking every day if Marg would talk like that to you," grinned Buttons. "Well, I would," retorted the girl, a blush suffusing her pretty face, as she realized the significance of her avowal. "I----" Something about the expression on Buttons' face, however, suggested to Grace that her chum's sympathy was wasted and she interrupted: "Don't say another word, Marg. The boys are just drawing you on. I believe Fred won." But neither boy made any response. "If you don't tell us, I'll never speak to either of you again," flashed Grace. Alarmed at the prospect of such a dire calamity, Buttons said: "Sure he won!" A moment the girls looked at one another, then Marg exclaimed, looking into Fred's face: "Really? Did you _really_ beat that big brute of a bully, Fred?" "Yes." "Oh, I'm so glad!" cried the girl. "I think you're a couple of mean things, to tease us so," declared Grace. "Why didn't you tell us in the first place?" "Because you talked so much we didn't have the chance, and then when he saw you were so sure Bart won, we thought we'd let you have your own way," grinned Buttons.