“You know better than I do,” retorted Dan quietly. “I’m sorry if Carlton has been telling Mr. Hale about your dirty tricks. I don’t believe he has, but even if he did, he wasn’t going beyond his rights. His mother pays a lot of money to send him here and she has a right to expect that her boy shall get her money’s worth. If any fellow tries to――――” “Do you say I am a coward?” Gus again broke in loudly. “I haven’t said so.” “Yes, you have! You feel mighty safe to talk that way here in the dormitory where the teachers can hear everything. Come on down to the field! I’ll show you whether I’m a coward or not! I’ll meet you any time you say!” Gus raised his voice and fairly shouted his defiance. “You talk like a brave man,” said Dan in a low voice. “I’m no mucker anyway!” “Aren’t you? You might ask some of the boys what they think.” “Come on!” “With you? You get out of this room!” “Perhaps you’ll put me out,” sneered Gus. “Or no, perhaps you’ll run and cry. Go tell Mr. Sharp, he’s in charge of this hall. Tell him to come and help you. That’s what you’ve been setting up your baby to do. I know you! You’ve set him up to tell tales of me, so that you could get me in trouble and you wouldn’t have to do any work to get a place on the nine this spring――――” “Will you leave the room?” broke in Dan. “When I get ready. Want me to go before?” Dan waited to hear no more. He turned suddenly and seized the bully by the back and before Gus was able to realize the situation he was out of the room. But the school bully was a powerful boy, and was twisting and turning in his efforts to break the hold of Dan. As the two struggling boys came into the hall they found themselves face to face with Mr. Sharp. Instantly they released their grasp and, with an air of apparent indifference, Gus said, “All right, Richards, I’ll see you again.” The boy tried to speak indifferently, although his breathing was labored and his face betrayed his anger. “What is the meaning of this, young gentlemen?” demanded Mr. Sharp, as he looked at the boys. The teacher was a mild-mannered, inoffensive man, whose dealings with the boys lacked many of the qualities that had made Mr. Hale respected as well as beloved by all the students in the school. “Don’t you know that scuffling in the rooms and in the halls is forbidden?” “Yes, sir,” answered Dan. “I am surprised at you, Richards,” continued Mr. Sharp, his face betraying an increasing annoyance. “This is the first time I have known of your breaking the school rules.” “Yes, sir.” “What have you to say for yourself?” “I’m afraid there isn’t anything to be said, Mr. Sharp.” “What have you to say, Kiggins?” demanded the teacher irritably. “We were only fooling,” muttered Gus. “That’s the way it was, Mr. Sharp!” spoke up Walter. “They didn’t mean to break the rules. It isn’t study-hour――――” “That makes no difference,” interrupted Mr. Sharp. “I shall give you each ten marks and place you both on the ‘limits’ for a week.”