“You’re learning them all right,” broke in Ned. “You’re in the first division now, and can study in your room――――” “I don’t mean that.” “What do you mean then?” “Oh, some other things. I’ve had a lot to learn. I’ve lived on a farm all my life, and there, you know, they don’t always do things just as you fellows do who have been brought up in the city.” “What of it?” “A whole lot of it. You don’t understand because you’ve always had them. But I’ve had to keep my eyes open, and even then I find I’m doing something that makes my cheeks burn. The first night I was in the school Walter had to tell me to put my butter on my butter-plate, not on――――” “The chump!” broke in Ned. “No; he meant it all right. I guess I deserved it and a good deal more. Perhaps if I learn these little things now I sha’n’t have to learn them later when it would be a good deal harder for me.” “You make too much of such things.” “Do I?” “Yes, you do. Nobody thinks of them except you.” “They don’t have to.” “You’re all right now, anyway, Dan.” Dan smiled and did not reply, though the words of his friend were far more comforting than Ned could understand. “There’s one way out of it,” continued Ned. “What is that?” “You give Gus all that is coming to him. You can do it! You――――” “What do you mean?” “Thrash him.” Dan threw back his head and laughed. “What good would that do?” he inquired. “Perhaps I couldn’t do it. He’s about the best boxer in school.” “I’d risk it.” “That’s good of you,” said Dan dryly. “My grandfather told me once that when he was a little fellow his older brothers tried to get him to rob a bumblebee’s nest they’d found in the hay-field. When he said he was afraid the bees would sting him, the boys told him to go ahead, ‘They’d risk it.’” Ned laughed as he said, “And you think I’d be willing to take the risk if you took on Gus?” “I didn’t say that.” “No, you didn’t; but you implied it. I’m not afraid of Gus Kiggins.” “I wasn’t thinking about him.” “What are you afraid of then?” “Myself. Suppose I should fight him, and then suppose I did succeed in whipping him――and that’s something I’m not a bit sure of――what would I prove?” “You’d put him where he belongs, anyway.” “I told you I wasn’t thinking about him. I was thinking of myself.” “A fellow isn’t called upon to stand everything.” “That’s right.” “And yet you say you won’t even defend yourself.” “Did I say that?” “That’s what you meant.” “Hardly,” said Dan with a smile. “Well, whatever you decide to do, promise me you won’t do anything before you tell me.” “I promise you as far as Walter and Mr. Borden are concerned.” “All right. That’s all I want. Hello, here we are at the Junction. Some of the fellows ought to get on here. There are some of them,” Ned added as he arose in his seat and peered from the window of the car. “Here comes Gus Kiggins himself!” he added hastily.