"I guess we can settle that little affair now," muttered the bully, and slapped Dick on the cheek. "That for interfering with my doing on the boat."
Being on the bars, Dick could not ward off the blow, but he immediately sprang down, and with flushed cheeks leaped in front of Baxter.
"You seem very anxious to fight," he said in a low, steady voice.
"You can, therefore, take that for a starter!" And hauling off with his right fist, he struck Dan Baxter fairly and squarely upon the nose, causing the blood to spurt and sending the bully to the floor like a shot.
If ever there was an individual taken by surprise it was the bully of Putnam Hall. He had not anticipated such a sudden and determined resistance, and for several seconds he lay still, too dazed to move. In the meantime his friends sprang forward, but Dick waved them off.
"My fight is with Baxter," he said. "I want you to keep your hands out of it."
"You hit him when he wasn't prepared," blustered Mumps.
"And he hit me when I was not prepared. Stand back!"
And Dick made such a show of being ready to attack Mumps that the toady fell back in great alarm.
In the meanwhile Dan Baxter arose, and tried to stop the flow of blood with his handkerchief. "I'll get even with you, Rover!" he growled behind the stained cloth.
"At any time you please, Baxter," returned Dick. "But don't you take me off my guard again, or I'll have no mercy on you."
"Do you dare to meet me in a fair, standing up fight?" demanded the bully.
"I certainly do."
"All right, then. Next Saturday afternoon at three."
Dick bowed. "Where?" he questioned.
"In the patch of woods behind the cornfield."
"All right."
"Mums is the word, fellows," said Baxter to his cronies. "You will keep this to yourself, Rover, won't you?"
"How many do you expect to bring to the fight?"
"Only the four fellows who are here."
"Very well; I will bring a like number."
"Want to tell everybody, don't you?"
"No, but I think I am entitled to fair play; and that means that I must have as many friends there as you have."
"All right," grumbled Baxter, but he evidently did not like the arrangement. A moment later he hurried off, to do what he could to prevent his nose from swelling.
Dick told only his brothers and his chums of what had occurred, but the news leaked out that a fight was on, and Saturday afternoon found at least twenty cadets in the secret and on their way to witness the "mill," as those who had read something about prize-fighting were wont to call the contest.
Now, lest my readers obtain a false impression of my views on this subject, let me state plainly that I do not believe in fights, between boys or otherwise. They are brutal, far from manly, and add nothing to the strength of one's character. It is well enough to know how to defend one's self when occasion requires, but such occasions occur but rarely.
But I have set out to relate the adventures of the Rover boys, in school and out, and on land and sea, and I feel I must be truthful and tell everything just as it happened, not only in this volume, but in all those which are to follow; and, consequently, I shall tell of the fight as the particulars were related to me by Sam Rover, Fred Garrison and others--details which I am certain are correct.
The spot was a sheltered one, and on the edge of the woods two spies were posted, to warn the contestants should Josiah Crabtree or any of the other teachers appear, for fighting was against the rules of Putnam Hall, and neither Dick nor Baxter wanted to be caught.
Both came to the spot promptly, and, without preliminary talking, took off their coats, collars, ties, and caps. A ring was formed, and Dick stepped forward and faced Baxter.
The bully was several inches taller than his opponent and at least fifteen pounds heavier. His nose was a bit swollen, and there was a sneer upon his coarse face.
"Rover, if you wish to apologize to me you can do so, and save yourself a thrashing," he remarked.
"I can take care of myself, Baxter. Perhaps you would like me to make a similar proposition to you. If so, let me say it is too late; I came here to give you a well-deserved thrashing, and I mean to stick to my determination."
"Phew, but we talk big!" muttered Mumps.
"You keep your oar out, Mumps," put in Tom. "If you don't I'll give you a hiding, just as soon as Dick is done with Dan."
"Will you? Maybe you'll be the one to catch it," muttered Mumps.
Nevertheless, he said no more.
"Are you ready?" asked the boy who acted as timekeeper.
"I am," said Dick.
"So am I," returned Baxter, and hurled himself at his opponent without a second's delay.
He had expected to catch Dick napping, but he found himself mistaken. A blow aimed at Dick's face was well parried, and in return Dick hit Baxter heavily on the shoulder.
"Hurrah! Score one for Dick!" cried Larry Colby. "That's right, old man, keep at him."
"Keep cool, Dan!" put in Mumps. "You can polish him off at your leisure."
The blow on the shoulder staggered Baxter, and he fell back, to become more cautious; and then the two boys began to circle around and around, each looking for a favorable "opening." At last Baxter thought he saw what he wanted, and struck out again, and Dick was hit on the cheek.
"That's the way, Baxter!" came the cry.
"That was a teaser! Give him another!"
Again Baxter launched out, and now Dick was hit on the arm. He slipped to one side, and struck out like lightning, and the bully caught it in the neck, something which, spun him around like a top.
"Another for Dick!" cried Frank Harrington. "Keep it up!"
Again the two boys faced each other. But only for an instant.
With a savage cry Baxter sprang upon Dick as if to fairly tear him apart. One blow landed upon Dick's arm and a second on his chest.
"It's Baxter's fight! Baxter is still king of this school!"
"You might as well give it up, Rover; he's too many for you!"
So the cries ran on, while the bully, encouraged by his success, renewed his efforts; and an additional blow sent Dick to the ground in a heap.