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~ stand that!
'- “Ves, rather; it was clever.
“as he had boasted; but not here.
- was done properly.
“A gentleman! Something you'll never be.”
“T won't, eh?”
“J don’t think you could be.”
Kid glared at him.
“See here,” he said, “what did you chip into that
business last night for?”
The red had faded out.of Willis’ face, leaving it
unnaturally pale.
“This is a free country.
please.”
“Nobody gave you any right to interfere with my
plans,” said Kid menacingly. “I want you to under-
I suppose you thought that was smart?”
Everybody says that
it was. It isn’t often that the hazers get hazed, and
the tricksters get tricked.”
“Do you know what I’ve sworn to do to you?”
Kid doubled his fists, and stepped nearer, but Lee
Willis did not retreat. His face was flushing again,
I’ve a right to do as I
and the anger he had tried to hold in check was be-
ginning to boil.
“I don’t take the trouble to think about you at all,”
he answered, with spirit.
“Oh, you don’t, eh?”
“Certainly not. You’re too contemptible.”
‘Kid seemed about to spring at him, but held him-
self in with a mighty effort. He meant to whip Willis,
He wanted some of
the fellows to be present, that they might see that it
He hadn’t a doubt of his-ability
to administer the thrashing.
“Too contemptible, am I?” he snarled.
-“That’s what I said.”
“Then mebbe this will increase your good opinion
of me!” .
One of his long arms swept forward, and he gave
Lee Willis’ nose a sharp tweak,
The latter, stung witih rage, uttered a cry of pain,
and then swung blindly at his insulter; but Kennedy
stepped quickly back, and the blow struck only the
air. Willis was about to fling himself at Kennedy,
when he observed some ladies walking along the path
in that direction:
In addition to the Southern pride and temper, Lee
Willis had the Southern instincts of a gentleman. He
pulled himself in, with a mighty effort when he saw
’ those ladies.
“You'll fight me for this!’ he said passiontely, but
in a low tone. His face was again as white as a
sheet.
“Bah!
“T demand that you shall fight me for this!”
Til fight you!” said Kennedy, with an in-
6 ALL-SPORTS LIBRARY. .
sulting laugh. “That’s what I pulled your nose for—
to make you fight. You’ve showed the white feather,
and I was afraid you'd show it again.”
“Pll fight you!” said Willis.. “I challenge you
now! Name the place, the time, and the weapons, and
you'll find me there, ready for you.”
“Good!” cried Kennedy. ‘That’s all I want—just
a chance to knock your block off. Fight me to-night,
in the dormitory, with fists.”
“Tl fight you with swords—with pistols!” said Lee
fiercely. “T’ll kill you!”
“Fight me with your fists, like an American.”
“Those ladies are coming,” Lee warned. “Don’t
let them hear you. But I'll fight you with fists if you
wish it, though that is a bruiser’s and a coward’s way
to fight. But I’ll meet you.” .
“See that you do!” said Kid.
Then he swung along, well satisfied with himself.
“Oh, but I'll pound his block off if he does: meet
me!” he was saying to himself.
With a sense of suffocating rage and humiliation,
Lee Willis went on toward the academy grounds. He
had noticed that Jack Lightfoot was on the lake, and
he now wanted to see him.
He did not meet Jack until noon, and then he came
into Jack’s room, in the dormitory.
“Hello!” said Jack, greeting him with a smile.
“Come in.’ Glad to see you.”
Willis dropped into a chair, without speaking, and ~
looked earnestly at the handsome fellow before him,
noting the easy carriage, the clear, gray-blue eyes, and
the firm face and mouth,
“Lightfoot,” he said earnestly, yet with a trace of
passion, “I want you to-act as my second this eve-
ning, in a fight with Kid Kennedy.”
Jack looked his surprise.
“A fight with Kennedy ?”.
“That’s what I said.”
Jack put down the book he had been reading.
“He insulted me this morning in a manner I can’t
forget nor forgive. He said he did it to force me
to fight him. The coward refused to fight with swords
or pistols, but insists on fists, just like a bruiser.”
Jack smiled.
“Fists are all right, Willis.”
“T don’t think so myself,” said Willis. “They’re the-
weapons of a brute, I never learned how to handle
my fists. If it was swords, now, or pistols. ”
“T’d prefer to act as your second in a fight with
fists,” said Jack, struck by Willis’ earnestness. “You're
not likely to kill any one, as with swords or pistols.”