“Oh, you don’t?” cried Bayliss, in a voice hoarse with rage.

In almost the same breath Bert Dodge hurled an insult so pointed and so offensive that Dick’s ruddy cheek went white for an instant.

Back into his pocket he dropped the latch key, then stepped swiftly down before his tormentor.

“Dodge,” he cried warningly, “take back the remark you just made.  Then, after that, you can take your offensive presence out of my sight!”

“I’ll take nothing back!” sneered the other boy.

“Then you’ll take this!” retorted Dick, very quietly, in a cold, low voice.

Prescott’s fist flew out.  It was not a hard blow, but it landed on the tip of Bert Dodge’s nose.

“You cur!” cried Dodge chokingly.  “Wait until I get my coat off.”

“No; keep it on; I’m going to keep mine on,” retorted Prescott.  “Guard yourself, man!”

“Jump in, Bayliss!  We’ll thump his head off!” gasped Dodge, with almost a sob in his voice, to was so angry.

Bayliss would have been nothing loath to “jump in.”  But, just as Dick Prescott, after calling “guard,” aimed his second blow at Bert, Fred Ripley, Purcell and “Hen” Wadleigh all hurried up to the scene.

For Bayliss to be caught fighting two-to-one would have resulted in a quick thrashing for him.  So Bayliss stood back.

“Bad blood, is there?” asked Wadleigh, as the new arrivals hurried up.

“Prescott, after insulting Bert, flew at him,” retorted Bayliss, panting some with the effort at lying.

Dodge was now standing well back.  He had parried three of Dick’s blows, but had not yet taken the offensive.  As Dodge was a heavier man, and not badly schooled in fistics, Dick had the good sense to go at this fight coolly, taking time to exercise his judgment.

“What’s it all about?” demanded Wadleigh.

Just for an instant Bayliss felt himself stumped.  Then, all of a sudden, an inspiration in lying came to him.

“Prescott got ugly because the Dodges never paid that thousand-dollar reward,” declared Bayliss.

Dick heard, and with his eye still on Dodge, shouted out:  “That’s not true, Bayliss.  You know you are not telling the truth!”

Bayliss doubled his fists, and would have struck Prescott down from behind, but Wadleigh, who was a big and powerful fellow, caught Bayliss by his left arm, jerking him back.

“Now, just wait a bit, Bayliss,” advised “Hen,” moderately.  “From what I know of Prescott I’m not afraid but that he’ll give you satisfaction presently—–­if you want it.”

“You bet he’ll have to!” hissed Bayliss.

“If Prescott loses the argument he has on now,” added Purcell, significantly, “I fancy he has friends who will take his place with you, Bayliss.”

Then all turned to watch the fight, which was now passing the stage of preliminary caution.

Several boys and men had run down from Main Street.  Now, more than a score of spectators were crowding about.