“You—­you brute!” muttered Dreer.  “What do you want me to do?  I—­I’ll do anything you say, Byrd.”

“Will you?  Then come away from that fence so I can knock you over again, you sneak!”

“He’s had enough, Amy,” pleaded Clint.

“Enough?  Oh, no, he hasn’t!  When he’s had enough he’s going to tell us who smashed Durkin’s violin, aren’t you, Dreer?  And he’s going to tell us that he’s been awfully mistaken in his estimate of Brimfield Academy, too.  Why, he’s going to just love the dear old school before I get through with him, Clint!”

“I—­I tell you I didn’t touch his violin,” cried Dreer with a brief flash of defiance.

“There!  You see?” said Amy.  “His memory is still weak, Clint.  Come away from the fence, Dreer.”

“I won’t!  Let me alone!  You’ve struck me twice, Byrd.  That—­that ought to be enough.”  He ended with a sniffle.

“Sorry,” said Amy, “but I’ve got to arouse that memory of yours.  If you won’t come away from there, why—­”

“Hello, hello!” said a voice.  “What’s the trouble, fellows?”

The three boys started.  A few yards away, leaning on his cane, stood a tall man of twenty-three or four years, a mildly surprised expression on his good-looking face.

CHAPTER XVII

A STRANGER INTERRUPTS

He wore a grey flannel suit, a cap to match, and rubber-soled tan shoes.  It was doubtless the latter which accounted for his unsuspected appearance on the scene.  His brown eyes travelled from one to another of the little group inquiringly.

“I hope I don’t intrude,” he observed politely.

“I’m afraid you do, a bit,” responded Amy calmly.

“They’re two against one!” cried Dreer shrilly.  “I didn’t do a thing to them!  He—­he knocked me down, and cut my face, and—­”

“Easy, easy!” The stranger held up a hand.  “I thought from what I saw that this gentleman was quite neutral.  How about it?” He turned to Clint.

“Yes, sir,” answered the latter.

“I thought so.  Then it’s you two who are engaged in this encounter, eh?  I presume it’s a gentleman’s affair!  All fair and ship-shape?”

“Quite within the rules of civilised warfare, sir,” assured Amy with a smile.

“I see.  In that case don’t let me detain you.  Proceed with the matter in hand.  Unless, that is, I may act as mediator?  Is the—­the question in dispute one which is open to arbitration?”

“I’m afraid not,” answered Amy.  “The fact is, sir, this fellow has a lamentable habit of speaking disrespectfully of his school.  I have warned him that I didn’t like it and he persists.  What I—­”

“It isn’t that, sir!” cried Dreer passionately.  “He says I—­I broke Durkin’s fiddle, and I didn’t, and the rest is only an excuse to—­to fight me!  He hasn’t any right—­”

“Dreer!” protested Amy.  “I’ve explained, even insisted that the incident of the violin has nothing to do with this—­er—­salutary punishment I am inflicting.  I wish you wouldn’t confuse things so!”