Mr. Detweiler swung off in the direction of the gymnasium and the two boys, continuing toward Main Hall, looked after him interestedly.

“Gee, he’s built for work, isn’t he?” mused Amy.  “Played tackle, didn’t he?”

“Yes, and he was a dandy.  Bet you he will do a lot of good here, Amy.”

“He seems a level-headed sort,” replied Amy.  “I liked the way he minded his own business back there.  Lots of men would have hopped around and got excited and said, ‘Boys!  Boys!  This will never do!’ He just made up his mind that everything was all right and said ‘Go to it!’”

“I’m glad he came,” acknowledged Clint.  “I didn’t want to see Dreer get any more, Amy.”

“He needed a lot more,” replied Amy grimly.  “Personally, I was a bit sorry he fessed up so quick.  I was hoping for another whack at him!”

“You’re a bloodthirsty kid,” marvelled Clint.

“I am?” Amy seemed surprised.  “Don’t you believe it, Clint.  I’m as easy-going and soft-hearted as a suckling dove, whatever that is.  Only, when some low-life like Dreer says this is a rotten school I don’t care for it.  And when he does a trick like the one he did with poor old Penny’s fiddle I want to fight.  Not, though, that you could call that little affair a fight,” he added regretfully.  “Why, the silly chump wouldn’t even guard!”

“Do you reckon he will tell Josh?” asked Clint uneasily.

“No, I don’t.  He wouldn’t care to have Josh know about the violin business.  What he will do is to put arsenic in our tea some day, I guess.”

“That’s all right, then,” laughed Clint.  “I don’t drink tea.”

“Or, maybe, he’ll drop a bomb through the transom some dark night.”

“We’ll keep it closed.”

“Well, if I have to teach him behaviour again I won’t stop so soon,” said Amy.  “I’m not sure I don’t wish he would try some trick with me.  I—­do you know, Clint, I don’t think I quite like that fellow!”

“Honest?  I’d never have suspected it,” Clint laughed.  “Say, how many cuts did you take?”

“Two.  And there’s going to be trouble.  But it was worth it!”

There was trouble, and Amy had to visit Mr. Fernald the next day and explain, as best he could, why he had missed two recitations.  Unfortunately, Amy couldn’t confide to the principal the nature of the business which had interfered with his attendance at classes, and his plea of indisposition was not kindly received.  Still, he got off with nothing more serious than a warning, and thought himself extremely fortunate.  Clint, who had cut only one “recit,” received merely a reprimand from “Horace” and an invitation to make up the lost work.

Amy confided to Penny that evening that he and Dreer had had a misunderstanding regarding the respect due from a student to his school and that Dreer had sustained a cut cheek.  And Penny nodded understandingly and said:  “Much obliged, Byrd.  I wish I might have seen it.”