CHAPTER XI

A QUARREL AND ITS RESULT

Had the blow landed as intended Dick Rover would have received a bloody nose and might perhaps have lost one or two teeth.

But Dick was on the alert and he dodged to one side, so the blow landed on Songbird Powell’s shoulder.

“See here, what do you mean by that, Flapp?” demanded Powell, who was no weakling.

“I meant to hit Rover,” was the answer.

“Hands off, Flapp!” cried Dick.  “I didn’t come here to fight, but I can defend myself.”

“We’ll see!” roared the unreasonable tall boy, and made another rush at Dick.  But in a twinkling he found himself flat on the floor, where he had been thrown with a suddenness that took away his breath.

“Hi! that ain’t fair,” put in Rockley.  “You let Lew alone.”

“I will, when he leaves me alone,” retorted Dick.  He turned to Harry Moss and Joe Davis.  “Do you want to stay here any longer?”

“No,” answered both of the small cadets promptly.

“I didn’t wish to come at all, but Ben Hurdy urged it,” continued Harry Moss.

“And Pender said it would do no harm,” added Joe Davis.  “He said we were going to have nothing but sandwiches, root beer, and soda.”

“Look here, Davis, you keep your mouth shut!” cried Pender.  “You knew exactly what to expect.  You know Mike Sherry don’t run a temperance hotel,” he continued, with a sneer.

At these words Joe Davis grew pale.

“Yes, I know it—­now, and if I ever get out of it, I shan’t come again.”

“Oh, you’re too good to live!” broke in Jackson.  “You ought to be laid away in a glass case for safe keeping.”

“Davis is all right, and he has more brains than you, Jackson,” came from Dick.  “If you want to make a fool of yourself by drinking and smoking, I shan’t stop you.  But you shan’t drag Joe and Harry into it against their will.”

“That’s the way to talk, Dick,” said Powell.  “Let us clear out, and take the youngsters with us.”

By this time Lew Flap had recovered from the flooring received and now he approached Dick once more.

“Do you want me to hammer you good, Rover?” he panted.

“As I said before, Flapp, I didn’t come here to fight, but I can defend myself.  I propose to leave quietly, and take Harry and Joe with me.”

“Supposing I won’t let you leave?”

“I don’t think you’ll stop me.”

“Come, Flapp, don’t make a fool of yourself,” put in Powell.  “We didn’t come here to quarrel, but to urge all of the crowd to quit drinking.  You know it’s against the Hall rules and regulations.”

“And you intend to blab on us?”

“Not at all.  I’m not that kind.  And Dick Rover isn’t either.”

“I know how to fix ’em,” came from Pender, with a cunning look in his eye.

“How?” asked Flapp and Rockley, in concert.