One afternoon Dick had just begun to use a set of parallel bars when Dan Baxter sauntered in, accompanied by Mumps and two other cronies.

There were very few cadets in the building at the time, and Baxter came directly to Dick.

“I guess we can settle that little affair now,” muttered the bully, and slapped Dick on the cheek.  “That for interfering with my doing on the boat.”

Being on the bars, Dick could not ward off the blow, but he immediately sprang down, and with flushed cheeks leaped in front of Baxter.

“You seem very anxious to fight,” he said in a low, steady voice.  “You can, therefore, take that for a starter!” And hauling off with his right fist, he struck Dan Baxter fairly and squarely upon the nose, causing the blood to spurt and sending the bully to the floor like a shot.

If ever there was an individual taken by surprise it was the bully of Putnam Hall.  He had not anticipated such a sudden and determined resistance, and for several seconds he lay still, too dazed to move.  In the meantime his friends sprang forward, but Dick waved them off.

“My fight is with Baxter,” he said.  “I want you to keep your hands out of it.”

“You hit him when he wasn’t prepared,” blustered Mumps.

“And he hit me when I was not prepared.  Stand back!”

And Dick made such a show of being ready to attack Mumps that the toady fell back in great alarm.

In the meanwhile Dan Baxter arose, and tried to stop the flow of blood with his handkerchief.  “I’ll get even with you, Rover!” he growled behind the stained cloth.

“At any time you please, Baxter,” returned Dick.  “But don’t you take me off my guard again, or I’ll have no mercy on you.”

“Do you dare to meet me in a fair, standing up fight?” demanded the bully.

“I certainly do.”

“All right, then.  Next Saturday afternoon at three.”

Dick bowed.  “Where?” he questioned.

“In the patch of woods behind the cornfield.”

“All right.”

“Mums is the word, fellows,” said Baxter to his cronies.  “You will keep this to yourself, Rover, won’t you?”

“How many do you expect to bring to the fight?”

“Only the four fellows who are here.”

“Very well; I will bring a like number.”

“Want to tell everybody, don’t you?”

“No, but I think I am entitled to fair play; and that means that I must have as many friends there as you have.”

“All right,” grumbled Baxter, but he evidently did not like the arrangement.  A moment later he hurried off, to do what he could to prevent his nose from swelling.

“Dick told only his brothers and his chums of what had occurred, but the news leaked out that a fight was on, and Saturday afternoon found at least twenty cadets in the secret and on their way to witness the “mill,” as those who had read something about prize-fighting were wont to call the contest.