Again Baxter launched out, and now Dick was hit on the arm.  He slipped to one side, and struck out like lightning, and the bully caught it in the neck, something which, spun him around like a top.

“Another for Dick!” cried Frank Harrington.  “Keep it up!”

Again the two boys faced each other.  But only for an instant.  With a savage cry Baxter sprang upon Dick as if to fairly tear him apart.  One blow landed upon Dick’s arm and a second on his chest.

“It’s Baxter’s fight!  Baxter is still king of this school!”

’You might as well give it up, Rover; he’s too many for you!”

So the cries ran on, while the bully, encouraged by his success, renewed his efforts; and an additional blow sent Dick to the ground in a heap.

CHAPTER XII

FAIR AND FOUL FIGHTING

As Dick went down, Tom and Sam uttered cries of chagrin and horror.  The eldest Rover had been struck on the chin, and the blood was flowing from a deep scratch.

“Get up!  Get up, Dick!” cried Tom.  “Don’t say you are beaten!”

“Yes, yes; get up and go at him!” added Sam.

The urging was unnecessary, as Dick was already scrambling up.  Dan Baxter made a dash at him, intending to strike him while he was down, but a fierce look from Tom stopped him.

“You’ll fight fair, Baxter,” were Tom’s words.

“Yes, he’ll fight fair,” repeated Dick, throwing back his head as if to collect himself.  “Fellow-students, Dan Baxter is not fit to be a pupil at this academy.”

“Why not?” came in a chorus.

“He is not fighting me fairly.”

“What do you mean?” blustered Mumps.

“Don’t find fault because he knocked you down,” added another of the bully’s cronies.

“I say he is not fighting fair,” repeated Dick Stoutly.  “He has something in each hand.”

At this unexpected announcement Dan Baxter started back and changed color.  Then of a sudden he placed both hands into his trouser pockets.

“He is putting the things out of sight!” cried Tom, who saw through the bully’s intentions.

“Come, Baxter, show us what you had.”

“I didn’t have anything,” growled the bully.  “If you say I had I’ll punch your head off.  This is only a ruse to, let Dick gain time to get his wind.”

“That’s it!” cried Mumps.  “Go at him, Dan, and finish him!”

“Baxter daren’t turn out his pockets,” said Sam, “Do it if you dare.”

“There is what I have in them,” answered the bully, pulling a trunk key from one pocket and some small change from the other.  “Perhaps you’ll say I was fighting with these in my hands.”

“Turn the pockets, out!” demanded Dick.

“Yes, turn ’ern out!” added Fred, and dozen others took up the cry.

“I won’t do it,” growled Baxter, but it was plain to see that he was growing uneasy.  “I’m a gentleman, and I can whip Rover with ease, and do it fairly, too!”