With a slight side movement of his head Frank avoided the blow, allowing
his enemy's fist to pass over his shoulder. At the same time he cross
countered with his right hand, cracking Jack a heavy one under the ear.

"Hooray!" cried Harry Rattleton in delight. "That was a corker! Bet
Sparkler saw more stars than there are in the Wilky May--I mean Milky
Way."

For a few minutes the fight was hot. Again and again Frank struck his
enemy, but without putting his full strength into any of the blows, but
it did not seem to have any effect on Diamond save to make him more
fierce and determined.

"The Southerner's got some sand," commented Bruce Browning.

"That's right," nodded Puss Parker.

"He takes punishment well for a while, at least; but I don't believe he
will hold out much longer. I think he is the kind of a fellow to go to
pieces in an instant."

"You can't tell about that. I have a fancy that he's deceptive."

None of them, save Rattleton, possibly, knew that Merriwell was
reserving any of his strength when he struck his foe.

The fellows who a short time before were the most indignant against the
Southerner because he seemed determined to "blow" were now forced to
admire his bulldog tenacity and sand.