"Come, come, old man!" he whispered; "get up and get into the game
again! Don't let them count you out!"

But the Virginian was gasping for breath, and he did not seem to hear
the words of his second.

"That settles it," said Puss Parker, promptly.

"Better wait and see," advised Bruce Browning. "Diamond may not give up
when he gets his breath."

"It doesn't look as if he'd ever get his breath again."

Harry Rattleton was at Frank's side, swiftly saying:

"Why didn't you knock him out and show the fellows what you can do? You
monkeyed with the goat too long. He's stuffy, and you had to settle him
sometime. It didn't make a dit of bifference whether it was first or
last."

"That's all right," smiled Frank. "He's got sand, and I hated to nail
him hard. It seemed a shame to thump such a fellow and cover his face
with decorations."

"Shame? shame?" spluttered Harry. "Why, didn't he force you into a duel
with rapiers, or try to? and he is an expert! Say, what's the matter
with you? If I'd been in your place I'd gone into him tooth and nail,
and I wouldn't have left him in the shape of anything. Have you got a
soft spot around you somewhere, Merriwell?"