"Get yourself in shape, you mucker!" breathed Bert fiercely, pulling
off his coat and tossing his motoring cap after it to the ground.
"Come on---get ready!"

"I'm no rowdy," Dick declared coolly, making no move to put himself
in readiness.

"No; you're a coward, with a long line of talk, but no spirit
in you!" jeered young Dodge.

"If I'm a coward, what possible glory would there be in your fighting
me?" Dick smiled.

"Let me have the sneak!" begged Dave, stepping forward, but Dick
pushed his churn back. Tom Reade took tight hold of Dave's right
arm.

With the prospects of an encounter vanishing, Bert Dodge's valor
went up tenfold.

"Get up your guard!" he roared. "I've been taking boxing lessons
and I want to teach you one or two things."

"I haven't been taking any boxing lessons lately," Dick remarked
with composure.

"Oh, that's why you're afraid to act at all like a man, is it?"
scoffed Bert in his harshest voice.

"No; my main reason for not caring to fight you, Dodge, is that