Though Dick was quivering with indignation, he still hesitated
to spring at Dodge. Dick didn't want to fight, on the sole ground
that he felt too much contempt for his opponent.

"Come, on, you mucker!" challenged Bert, dancing about Prescott.
Then Dodge delivered two swift, straight-from-the-shoulder blows.

Of a sudden Dick jumped into the fray.

"Good!" quivered Darry, his eyes flashing. To Dave's way of thinking,
Dick's swift vigorous defence should have followed that first
knock-down.

"Come on, you mucker!" taunted Bert, while the interchange of
blows now became fast and furious. "If there's anything you know
how to do in this game, let us see what it is! Trot it out!"

"I'll attend to my side of this match," said Dick quietly. "My
advice to you is that you keep quiet and save your wind for your
own protection."

"Bosh! You can't do anything to anyone in my class!" sneered
Bert. Indeed, young Dodge's address to his task opened up
particularly well. Dodge was rather heavy for his years, and he had
been doing some good training work through the spring and early
summer.

Dick, who was lighter and not noticeably quicker, confined himself,
at the outset, to his old tactics of allowing his opponent to
tire himself.