"See here, Rover! you've no right to b.u.t.t in like this," interposed Slugger Brown. "Why don't you let the pair finish it?"

"Those two fellows," cried Fred, pointing to Slugger Brown and Codfish, "tripped me up. It wasn't fair--three against one."

"We didn't trip him up at all," came from the two accused ones simultaneously.

"They did, Jack. First Codfish tried it, and then Brown put out his foot and I went down, and Martell at once pounced on me."

"That's no way to fight!" broke out Spouter.

"It was certainly a mean trick," was Gif's comment.

"If there is any fighting to be done, I guess we're on hand to see that it's done fairly," came from Walt Baxter.

A perfect war of words followed, in the midst of which Nappy Martell seemed to lose complete control of his temper. He rushed at Jack and hit the youth two quick blows, one in the chest and the other on the chin. The oldest Rover was not looking for this attack, and he staggered backward into some bushes, all but losing his balance.

"That's the way to do it, Nappy!" cried Slugger Brown, excitedly. "Give it to him!"

Jack was as much surprised as Fred had been when first hit, but he was able to recover much more quickly than his cousin. He leaped forward from the bushes, doubled up his fists, and the next instant sent in a crashing blow that landed straight on Martell's nose. He followed up this blow with another on the other youth's chin which sent Martell sprawling flat on his back.

"Hurrah! that's the way to do it, Jack!" cried Spouter.

"Say! has he got to fight two of you Rovers?" questioned Slugger Brown.

"No. He's got to fight me only," answered Jack, quickly. He turned to his cousin. "Fred, you keep out of this."

"But he started on me," pleaded the youngest Rover. "And now that you are here to see fair play, I'm not afraid of him."

"Never mind. It's my fight, anyway," went on Jack. "I owe him one for the way he treated me down in Wall Street that day."

While this talk was going on, Nappy Martell had scrambled to his feet.

His nose was swollen and bleeding profusely.

"You imp!" he howled, and lunged another attack at Jack.

He was able to land two blows on Jack's chest, but they were not powerful enough to do harm. Then, as Martell circled around, the oldest Rover boy managed to get in another blow, this time on his opponent's mouth, loosening two of Nappy's teeth.

"That's the way to do it, Jack!"

"Give him a few more like that and he'll soon quit."

"Go for him, Nappy! You can do him up if you'll only try," bellowed Slugger Brown in excitement.

"You keep back, Slugger," warned Walt Baxter. "Don't you interfere."

"I didn't interfere."

"Well, you're too close, anyway. Keep back like the rest of us."

"That's just what I say," broke out Spouter.

Realizing that the others were in the majority, Slugger Brown kept his distance from the pair who were fighting. Codfish was trembling like a leaf, and cowered well in the background.

Around and around circled the two contestants, and for a few minutes neither of them seemed to have the advantage. Jack was. .h.i.t in the arm, and returned by landing another blow, this time on Nappy's chest. Then the big youth aimed a kick at the Rover boy's stomach.

"Hi! that's no way to fight!" cried Gif, indignantly.

Jack had managed to escape the kick, and he had put down one hand so quickly that Nappy Martell had been in great danger of being caught and thrown on his back.

In the midst of the contest several forms could be seen hurrying across the campus and the parade ground, and in a moment more Andy and Randy came into view, followed by Bart White and some other cadets.

"It's a fight!"

"Why, what do you know about this! Jack is fighting Nappy Martell!"

"Martell tackled me first, but Jack took the fight out of my hands,"

explained Fred to his cousins.

"Who has got the best of it?" questioned Bart White, excitedly.

"I think Jack has the best of it so far," answered Gif; "but the fight isn't finished yet," he added, a bit anxiously.

"You're right it isn't finished yet!" retorted Slugger Brown. "Just you wait until Nappy gets his second wind, and then you'll see what he'll do to Rover."

Once more the two contestants were circling around, each trying to get in some kind of telling blow. Various pa.s.ses were made, and in the excitement the pair left the roadway and began to circle around on the gra.s.sy bank of the river.

"Look out there, or you'll both go overboard!" sang out Spouter in alarm.

The cadets who were fighting were too engrossed to pay attention to this warning. They kept on circling about, and then Nappy Martell made a wild and vicious pa.s.s for Jack's head. The latter dodged like lightning, came up under his opponent's arm, and the next instant landed a swinging blow on Martell's ear which sent him staggering backward several paces, to fall with a splash into the river.

CHAPTER XV

IN THE TOWN

"h.e.l.lo! Nappy's overboard!"

"Wow! that was some crack on the ear!"

"Can he swim?"

"Sure, he can swim! If he can't we can haul him in easy enough."

"I don't believe the river is very deep here."

Such were some of the words uttered immediately after the well-delivered blow from Jack Rover had sent his opponent spinning into the swiftly flowing waters of the Rick Rack River. Fortunately, the moon and the stars were shining brightly, so it was not as dark as it otherwise might have been. Indeed, had it not been for the brightness of the night it is doubtful if the fight could have been carried on as already described.