He turned to his cronies with a grin and they piped up together as if by a prearranged signal:
“Firebrands!”
This undeserved insult was more than the radio boys could stand, and all stepped forward with clenched fists.
“You take that back, Buck Looker!” cried Joe, with flashing eyes.
“Take back nothing!” answered the bully.
“Yes, you will!” broke in Bob, and caught Buck by the arm.
At once the bully aimed a savage blow at Bob’s head. But the latter ducked, and an instant later his clenched fist landed upon Buck’s chin with such weight that the bully was sent over backward into the snow.
At the instant when Buck made his attack on Bob, Terry Mooney tried to hit Joe with a stick he carried. Joe promptly caught hold of the stick, and, putting out his foot, sent Terry backward into a snowdrift. Seeing this, Carl Lutz started to run away, but both Herb and Jimmy went after him and knocked him flat.
“You let me alone! I didn’t do anything!” blubbered Carl, who was a thorough coward.
“You can’t call me a firebrand,” answered Herb, and while fat Jimmy sat on the luckless Carl, Herb rammed some snow into his ear and down his neck.