"Don’t talk to me that way!" flared the professor—"don’t dare! I will not have it! You must keep your place, sir!"
"You are not my master!" he cried. "You cannot tell me what I shall do!"
Gooch flourished his cane, with the intention of shaking it at the lad, but, quick as a flash, Dick snatched it from his hand.
"Don’t you dare!" he blazed. "Why, if you do——"
He took a step toward Professor Gooch, who fell back, uttering a little squawk of alarm. His appearance was so comical that a sudden and surprising change came over the lad. The look of anger was chased from his face by one of merriment, and he cried:
"Oh, dear! Don’t be frightened! Ha! ha! ha! Oh, ha! ha! ha! I won’t hurt you, sir!"
"Professor Gunn!" gasped Professor Gooch, "will you stand here and see me insulted and threatened like this? Isn’t this just cause to have this boy expelled? I demand that he be brought to book for this conduct! I demand it, sir! He shall be turned out of this school! I will see that it is done!"
Dick tossed the cane at the feet of the excited professor.
"Turn me out!" he said. "What do I care for your old school? I didn’t wish to come here, in the first place. I’ll go back to my home—back to Felicia! Old Joe will go with me, and I’ll be free again. Then I can do as I like, and I’ll have plenty of friends in the birds and the wild creatures that know me. There I’ll have no mean and lying enemies who are trying to hurt me! You may believe the lies about me! I don’t care!"
He turned as if to leave the room, but suddenly whirled toward Professor Gunn, whose hand he quickly grasped.