Bill, you are in trouble for fair. There you have it, fair and square on the nose, and it was a solid jolt, too. It started your nose to bleeding, but you don’t mind that, of course! only boys mind when they get a crack on the nose that starts the claret. But there is another in the eye. That will be likely to give you a very pretty eye to show your friends to-morrow. You’ll be proud of it, Bill, and you will enjoy exhibiting it to the gang.
Brace up, Buster Bill; it won’t do to let this smooth-faced, clear-eyed, handsome fellow get in many more like that one on the cheek. If he does, you’ll have a mug that will arouse doubts in regard to your veracity when you explain to-morrow that you fell down on the hard ground just by accident. People may listen to you, Bill; but inwardly they will be asking if you fell or were pushed.
What ails the fellow, anyhow? Why won’t he keep still and let you hit him back a few times, gentle William? It doesn’t seem hardly fair for him to do all the hitting, with the exception of that first blow; now, does it? If you had dreamed he was going to act this way, you would have hit him with a brick, wouldn’t you, Bill?
Great Scott! but that was an awful jab in the wind, Bill! It doubled you up beautifully. And then he was rude enough to give you another one on the ear. What are you doing down there, William? You’ll get your clothes dirty rolling round on the ground.
That’s right, sir; get right up, like a little man. He’ll accommodate you by knocking you down again. How long can you keep it up, Bill? Your head is pretty hard, but even a wooden head must get tired of being biffed round in such a manner.
Don’t froth, man! It’ll not do you a bit of good. Don’t gnash your teeth, for you’ll not frighten him that way. He doesn’t seem a bit afraid of you, and he keeps coming right after you all the time. At least, he might have the decency to give you a rest.
What’s that, you mighty thug, you slayer of men? Can it be that you realize you have met your master in this college chap at whom you sneered? Who are you shouting to? On my life, I believe you are calling to your friends for help!
Yes, it is true! And here they come through the dusk on the run, four of them in all! Well, well! you’ve surely got the college chap in a bad place now; but if you down him at last, Bill, you can’t brag that you did it alone, and I do not fancy that you’ll feel very proud of the job.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
HIS FOES “SCATTERED AROUND.”