Several times Merry rushed awkwardly just to see how the man defended himself. He led at Galway’s head and his body. The man defended himself by parrying, blocking, and retreating.
Frank was not foolish enough to fancy Husker Galway an easy mark, but he counted on gaining some advantage by taking the man by surprise when he went into the fight in earnest.
Finally, as if by the rarest blundering accident, Merry landed on Galway’s chin.
“Well! well! well!” cried Ludley, the chap who had displayed such a friendly feeling for Frank. “He hit him, then!”
“Could you see that?” sneered a student.
“Course I could! What’s matter with you?”
Black Tom was scratching his head as he watched Merry.
“Nebber befo’ has I seen nobody git loaded on de kind ob stuff he’s been drinkin’,” murmured the negro.
Galway was angered because he had permitted himself to be hit in such a manner.