“Oh, I do, hey?” and Herring turned purple with rage. “Maybe I am lying when I tell the boys that you had a secret interview with your father yesterday afternoon and that he is the chief robber, the one with the white mustache, the one that Jones shot at. Maybe you will deny that you have a father?”
“I do deny it,” said Jack, quietly. “My father is dead, as I told you once before.”
“You are a liar!” roared Herring, “and I’ll bet that you are just as bad as this——”
That was as far as he got for in an instant Jack had knocked him down.
CHAPTER XII
THE TROUBLES OF AN EDITOR
There was great excitement among the boys in an instant and while the greater part of them sympathized with Jack, there were some who took sides with Herring and one of these now ejaculated:
“Ha! if he wants to fight let him go at it fair. Get a ring and——”
“Young ge’men,” said the negro coachman, pushing forward and throwing aside the boys who were rushing at Jack, “Ah beg of yo’ to remembah dat dis am against de rules and dat you will be severely chastised if not punished for dis.”