“It seems rather strange,” said Percival to some of the boys at recess, “that Wise did not more thoroughly disapprove of the squabble of this morning, but the reason I suppose is that he respected the mystery surrounding Jack and did not care to clear it up by making too great an investigation. Jack says his father is dead and I shall believe him and that liar Herring had better keep his lips closed tight on the subject.”
“You are breaking the doctor’s injunction that we were to say nothing about it, Dick,” laughed Billy Manners, “but I suppose you couldn’t just help it. I know I couldn’t.”
“Well, that is all I am going to say about it,” replied Percival and the matter was not mentioned although, none of the boys could help thinking of it at odd times.
Herring still treated Jack with disdain but was careful to avoid an open rupture, the recollection of the stunning blow which the apparently slight young fellow had given him acting as a deterrent to his wrath so that he avoided the boy as much as possible while he still retained his rancor.
Percival said nothing to Jack about his past life, preferring to let the boy take his own time about clearing up the mystery which was no clearer than before.
“I’ll get even with Sheldon before I leave the Academy,” declared Herring to Ernest Merritt and another of his satellites a day or so after the exciting scene in front of the school. “He can’t walk over me if he has got Dick Percival for his friend.”
“You can’t lick him,” laughed Merritt, who did not have the same fear of his associate that he formerly had. “He has a fist like a rock for all that he looks so slight. You were three or four minutes coming round the other day.”
“Suppose he has?” snarled Herring. “I can train, can’t I? If I send him a challenge to fight, he can’t refuse to take it up and keep his self-respect, can he?”
“Yah! what do you know about self-respect or honor?” laughed Merritt. “You haven’t got either and——”
He was obliged to retreat and leave the sentence unfinished to avoid the swinging blow that Herring aimed at him, the third boy narrowly missing catching it in his stead.