“I—er—I didn’t mean to do it,” answered the lank youth, surlily.
“You did mean to do it, you mean bully!” ejaculated Frank, who had seen the movement perfectly. And in a sudden rage he ran up and shoved Hockley backward into some brushwood. “If you try it again, I’ll fight you, small as I am.”
It took the lank youth a few seconds to recover and then his face was redder than ever. Without a word he darted for Frank and struck him heavily in the shoulder. Then he struck out again, but Frank dodged the blow. A moment more and the two had clinched and were rolling over and over on the ground.
CHAPTER X
ON MULE BACK INTO CARACAS
“A fight! A fight!” came from Sam.
“Give it to him, Frank, don’t let him get the best of you,” put in Darry.
“Stop them,” ordered Mark, trying to rise and then falling back with a groan of pain. “Stop them, I say. Glummy is too big for Frank.”
“You let us alone,” growled the bully. “This is our fight and we’ll settle it between us. He struck me first.”
While he was talking he was doing his best to get on top of Frank. But the latter, though small, proved that he was powerful and Hockley held him down with difficulty. The lank youth now hit out again and Frank was struck in the nose and the blood began to flow from that organ.
“Let me up!” came from the smaller youth. And then he too struck out, landing on Hockley’s chin. Then he jerked the lank youth by the arm and Hockley rolled over on the grass, and in a moment Frank was on top.