"Never!"
"I say he did drop it!" roared Sidney, who was in thoroughly bad humor. "You fellows are a lot of low upstarts," he added.
"Do you mean to call me an upstart?" cried Fred, his anger rising at the insult.
"Yes, I do."
"Take that back, Sidney Yates! If you don't——" Fred paused and clenched his fists.
"What will you do?" demanded Sidney impudently. He was several inches taller than Fred.
"I'll make you take it back."
"Ho! ho! what talk!" roared Sidney. "I'd like to see you make me take it back, you fat crab, you!"
Now, although Fred was stout, he hated to be called fat, and without further ado he pitched into Sidney and struck him on the shoulder. The other lad retaliated, and in a moment more the quarrel became exceedingly warm. Fred was struck on the arm and in the cheek, and he hit Sidney in the left eye and on the nose.
"Oh!" yelled Sidney, as the blood spurted from his nasal organ. "Don't you dare to hit me in the nose again!"