"What! do you call me a thief!" roared Jim Caven, and leaped upon Tom, with his face as white as the wall. "I'll make you smart for that!"
One blow landed on Tom's cheek and another was about to follow, when Tom dodged and came up under Caven's left arm. Then the two boys faced each other angrily.
"A fight! Fight!" cried a number of the cadets, and in a twinkle a ring was formed around the two contestants.
"I'm going to give you the worst thrashing you ever had," said
Caven, but in rather a nervous tone.
"All right, Caven, go ahead and do it," cried Tom. "I will stand up for Aleck Pop, and there you are!"
Tom launched forth and caught Caven on the right cheek. The Irish lad also struck out, but the blow fell short. Then the two boys clinched.
"Break away there!" cried Frank. "Break away!"
"I'll break his head!" panted Caven. "How do you like that?" And he held Tom with one hand and hit him in the neck with the other.
The blow was a telling one, and for a brief instant Tom was dazed.
But then he caught his second wind and threw Caven backward.
Before the Irish lad could recover his balance, Tom struck him
in the nose, and over rolled his opponent.
A shout went up. "Good for Tom Rover! That was a telling blow!
I Keep it up!"