"I had enough before you began."
"But you haven't learned to keep a civil tongue in your head?"
"Dexter," retorted the lad, speaking more earnestly than he was aware, "I try to keep not only a civil tongue, but a pleasant manner for every human being who tries to act decently. With you it's different. Before to-day I didn't know much about you. What little I did know wasn't to your credit. But now I know you to belong to nothing better than the scum of the earth. No human being with any self-respect could be decent with you!"
"You're getting worse than ever, are you?" sneered Dexter. "I see that my work is only half started."
With that Ab. Dexter threw himself upon the boy again, giving him an even more lively beating than before.
Dick Prescott, panting with his struggles, disdained to cry out, but saved all his strength to fight back.
At last, all but exhausted, Ab. Dexter paused.
"You got a little better lesson that time," boasted the wretch.
"And I got a small lunch while you were taking your dinner," retorted Prescott, no more daunted than before. "Your nose is bleeding and your lip is cut!"
"Yes, I know it! I'm going to take that out of you presently."