"What do you mean by that?" flared Bert.
"Oh, you know, you don't care anything about my opinions," laughed Dick. "Let us drop the whole subject. I don't care particularly, anyway, about being seen talking with you two."
"Oh, you don't?" cried Bayliss, in a voice hoarse with rage.
In almost the same breath Bert Dodge hurled an insult so pointed and so offensive that Dick's ruddy cheek went white for an instant.
Back into his pocket he dropped the latch key, then stepped swiftly down before his tormentor.
"Dodge," he cried warningly, "take back the remark you just made. Then, after that, you can take your offensive presence out of my sight!"
"I'll take nothing back!" sneered the other boy.
"Then you'll take this!" retorted Dick, very quietly, in a cold, low voice.
Prescott's fist flew out. It was not a hard blow, but it landed on the tip of Bert Dodge's nose.
"You cur!" cried Dodge chokingly. "Wait until I get my coat off."