"No; keep it on; I'm going to keep mine on," retorted Prescott.
"Guard yourself, man!"
"Jump in, Bayliss! We'll thump his head off!" gasped Dodge, with almost a sob in his voice, to was so angry.
Bayliss would have been nothing loath to "jump in." But, just as Dick Prescott, after calling "guard," aimed his second blow at Bert, Fred Ripley, Purcell and "Hen" Wadleigh all hurried up to the scene.
For Bayliss to be caught fighting two-to-one would have resulted in a quick thrashing for him. So Bayliss stood back.
"Bad blood, is there?" asked Wadleigh, as the new arrivals hurried up.
"Prescott, after insulting Bert, flew at him," retorted Bayliss, panting some with the effort at lying.
Dodge was now standing well back. He had parried three of Dick's blows, but had not yet taken the offensive. As Dodge was a heavier man, and not badly schooled in fistics, Dick had the good sense to go at this fight coolly, taking time to exercise his judgment.
"What's it all about?" demanded Wadleigh.
Just for an instant Bayliss felt himself stumped. Then, all of a sudden, an inspiration in lying came to him.
"Prescott got ugly because the Dodges never paid that thousand-dollar reward," declared Bayliss.