JUST IN TIME TO SEE GRAYSON GIVE BERT A BLOW IN THE CHEST.
“Who’s going to tell him, though?” asked Sam. “It should be some fellow big enough to take care of himself, for Grayson looks as if he could be lively.”
“I’ll do it myself,” declared Bert, savagely; saying which he lounged over toward the ring at which Benny and Grayson were playing. The boys had seen Bert in such a mood before, so at once there was some whispered cautions to look out for a fight. Before Bert had been a minute beside the ring, Grayson accidentally brushed against him as, half stooping, he followed his alley across the ring. Bert immediately got his hands out of his pockets, and struck Grayson a blow on the back of the neck that felled him to the ground. All the boys immediately rushed to the spot, but before they had reached it the new pupil was on his feet; and the teacher reached the window, bell in hand, just in time to see Grayson give Bert a blow on the chest that caused the young man to go reeling backward, and yell “Oh!” at the top of his voice. Then the bell rang violently, and all of the boys but Bert Sharp hurried up-stairs, Grayson not even taking the trouble to look behind him. In the scramble toward the seats Will Palmer found a chance to whisper to Ned Johnston, “There’s no nonsense about him, eh?”
And Ned replied, “He’s splendid!”
All of the boys seemed of Ned’s opinion, for when Mr. Morton, just as Bert Sharp entered, rang the school to order, and asked, “Who began that fight?” there was a general reply of, “Bert Sharp.”
“Sharp, Grayson, step to the front,” commanded the teacher.
Bert shuffled forward with a very sullen face, while Grayson stalked up so bravely that Benny Mallow risked getting a mark by kicking Sam Wardwell’s feet under the desk to attract his attention, and then whispering, “Just look at that!”
Before the teacher could speak to either of the two boys in front of him, Grayson said, “I’m very sorry, sir, but I was knocked down for nothing, unless it was brushing against him by mistake.”
“Was that the cause, Sharp?” asked Mr. Morton.
