“Oh, you apologize, do you?” Star laughed amusedly. “Well, apologies don’t answer, kid. If you weren’t so small I’d kick you around the room, you—you ugly-faced little insect!”
“Never mind my size!” cried Dud, throwing discretion to the winds in the sudden flare of anger. “And never mind about my looks, either! Any time you want to start kicking you go ahead, Meyer! I’m not afraid of you! You’re a bluff, a big bluff, that’s all you——”
Star’s right hand shot out suddenly and the open palm landed hard on Dud’s cheek. The blow sent him sprawling across the bench, but he was on his feet again in an instant, his face white save where the impact of Star’s hand had left a tingling red stain. Star, smiling crookedly, had stepped back, ready for Dud’s rush. But the rush wasn’t made, for at that instant “Davy” Richards’ voice came sternly from the doorway.
“Here, boys! Stop that! Look you, Meyer, leave him alone! What mean you hitting a boy beneath your size, eh?” Davy was Welsh and when excited relapsed into a brogue as broad as it was difficult of reproduction in type. Star looked around, shrugged his shoulders and laughed lightly.
“I wasn’t hitting him, Davy. I merely slapped his face for him. If I ever really hit him he’d know it!”
“Well, no more of it in this house! ’Tis no place for fighting. And you there, you, Baker, behave yourself, do you hear me? No more now or I’ll take a hand myself!” Davy retired grumbling, and one of the audience of three chuckled as he got up and sauntered out. The others exchanged glances of amusement and went on with their dressing. Star nonchalantly retired to his own bench, leaving Dud standing with clenched fists and angry face in the middle of the floor, for once unconscious of the curious gazes of others.
“It isn’t finished yet, Meyer,” he said at last in a low voice.
Star glanced up contemptuously. “You’ll be finished if you try any more funny stunts with me, Baker,” he said threateningly. “And I want you to stop talking about me, too. Hear that? The next time I’ll do a lot more than slap your ugly face for you!”
“You’ll fight me!”