He turned aside, and was about to look at the damage done to the shell when he heard a movement behind him. He turned just in time to see Welter raising a broken oar over his head.
"Ah, would you!" cried Frank, skillfully ducking the blow aimed at him. The next instant he knocked the bully down again.
As Welter fell, a figure advanced from the outer darkness and stood in the doorway of the boathouse. Both lads saw it, and as Welter struggled to his feet a rasping voice exclaimed:
"Ah, Racer, this time I have caught you in the act! Out after hours and fighting! How dare you knock a fellow-student down?" and Professor Callum glared at our hero.
"Yes, this is the second time he knocked me down!" whined Welter.
"I knocked him down because he was about to hit me with an oar!" exclaimed Frank hotly. "It was a fair fight until he tried a mean trick."
"Then you admit you were fighting?" asked the professor craftily.
"Of course. And so would you have fought him if you saw what he did. He tried to ruin the shell, and the race comes off to-morrow."
"How dare you bring my name into this disgraceful affair?" demanded the teacher. "As if I would ever fight! I abhor it, and I detest those who fight."
"He hit me first," whined the bully.