A FIGHT AND A CHALLENGE
Jack Rover could see that Brassy Bangs was laboring under great
excitement. The youth who loved to dress in such a showy manner was red
of face and his eyes glittered in a manner calculated to make any one
quail before him.
But the young captain of Company C was not going to quail, and he stood
his ground and looked the other youth squarely in the face.
"You want a few words, eh?" he said coldly. "Well, what is it?"
"You know well enough what brought me here!" cried Brassy. "I've a good
mind to wipe up the floor with you!"
"I'm not fighting just now, Bangs. But don't forget that I can defend
myself if it's necessary," answered the young captain quickly. And then
he added: "Now say what you've got to say or get out."
"I'll stay as long as I please," blustered the showy youth. "It's a fine
piece of business you've been in--trying to belittle me and my chums in
the eyes of the girls at Clearwater Hall."
"If you came here to talk about the young ladies from Clearwater the
sooner you get out the better," answered Jack, his face flushing.
"Thought you were pulling off a fine stunt, didn't you, when you talked
to Ruth Stevenson about me?" sneered Brassy.
"I haven't said a word to Miss Stevenson about you."
"I know better, Jack Rover. You went to her and some of the other girls
and told them that my chums and I were no good, and that the sleighride
party we and some other fellows were getting up was going to be the
wildest thing that ever took place at Haven Point."
"You're entirely mistaken, Bangs. And the sooner you get out of here the
better it will please me."
"Do you dare deny that you hauled us over the coals with those girls at
Clearwater Hall?"
"I decline to discuss the matter any further with you," answered the
young captain.
"See here, Rover! you can't ride any high horse like that with me,"
blustered Brassy. "You and your cousins and some of the other fellows did
your best to queer our whole sleighing party, and you've got to take the
consequences!" And now Brassy Bangs doubled up his fists and tried to
look more dangerous than ever.
"See here, Bangs! if you don't stop your noise and get out of here I'll
put you out," returned Jack, in a low but firm voice. "I don't want any
fight with you, but I want you to understand that I can hold up my end
every time."
"Like pie you can! You put on a big front as a captain, but I know your
sort well enough! You can't pull the wool over my eyes! You went to the
girls' school and shot off your mouth, and you are going to take the
consequences!" and without further ado Brassy Bangs stepped forward and
aimed a heavy blow at Jack's face.
Had the fist landed as intended, Jack might have been knocked flat. But
the young captain had not been in athletic training for several years for
nothing, and he dodged quickly. Brassy was carried forward, so that his
arm shot over Jack's shoulder and his body came in contact with the young
captain's arm. The next instant Jack had him by the back of the collar
and was holding him at arm's length.
"Now you get out of here!" he cried, and tried to drag Brassy toward the
door.
Of course the other youth squirmed, and in an instant there was a rough
and tumble scuffle. Jack was pushed against the wall, and retaliated by
forcing Brassy backward over a chair. Then the two spun around the room,
upsetting a stand containing a number of books.
"Hello! what's going on here?" came a voice from one of the side rooms,
and Fred appeared. He had been in bed and was attired only in his
pajamas.
Jack and Brassy were so wrought up by this time that neither paid
attention to the interruption. Nor did they take notice when another door
opened and Andy and Randy came into view. Brassy managed to break away
and land a blow on Jack's arm, and in return received a crack in the chin
which sent his head backward and all but unbalanced him.
"Gee! it's a regular fight," burst out Andy. "I didn't know Brassy was
here."
"Neither did I," said Fred. "Why didn't you call us, Jack?"
"He didn't give me time," answered the young captain. "He accused me of
getting him into trouble at Clearwater Hall, and then pitched into me."
"I'll fix you!" yelled Brassy, who was now almost beside himself with
rage. "I'll fix you!" and he made another lunge for Jack.
But the blow he intended to deliver fell short, and before he could
recover the young captain came at him with a crack in the ear, followed
by another on the cheek, and these caused Brassy to stagger into a corner
where he held fast to a chair.
"Say, you fellows will have Colonel Colby here in another minute," warned
Fred.
"I don't care who comes!" bellowed Brassy recklessly. "But see here, I'm
not going to fight four of you!" he went on sullenly, as he glared from
one to another of the Rovers.
"There won't be any more fight!" cried Jack, who had no desire to be
brought up before the master of the school again. "Fred, open that door!"
And then, as the youngest Rover did so, he added to his opponent: "Now
get out of here before I throw you out."
"You can't throw me out!" blustered Brassy. But then, as Jack advanced on
him threateningly, he made a sudden spring for the door and ran out into
the corridor. "I'm not going to fight four to one. But just wait--this
isn't ended yet," he went on, and then disappeared.
Fred closed the door again, and he and the others gathered around Jack,
who was panting from his unexpected exertions.
"Gosh, but he looked mad!" was Randy's comment. "What was it all about?"
In as few words as possible the young captain explained the situation so
far as he was able.
"Brassy must have gone over to Clearwater Hall and there got the idea
that you were queering that proposed party," was Fred's comment. "Well,
I'm glad if the girls are wise to what is going on."
"Better chew this over in the morning," admonished Andy. "The thing now
is to get into bed and put out the lights. One of the professors may be
up here any minute."
This advice was considered good, and with lightning-like rapidity the
room was placed in order and the others retired again, leaving Jack to
undress and go to bed as quickly as possible. A little later one of the
monitors came through the hall, but none of the Rovers was disturbed.
It was not until two days later that the Rovers heard the particulars of
what had occurred at Clearwater Hall. Then they learned that, unknown to
any of the girls, one of the teachers had been delegated by Miss Garwood,
the head of the academy, to make a quiet investigation concerning the
proposed sleighing party. And when this teacher had found out who were on
the committee of arrangements, Miss Garwood had forbidden any of the
young ladies to participate. When this became known, Brassy Bangs had at
once concluded that Jack--and perhaps some of his relatives and
friends--was responsible for what had occurred. The party had been called
off.
"I'm glad it's called off," said Jack.
"So am I," returned Fred. "But, believe me, Jack, Brassy will have it in
for you after this."
"Possibly."
"You didn't hear anything about what girls intended to go, did you?" put
in Randy.
"I heard Jennie Mason, Ida Brierley, and Nettie Goss mentioned. That's
all," answered Jack.
He would have given a good deal to have known what was the real attitude
of Ruth and May toward the party. But, as before, neither he nor Fred
felt inclined to make any direct inquiries.
"It almost looks as if Brassy had expected Ruth to go with him," murmured
the young captain to himself, when he was alone that night. And it must
be confessed that the thought made him feel quite gloomy.
After this incident matters ran along smoothly for a week or more at the
Hall. During that time the snow commenced to melt and almost before the
cadets knew it, it had disappeared entirely.
In the meanwhile there was constant talk of the election for officers
that was to take place. Ralph Mason, the major of the school battalion,
was about to leave, as was also one of the captains, so there would be
first an election to fill these vacancies and then another election in
case one or both vacancies were filled by those who were already acting
as officers.
"I really think you ought to try for the majorship," said Gif to Jack.
"You certainly have done well as a captain."
"It would be very nice, Gif," was Jack's reply. "But I feel sometimes as
if I ought to give some of the other fellows a show."
"But they may not want it," answered Andy. "Look at me, for instance. I
don't want to be an officer, and neither does Randy. And Gif here would
rather continue at the head of our athletics."
"Yes, but you fellows are not the whole school," declared Jack, with a
smile.
"I know lots of fellows who want you to run," declared Spouter. "And you
say the word and I'll go around and do a lot of electioneering for you."
The matter was talked over a good many times, and fully twenty of the
cadets came to Jack and told him they wanted him to run for the office of
major. And finally he consented.
"Hello, here's news!" burst out Fatty Hendry, one day, as he joined his
chums. "It's the richest thing ever," and he grinned broadly.
"What's that?" questioned Dan Soppinger, who was present.
"I just heard through Teddy Brown that Brassy Bangs wants to run for
major. That he even told one of the professors about it."
"Why, he can't do that!" declared Fred quickly. "That is, not without
special permission from Colonel Colby or Captain Dale. The major is
always chosen from among the captains and lieutenants, or those who have
been officers before. That is, if there is any one to pick. It's only
Colonel Colby or Captain Dale who can declare the election open to any
one. You can't put a fellow who has just learned to handle a gun to march
at the head of the battalion."
"Well, of course Brassy didn't know that, and he wouldn't believe it
until Captain Dale explained it to him. And then he said he thought he
ought to be able to hold the position because he was one of the best
shots in the school."
"Well, he certainly is a good shot," declared Fred. "I saw him shooting
at a target one day and he certainly made some marvelous hits."
"He comes from the West--from some place where everybody knows how to
shoot," declared Walt Baxter. "I heard him telling some of the fellows
about it one day. He said he had learned to ride and to shoot when he was
only six or seven years old. And he can ride, all right enough, too. I
saw him do it one day when I was on the road back of the Point."
"Well, I think a few of us can do a little shooting," declared Andy.
"Don't forget that out of a possible twenty-five points Fred once made
nineteen and Jack eighteen."
"Oh, yes, I remember that," put in Ned Lowe. "That was the time Lew
Barrow scored twenty."
"Yes, and the time I scored the whole of ten," chuckled Andy. "But I
don't care," he added proudly. "I guess I brought down my share of small
game when we went hunting."
The talk concerning Brassy Bangs wanting to run for the office of major
was true, and the cadet was much disgusted when he found that the
regulations of the Hall forbade this.
"I can beat any one of them at shooting," he grumbled to Paul Halliday,
one of his particular cronies and the fellow who had aided in trying to
get up the sleighing party.
"Of course you can," was Halliday's quick reply. Then he went on: "Say,
Lest, why don't you challenge Jack Rover and his cousin Fred to shoot
against you? You can show 'em up in great shape. It would be better than
fighting them."
"I'll do it!" announced Brassy promptly, for the idea was one that
appealed to him. "I'll shoot against them with either pistols or rifles,
just as they may choose. I'll show 'em up for a couple of dubs when it
comes to handling firearms."
"That's the talk!" broke in Billy Sands, another of Bangs' chums. "You
say the word and Paul and I will take the challenge to the Rovers right
away."
"All provided Colonel Colby or Captain Dale will permit the contest,"
said Brassy sourly. "Maybe that's another one of the things their dirty
rules won't allow."
The matter was talked over for a while longer, and the three boys went
off to interview Captain Dale. He listened to them with a smile, and then
nodded.
"Of course you can have a contest of that sort if you desire, Bangs," he
said presently.
Following this the challenge to Jack and Fred was promptly issued. It, of
course, came as a surprise to the Rovers.
"We ought not to dirty our hands with a fellow like Bangs," declared the
young captain to Fred.
"Oh, we can't afford to refuse, Jack!" cried his cousin. "If we did the
fellows in the Hall would think we were afraid."
And thereupon the challenge was accepted.