THE CHALLENGE.
That night, immediately after supper, Rupert Reynolds appeared at the
door of Frank's tent.
"Mr. Merriwell," said Reynolds, stiffly, "I am here in the interest of
my friend, Mr. Bascomb."
"I presumed as much," came quietly from Frank's lips.
"You have openly insulted Mr. Bascomb, and he demands an immediate
apology."
Frank whistled.
"Is that all?" he exclaimed, with a queer twist of his face and a
twinkle in his eyes.
"You will find this a very serious matter, sir," said Reynolds, with an
assumption of great dignity.
"Mr. Bascomb may also find it serious."
"Will you apologize?"
"You may tell Mr. Bascomb that I will apologize to him when he is man
enough to apologize to Fred Davis, and publicly acknowledge that he
treated the little plebe in an unmanly and bullying manner."
Reynolds made a scornful gesture.
"Mr. Bascomb will not do anything of the kind!"
"Very well; I shall not apologize to him."
"Then you must fight him."
"I will do so with the greatest of pleasure."
"Oh, you won't find much fun in it," sneered Reynolds. "It isn't going
to be that kind of a fight. Bascomb is thirsting for your life. It
was with the greatest difficulty I persuaded him not to challenge you
to fight a duel with deadly weapons. He said he would take
satisfaction in meeting you in an affair of honor where he could run a
blade through your body or perforate you with a bullet."
Frank whistled again.
"Why, he has become very courageous since he took to bullying boys! He
is really bloodthirsty."
"He is determined to square accounts with you, sir. He says you have
been boning military at his expense for some time, just to show your
authority."
"Which he knows is absolutely false," Frank flashed back. "I have
reprimanded him when compelled to do so by his utter disregard of what
is right."
"That may be your opinion; Mr. Bascomb thinks differently. He demands
that this fight take place without delay."
"The sooner the better."
"What do you say to making the time immediately after dark?"
"I am agreeable."
"As Lieutenant Gordan has been watching the old boathouse of late, it
will be necessary to have the fight take place elsewhere."
"All right."
"It may be stopped if it is anywhere in this vicinity."
"Yes."
"Black Bluff is but a mile away."
"That's all."
"Why not go there?"
"The place is satisfactory to me."
"Then it is settled. Be on hand with your second as soon as possible
after dark."
"I will."
Reynolds walked away with his head held very high and his neck very
stiff.
Of course, the boys had been expecting Frank would receive a challenge,
and no small number had been watching the two lads. Immediately on
Rupert's departure, Frank's friends came swarming around him, asking
scores of questions.
"Pwhat did th' b'y want wid yez, Frankie?" asked Barney Mulloy, eagerly.
"Oh, not much," smiled Frank, who did not believe in letting the entire
gathering know exactly what had happened and what was going to take
place. "He informed me that Bascomb demands an apology. Of course, I
did not apologize, which may lead Bascomb to challenge me."
"An' he didn't challenge yez alridy? Wurra! wurra! Oi thought there
moight be a foight on hand, so Oi did."
"Dot's vot's der madder mit me," sighed Hans Dunnerwust, in
disappointment. "It vos peen so long alretty yet since I haf seen a
scrap dot I don'd know vot it vos."
"G'wan wid yez, Dutch!" cried Barney, who was in ill-humor on account
of the failure--as he supposed--of Bascomb to challenge Merriwell.
"Thot Yankee from Vermont called yez a balloony sausage t'-day, an' ye
nivver did a thing. Av ye wur dying fer a foight, ye'd challenge him.
Ye're th' biggest coward on th' face av th' earth. Ye give me
distriss!"
"Vos dot so!" retorted Hans. "Don'd you pelieve me! Vos id my blace
to fight mit a blebe?"
"Of course it is yer place, ye ignoramus."
"Vell, I didn't know dot. Maype I fight him some dime pime-py right
avay soon alretty yet."
"Oh, no ye won't."
"Von't I?"
"No, ye won't dare, ye Dutch coward. Av ye had a bit av spunk in yer
body, ye'd challenge him to wance."
"Vell, you pet me my boots I don'd vos a coward," declared Hans,
emphatically. "I'll vight dot feller!"
"Thot's th' shtuff, me b'y!" cried the delighted Barney. "Let me take
th' challenge."
"Nod py a plamed sight! I don'd vant a pog-drotter to done some uf dot
peesness for me, ain'd id? Uf I shoose mein second, I dakes Vrankie
Merrivell alretty!"
For all that he had serious work on hand, Frank was ready for a frolic,
and he instantly said:
"I will carry your challenge, Hans. You may depend on me."
"All righd, Vrankie, my poy; led her go."
"You wish me to hunt up Ephraim Gallup, and demand an apology or a
fight?"
"Yaw."
"And you really mean it?"
"Yaw."
"Will you fight if he agrees to meet you?"
"Yaw."
"All right. There can't be any backing out now, understand that. You
are in for a fight, if Gallup doesn't apologize."
"Yaw; but you mighd influence him to abologize uf you couldt, ain'd id?"
"It would not be proper to bring any undue influence to bear on him. I
shall carry your challenge to him immediately."
As Frank started to find Ephraim Gallup, Barney Mulloy slipped from the
crowd and joined him. The Irish lad's eyes were full of mischief.
"I say, Frankie, me b'y," he said, quickly, "can't we put up a job on
thot Dutchman, an' hiv som' fun av this, Oi dunno?"
"Leave that to me," smiled Frank. "I fancy I will find a way to get
plenty of sport out of this business. You know those two old
horse-pistols that are hung up for relics in the armory?"
"Yis."
"Go for them yourself, or send somebody who can get them immediately."
"Pwhat do yez want wid thim?"
"I will show you, if I can make my scheme work."
"Oi belave Oi know," chuckled the fun-loving Irish lad. "Mursha!
Won't thot be fun, Oi dunno! Oi'll hiv thim roight away," and off he
darted.
As Frank expected, he found Ephraim once more surrounded by a mob who
were having sport at his expense. Fortunately for Merriwell's scheme,
the country boy was rather angry, and felt more like fighting than
doing anything else.
"Mr. Gallup," said Frank, as he forced his way through the throng and
confronted the Vermonter, "I am here in behalf of a friend whom you
have sorely insulted."
"Git aout with yer nonsense!" retorted Ephraim. "I wish you'd quit yer
foolin' an' let a feller alone."
"You will discover this is not fooling, sir," said Frank, sternly. "My
friend demands that you fight him immediately. Will you do it?"
"Wal, I be twisted if I don't!" snorted Ephraim, as he spat on his
hands and prepared to remove his coat. "Where is ther consarned
critter? I'll bark his nose quicker'n a brindle caow kin kick over a
pail of milk, by gum!"