"My fight is with Baxter," he said. "I want you to keep your hands out of it."
"You hit him when he wasn't prepared," blustered Mumps.
"And he hit me when I was not prepared. Stand back!"
And Dick made such a show of being ready to attack Mumps that the toady fell back in great alarm.
In the meanwhile Dan Baxter arose, and tried to stop the flow of blood with his handkerchief. "I'll get even with you, Rover!" he growled behind the stained cloth.
"At any time you please, Baxter," returned Dick. "But don't you take me off my guard again, or I'll have no mercy on you."
"Do you dare to meet me in a fair, standing-up fight?" demanded the bully.
"I certainly do."
"All right, then. Next Saturday afternoon at three."
Dick bowed. "Where?" he questioned.
"In the patch of woods behind the cornfield."
"All right."
"Mum is the word, fellows," said Baxter to his cronies. "You will keep this to yourself, Rover, won't you?"
"How many do you expect to bring to the fight?"
