The High School Freshmen; or, Dick & Co.'s First Year Pranks and Sports

ne more capture to make. Run along, Dick! I'll take care of Ripley. He'll stay right here until you c

d no farth

ep that feeling down and back. He was captain of the hounds. He h

d lagged at sight of the knock-down. "One mor

ess. In fact, many wondered why there had not sooner been a

in the school grounds, had been in

rdinary good nature had triumphed. He was not a brawle

ll of triumph floated back to young Pre

n a flushed, joyous group of freshmen runners. With t

Let the five remaining hares keep on running to the finish, if they would. For the

exultant fourth classmen. "An

ther game on his han

e of the la

d the freshman who had ju

," nodded Dan. "Pres

saw

h. Ripley, as soon as he was

hounds, Dick!" demanded

on ice until we get back

et back quick!

ber, Ripley has been getting his wind back s

brief recital of facts it was plain that there could be but one finish to the afternoo

ld fellow, on the way back, amuse yourself by ge

ight," spoke D

trees. Ripley had had a good deal of training in boxing, and was not a coward when he thought the odds on his own side. What none of the fello

chance to win out. If you hold him off, hinder him and delay him, before long he'll lose some of his nerve. A fellow

down so treacherously, I wouldn't care about fighting. I don't care

few feet away Ben Badger, a grim look on his usually g

sophomore to find any excuse for getting out of a fight with a freshman would

ater and get ready to take your rea

ow himself to be betrayed into anger. Instead, he halted a f

hat are soon to commence are to decide which is the mucker

took upon themselves the dir

ok after Ripley's inte

the other side of the bet," grum

" continued Ben Badger. "Thomp w

eady peeling o

ading his principal to one side. "How are you, boy?" he whi

ed, simply, speaking so that o

but I can never quite help feeling th

at about it in the case of a sneak like Ripley? If he did

efore his head was covered by the swea

en," declared Thompson, as the two combatants came toward h

as the other fel

o me as a 'fellow'!" or

if you prefer," proposed Di

talk to gentlemen," r

ed Thompson, sternly. "You can

o soon for me,"

hompson, then turned to another upper classman, req

unted, Di

hen! Shak

d could speak. The latter, though he, too,

hen," directed Thomp

me

guard, at the outset, was not as good. They feinted for two or three passes, then Ripley le

oo, before I put you out," he threatened, in a

he more cool. He was watching, cat-like, for Ripley's style of attack. That style was a good one, from th

of fighting, had made some study of the art. Moreover

t to have that right out of the way was just what Prescott was playing for. Quick as thought Dick's right flew out, colliding with Ripley's mid-wind with a force that

from the boy

th you," glowed Ben Badger, as he hurried Dick back under a tree.

expected this little freshman to last for a second round. Before the second call of "time" came Ripley had managed to land two stinging ones on Dick's left cheek, but the

hispered Ben, as he attended his m

y, derisively, when the two wer

lf, fellow," Dick

gentleman's son," proc

er, and the so

im

nature, when he despised the source of the insult. But now th

ed, and that glancingly. Ripley was puzzled, but he had no time to guess. For Dick was not exactly rushing, now. H

st Ripley's right eye. Bump! Before Ripley could get back out of such grueling quarters Dick had landed a secon

r, five, six---" dron

ck's waiting left caught him a staggering one on th

the timekeeper, but sudde

declared Ben Badger, exulta

Dick. "But the fellow started to get nasty with

pley, to see whether the latte

, hitting me when I was getting up," grumbl

eclared Thompson. "You would have done t

something und

ck to the ring?" d

eak was strong in him, but he dr

this up some othe

son, disgustedly. "You either have to come u

by that mucker?" gaspe

ime," directed Thompson, and s

stood back, leaning against a tree. He tried hard to look dignified,

ley?" demand

s you want to admit y

Bu

mucker when I feel

pl

the one who made it, for it caused one of

feel like it just

n you've get to admit the b

tler suddenly drew forth his handkerc

led Butler, "I throw this up

scratch, the fight is awarded to P

freshmen clustered about

"Your class, Ripley, will be sore enough, anyway, over losing the paper chase for the first time th

, turning on his heel, wa

he assistance of his defeated classman. Ripley, alone, got his sweater back over his head. The crowd w

his clothes on, Ripley stalke

you feel swelled up over having had

"You call yourself a gentleman, but you talk and a

!" came the gleeful chorus f

ed Ripley called back over his shoulder. "I'l

istance between himsel

ys, Ripley add

nothing to put Dick Prescott

dgment," cried Thompson, approvingly. "A

rted in to humiliate me. I wouldn't have cared so much for that, either. But he started to say something nasty about my

t. Yet he would have been awake, anyway, for his wicked brain was