"Peter Slade is fifth."

"Humph! And Peter said he was bound to win!"

Then over the line shot the skaters, d.i.c.k and Larry side by side and laughing merrily. As soon as the race was ended they locked arms to show their good feeling. Then Marley came in with Sandwick at his heels. In deep disgust Peter Slade refused to finish, but circled to one side and hurried to the boathouse, there to take off his skates and disappear.

"It was a well-skated race," declared George Strong. Then he asked d.i.c.k and Larry if they wanted to skate off the tie.

"We won't bother," said d.i.c.k, after consulting his chum. "We are satisfied to let it stand as it is, considering that there was no prize to be awarded."

The fact that he had lost the skating race made Peter Slade more sour than ever, and after that, whenever he met d.i.c.k, he glared at the eldest Rover boy defiantly.

"He acts as if he had a personal grudge against me," said d.i.c.k to his brothers.

"Well, he acts that way to me, too," answered Tom.

"He ought to have his head punched well," was Sam's comment.

Peter Slade did not seem to care that Larry had beaten him--his enmity was directed mainly at d.i.c.k.

Slade was in one of the lower cla.s.ses, but one day one of the teachers announced a lecture on the battleships of the American navy, and a large number of boys came in to listen and to take notes.

In the midst of the lecture d.i.c.k had occasion to pa.s.s down one of the aisles. As he went by Peter Slade the latter put out his hand and hit him in the knee. Slade's hand had ink on it and the ink went on d.i.c.k's clean uniform.

"What did you do that for?" demanded d.i.c.k, halting.

"Shut up!" whispered Slade, uglily.

"I've a good mind to box your ears," went on d.i.c.k.

"Will you?" roared the bully, leaping up. "Just try it!" And so speaking he made a pa.s.s at d.i.c.k's head.

The blow landed on d.i.c.k's shoulder, leaving an ink mark behind it. The eldest Rover boy had leaped to one side. But now he leaped forward, and a well-directed blow from his fist sent Slade reeling backward over a desk.

"Stop that!" cried the teacher, in alarm, and brought his lecture to an abrupt end.

"A fight! A fight!" cried several of the boys, and left their seats to surround d.i.c.k and the bully.

Slade was dazed for a moment, but on recovering he sprang at d.i.c.k and tried to force him to the floor. Around and around went the pair, b.u.mping against the desks and sending some books to the floor. The teacher tried to get at them, but before he could do so they had separated. Then d.i.c.k hit Slade a telling blow in the left eye which caused the bully to fall into a nearby seat.

"Stop, this instant!" cried the teacher, and then turning to some of the boys added: "Summon Captain Putnam at once."

The room was in an uproar, and many wanted d.i.c.k and Slade to continue the battle. But the punch in the eye had taken away the bully's courage and he did not get up to continue the contest.

"What does this mean?" demanded Captain Putnam, as he came in, and he faced d.i.c.k and Slade sternly.

"It means that that fellow ought to have a good thrashing, sir,"

answered d.i.c.k, boldly, and pointed at the bully.

"It's his fault, it ain't mine," put in Peter Slade, hastily. "He started it."

"That is not true, Captain Putnam. I was pa.s.sing his seat when he reached out and smeared ink on my knee," and d.i.c.k pointed down to his soiled trousers. "I wasn't going to stand for that and told him so. Then he jumped up and hit me in the shoulder, leaving more ink on me. After that I hit him."

"It ain't so!" roared Peter Slade.

"That's the truth," said several. "Peter's hand is full of ink."

"He knocked over an inkwell just before d.i.c.k came along," said Fred. "I saw him do it."

"So did I," added Songbird.

"Did you see it?" questioned Captain Putnam of the instructor.

"I saw nothing until the boys were fighting in the aisle," answered the teacher who had been delivering the lecture.

"Captain Putnam, I am sure d.i.c.k Rover is not to blame," said a very quiet student named Rames. "Slade put the ink on Rover and struck the first blow--of that I am positive."

"It was my inkwell he knocked over," came from another lad. "I told him to leave it alone, but he wouldn't mind me."

"Oh, you are all against me!" roared Peter Slade.

"Evidently you are guilty," said the master of the Hall, sternly. "I want both you and Richard Rover to come to my office. Rames, you can come, too, and you also, Brocton."

In the office a thorough investigation was held. Several other cadets were called upon to testify, and it was proved that Peter Slade was entirely to blame for what had occurred.

"You should not have attacked him, Richard," said the captain to d.i.c.k.

"But under the circ.u.mstances I cannot blame you. You may go."

For his misconduct Peter Slade was confined in the "guardhouse" for three days. The black eye d.i.c.k had given him did not go away very fast and when he came out and resumed his place among the students he was a sight to behold. That he was very angry at the eldest Rover boy is easily imagined.

"I'll fix him some day," he muttered.

"d.i.c.k, you want to watch Slade," said Tom, one day, on pa.s.sing the bully in the hallway.

"I guess you had better watch him yourself, Tom."

"I am going to do that, don't fear. What did the captain do about your mussed-up uniform?"

"Made Slade pay for having it cleaned."

"Did he do it?"

"He had to do it--Captain Putnam put it on the bill to his folks."

"That was right."

"Of course it was. But I understand it made Slade as mad as hops. Oh, he surely has it in for us," went on d.i.c.k, and there the subject was dropped.