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 wasn't too little, and I swung for him. Missed him, dog-gone it! Then he handed me this and I got him on the neck and the others butted in. That's all there was to it. How's the silly thing look?"

"It looks punk," answered Ned unsympathetically. "Better go down and bathe it in hot water and then put some talcum on it. Gosh, son, I should think you'd have more sense than to get in a brawl with Elk Thurston. That rough-neck stuff doesn't get you anywhere and—"

"For the love of limes, shut up!" exclaimed Laurie. "I didn't start it!"

"You didn't? Didn't you just say that you hit him first—or tried to?"

"What of it? Wouldn't you have struck him if he'd called you all sorts of names, like that? I'll say you would! You're always strong on the 'calm yourself' stuff, but I notice that when any one gets fresh with you—"

"I don't pick quarrels and slug fellows right under the eyes of faculty, you idiot! For that matter—"

"Oh, forget it!" growled Laurie. "What dif