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124 "Oh, he'll come around all right," put in one of the sailors. "Carl rapped him a bit hard, that's all. So you ain't up against it, are you?" he added dryly.

"He's afraid," came from a voice in the rear of the crowd. "He's one of the sports that fights with his mouth only."

At this instant the crowd was compelled to part, as the lieutenant-colonel of the regiment pushed his way to the front. His quick eye turned from Nickerson to Carl, and he faced the German soldier sternly.

"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"He called me a Dutch idiot, und he vos hit me here," answered Carl, as he saluted, and then pointed to his breast.

"It's not so," interposed Nuggy. "He started a quarrel, and he has nearly killed my friend."

"He vos hit me first," insisted Carl.

"It's false. He knocked Mr. Nickerson down before he said a word."

"I vos slip on der steps, und I rolled into him," explained Carl. "Den he calls me names, und hits me so hard as he can. Of he vos act like a