Fred was careful at dinner. As soon as they could, he and Bobby slipped out, and made their way to the distant corner, and by a roundabout way so that they could not be seen. Five minutes later Sparrow and Jimmy Ailshine appeared.
Just who would have won in that battle between Fred Martin and Sparrow Bangs remains one of the unsolved mysteries of Rockledge School.
It was never finished. The quartette of boys had made one mistake. They should have taken a fifth youngster into their confidence and set him on watch.
Mr. Leith, the head master under Dr. Raymond, always took a constitutional around the grounds after the midday meal. Not often did he cross the campus, for he was not a man given to spying upon his young charges.
But this day the campus seemed to be deserted. It was a cold day, and most of the boys had remained indoors to take advantage of the hour of study before afternoon lessons.
He came down the railing that defended the cliff’s edge, and he heard, as he approached the notorious "bloody corner," boyish voices.
"That’s it, Sparrow! Hit him again!" shrieked one voice.
"Let him hit me—I’ll give him as good as he sends!" spoke up another voice.
There was the instant sound of blows interchanged. The teacher could not doubt what was going on.
"Boys! boys! how dare you fight?" he demanded, and strode toward the hedge of hemlock trees, his coattails flapping behind him.
The fight had not continued long. Both boys had removed their coats and vests and caps. They were hard at it indeed when Mr. Leith’s voice smote upon their ears.
"Cheese it!" gasped Shiner. "Leith’s onto us!"
With the fear of being apprehended in all their minds, the four boys sprang for the underbrush, on the other side of the corner. They knew which way the teacher was coming.
The two belligerents had picked up their discarded clothing, but as they got under cover Fred gasped:
"Keep on!" exclaimed Bobby. "I’ll get it."
He was so earnest to shield his chum from the result of his wrong doing, that he forgot his own danger. If Fred’s cap were found, Mr. Leith would know it, and Fred would be called upon to explain.
Bobby darted back while the other boys scudded through the bushes. He saw the cap on the ground just inside the open space. He sprawled all over it, grabbed it up, and then was stricken motionless and dumb by the voice of the master who stepped into view: