Fred Martin jumped up with an angry exclamation. Perhaps he did not finish his prayer at all. He grabbed one of the pillows which had struck his chum and made for Bill Bronson at the other end of the room.
"You big bully!" he exclaimed, all the rage which he had bottled up that day boiling over in an instant, "You big bully! Can’t you leave a peaceable fellow alone?"
He slammed the yellow-haired youth over the head, and struck him so hard that the pillow-case burst and the feathers began to fly. Bill uttered a roar of rage, and tried to seize him.
"Don’t, Fred! Stop! Stop!" called Bobby, from the other end of the room.
Fred Martin had gone too far to stop now. He expected to take a thrashing for his boldness, but meanwhile he was filling Bronson’s eyes and mouth with feathers.
Jack Jinks put out his foot and tripped the smaller boy up. Fred fell with Bill on top of him. The bigger boy began to use his fists.
"No fair! Let him up, Bill!" cried two or three.
"Shut up!" ordered Jack, putting his back against the closed door. "You kids that holler will get all that’s coming to you."
Bobby came running up the room to help his chum, and at just that instant the door knob was turned and the door was burst in, sending Jack sliding half way across the room.
"Cheese it!" squealed Pee Wee, jumping into bed with his trousers on.
"Hello! Can’t keep quiet the first night, eh?" demanded the captain. "What you doing in here, Jack?"
Then he saw Bill Bronson on top of the struggling Fred. Bill had got in one savage punch and there was blood flowing from Fred’s nose upon the burst pillow.
Captain Gray seized Bill by the back of his collar and with both hands jerked him to his feet. Bill squealed like a rat, thinking the Old Doctor himself had come to Fred’s rescue.
"Ow! Ow! Ouch!" he squealed. "Aw—_you_! Let me alone, Barry Gray. This isn’t any of your business."
"All right. I’ll pass it up to the teachers if you say so," snapped the captain.
"Hold on!" commanded Barry, stepping in front of Jack who was sneaking out of the room "_You’re_ in this, too."
"You were holding the door," said Barry. "Stop here till we hear what’s the trouble."
Half a dozen shrill voices tried to tell him at once. But Barry pointed at Fred. "_You_ tell," he said.