and the others looked on with intense interest.

What little bird carried the news to head-quarters no one ever knew,
but, in the very hottest of the fray, when Dan and Emil were fighting
like a pair of young bulldogs, and the others with fierce, excited
faces were cheering them on, Mr. Bhaer walked into the ring, plucked the
combatants apart with a strong hand, and said, in the voice they seldom
heard,

"I can't allow this, boys! Stop it at once; and never let me see it
again. I keep a school for boys, not for wild beasts. Look at each other
and be ashamed of yourselves."

"You let me go, and I'll knock him down again," shouted Dan, sparring
away in spite of the grip on his collar.

"Come on, come on, I ain't thrashed yet!" cried Emil, who had been down
five times, but did not know when he was beaten.

"They are playing be gladdy what-you-call-'ems, like the Romans, Uncle
Fritz," called out Demi, whose eyes were bigger than ever with the
excitement of this new pastime.

"They were a fine set of brutes; but we have learned something since
then, I hope, and I cannot have you make my barn a Colosseum. Who
proposed this?" asked Mr. Bhaer.

"Dan," answered several voices.

"Don't you know that it is forbidden?"

"Yes," growled Dan, sullenly.

"Then why break the rule?"

"They'll all be molly-coddles, if they don't know how to fight."

"Have you found Emil a molly-coddle? He doesn't look much like one,"
and Mr. Bhaer brought the two face to face. Dan had a black eye, and his
jacket was torn to rags, but Emil's face was covered with blood from a
cut lip and a bruised nose, while a bump on his forehead was already as
purple as a plum. In spite of his wounds however, he still glared upon
his foe, and evidently panted to renew the fight.

"He'd make a first-rater if he was taught," said Dan, unable to withhold
the praise from the boy who made it necessary for him to do his best.

"He'll be taught to fence and box by and by, and till then I think
he will do very well without any lessons in mauling. Go and wash your
faces; and remember, Dan, if you break any more of the rules again, you
will be sent away. That was the bargain; do your part and we will do
ours."

The lads went off, and after a few more words to the spectators, Mr.
Bhaer followed to bind up the wounds of the young gladiators. Emil went
to bed sick, and Dan was an unpleasant spectacle for a week.

But the lawless lad had no thought of obeying, an