r, never! What! I insult a lady! No, no, I admire the
ladies."

"But I saw you insult one, and I am going to punish you."

"You are mistaken, my friend--yes, you are mistaken, if you saw me speak
to a lady. It was a bit of gallantry, that is all. Yes, I am very
gallant to the ladies, I am a sort of defender of the ladies--their
champion--yes, sir, their champion."

Dudie Dunne rather spunked up in manner as he spoke, and the men all
laughed merrily.

"You did insult a lady, and I challenge you to fight me."

"Ou! ou! my dear friend, you are mad!"

"Yes, I am mad enough to knock you into the middle of next week, but I
am going to give you a chance. You must fight me."

"Fight you, my friend?"

"Yes, fight me."

"You had better be careful. Don't challenge me to fight you. I am a
gentleman, I am, and an athlete. You are only a common man; you can't
fight me."

The men all laughed at the idea of the dude's being an athlete.

"I know you are an athlete, but you must fight me all the same."

"I beg your pardon, my friend, I cannot fight you here on the public
street."

"You need not fight me here."

"But I don't wish to fight you at all."

"But you must fight me."

"Where can I fight you?"

"Oh, we can go right over there in the grove--no one will see us--but
you must fight."

"You do not want me to thrash you, do you?"

"Yes, I do."

"You are not seeking for a fight, are you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Why, my friend, you'll get a surprise if you fight me. I am a regular
fighter, I am--hee, hee, hee! I don't want to take advantage of you."

Little did those fellows dream as they laughed that the supposed chappie
was telling the truth. Indeed he had a surprise for them and he intended
to work up to the climax for all it was worth.

"Come on, I am going to make you fight me."

The challenger was quite a lusty fellow, and on appearances one would
have thought he would knock the chappie over with a mere side-swing of
his arm.

"Say, you fellows are foolish. Don't provoke me; I am a terror--yes, I
am--hee, hee, hee!"

"All right, I am looking for a terror."

"And you want me to go over to the grove?"

"Yes."

"And you insist upon it?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, I'll go over with you."

The party, full of glee, walked over to the grove.

There was the challenger and two friends and our hero, and he amused his
friends by a display of his agility, his muscle and sinew. When they
reached the grove th