w more and more intolerable,
and, without Bert himself being fully conscious of it, a crisis was
inevitable. This crisis came sooner, perhaps, than either Bert or Rod
anticipated. One bright spring morning, as Bert, with satchel strapped
upon his back, approached the school, feeling in high spirits, and
looking the very picture of a sturdy schoolboy, Rod, who had been in
hiding behind a porch, sprang out upon him suddenly, snatched the cap
off his head, and, with a shout of, "Fetch it, doggy; go, fetch it,"
flung it into the middle of the street, that was now little better than
a river of mud.

This proved to be the last straw upon the back of Bert's endurance, and
it broke it. With a quickness that gave his tormentor no chance to dodge
or defend himself, he doubled up his fist, shut his eyes tight, and,
rushing at him, struck out with all his might. The blow could hardly
have been more effective if Bert had been an expert in boxing, for his
fist landed full on Rod's left eye, sending him staggering backward
several paces, with his hands clapped over the injured optic. But he
soon recovered himself, and, with clenched fists, was rushing upon Bert,
to pummel him fiercely, when Teter Johnston, who had just come up,
sprang in between, and, catching Rod's uplifted arm, cried out, sternly:

"Stop, now! none of that! This must be a fair fight, and you shan't
begin until Lloyd is ready."

Then turning to Bert, while Rod, who had too much respect for Teter's
prowess not to obey him, gave way with a malignant scowl, Teter said,
encouragingly:

"You must fight him, Bert. It's the only way to settle him. You'll
thrash him all right enough. I'll see you through."

Bert had a good many doubts about his thrashing "him all right enough,"
but he was still too angry to think calmly, and, moreover, he was not a
little elated at the surprising success of his first blow, which,
although struck at a venture, had gone so straight to the mark, and so
he nodded his head in assent.

"Very well, then, it's a fight," said Teter to Rod. "In the yard at the
noon recess. You bring your second, Graham; I'll look after Bert
myself."

The words were hardly uttered when the bell rung, and the boys had all
to hurry to their places in the schoolroom.

That morning was one of the most miserable poor Bert had ever spent. He
was a prey to the most diverse feelings, and it was with the utmost
difficulty that he could bring his mind to bear sufficien