as dazed.

Punk!--biff!--two blows, one on the body and the other fairly in the
eye.

The second blow nearly knocked the man down, and it made him as fierce
as a famished tiger. Snarling like an enraged beast, he tried to close
in on the lively lad.

"Oh, let me get hold of you!" he grated. "I'll crush the life out of
ye!"

Frank avoided the rush by stepping aside, and gave the fellow another
body blow as he passed.

Body blows, however, were not as effective as they should have been, on
account of the fellow's clothing, and Merriwell quickly decided to waste
no more energy in that manner.

The man turned, and went for Frank again. This time the boy did not try
to get out of the way, but he met his antagonist squarely, and gave him
a heavy one in the other eye.

"That ought to make them mates," said Frank, with a laugh. "You won't
know yourself when you look in the glass to-morrow morning. Perhaps
it'll teach you better than to try any of your rackets on a boy. You
can't always tell what you are getting up against."

The man's teeth could be heard grinding together. He was so furious that
he quite lost his head. Then Frank sailed in to finish the affair as
soon as possible.

Grody held his breath, nearly bursting with astonishment and admiration.

"Oh, say!" he chuckled. "I never saw a youngster what were that fellow's
match! He's hot stuff!"

The hostler could scarcely believe it possible that Merriwell was giving
the scoundrel a first-class whipping, but this became more and more
evident with each passing moment.

In fact, Frank was struck just once during the entire encounter, and
that was a glancing blow on the forehead, which he scarcely noticed. He
thumped the rascal to his heart's satisfaction, and then knocked him
flat with a round-arm swing that landed on the jaw.

The ruffian lay on the floor and groaned. When he started to get up
Merriwell exclaimed:

"There, I think that will do you for to-night! When you want some more
of the same just come fooling around my horse!"

He caught the man by the shoulders, yanked him to his feet, ran him to
the door, and booted him out of the stable.

Having done this, Frank turned back and coolly put on his coat.

"There, Grody," he said, "I feel better. I think it is possible I have
given that rascal a lesson he will not forget in a hurry."

The hostler stared, and then he cried:

"Mr. Merriwell, sir, you are a wonder! If as how you were to go inter