ng "back here" everyone present could guess.
In fact, many wondered why there had not sooner been a fight
between the freshman and his determined sophomore enemy.

Truth to tell, Dick, after that day in the school grounds, had
been inclined to overlook the whole affair.

He was not afraid of Ripley. It was only that Dick's ordinary
good nature had triumphed. He was not a brawler, yet could stand
out for his rights when a need came.

A third of a mile further on another yell of triumph floated back
to young Prescott, who had not yet regained the lead.

In a few moments more the last of the hounds came upon a flushed,
joyous group of freshmen runners. With them were two of the judges
and a sheepish-looking hare.

The freshmen hounds had won, and had bagged all the hares for
which the game called. Let the five remaining hares keep on running
to the finish, if they would. For the first time in seven years
the freshmen hounds, led by Captain Dick Prescott, had won.

"Ki-yi-yi-yi-yi!" howled the exultant fourth classmen. "And another
for Dick Prescott."

"Dick Prescott has other game on his hands now," spoke up Dan
Dalzell, one of the late arrivals.

"What's the row?" demanded the freshman who had just bagged the
seventh hare.

"Row? That's just it," nodded Dan. "Prescott caught Ripley---"

"We saw that."

"But you didn't see the finish. Ripley, as soon as he was released,
knocked Dick down."

"And _you_ came on with the hounds, Dick!" demanded Tom Reade,
incredulously.

"Badger is keeping Ripley on ice until we get back," Dan supplied,
hastily.

"Then let us get back quick!" begged Reade.

"Not too fast, though," objected Dan. "Remember, Ripley has been
getting his wind back since he stopped. Give our Dick the
same show."

No one thought of asking why Dick would need his wind now. To
those who had heard the brief recital of facts it was plain that
there could be but one finish to the afternoon's sport. Prescott's
hand was sound, at last, and he could give an account of himself.

"Walk slowly, all hands," insisted Dan. "Dick, old fellow, on
the way back, amuse yourself by getting in all the full, deep
breaths that you can."

"I'll be all right," spoke Dick confidently.

It did not look that way to many of them. Dick was shorter, and
weighed much less than did the sophomore who was waiting back
there under the trees. Ripley had had a good deal of training
in boxing, and was not a cow