nd was a little more exciting. Possibly Merriwell, wishing
to encourage Blunt, gave him the initial advantage. A minute, or a
minute and a half of fierce, silent struggling followed, Blunt blowing
like a grampus and Merriwell taking it easily.

With an arm clasped around Merriwell's neck, Blunt labored tremendously
to turn him over. Merry, however, was like a rock, and all the cowboy's
efforts failed. He expended a vast amount of strength, which was exactly
what Merry wanted.

Then, with startling suddenness, Merriwell from a rocklike, passive
defense became the aggressor. He seemed to yield to Blunt's pushing and
hauling, but that supposed yielding was a sorry disappointment to the
cowboy. Somehow, Merry regained his feet; then, in a flash, Merry's
right arm had Blunt's head in chancery, with Blunt at his back. With a
marshaling of his reserve strength, Merry turned the Wonder a somersault
and laid him stunned and flat on his back.

"Well, I'll be blamed!" exclaimed Jordan, rubbing a dazed hand across
his forehead. "That's the best I ever seen, an' no mistake."

"How the jumpin' sand hills did he do it?" murmured the bewildered
Harrison.

"He's sure some on the wrestle!" exclaimed Aaron Lloyd.

"Second fall," announced Clancy crisply. "Two straight for Chip
Merriwell, and he wins."

Frank, breathing a little hard, hurried to kneel at Blunt's side.

"Didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked anxiously.

Blunt sat up and stared at him, smiling wrathfully, and his jet-black
eyes two points of flame.

"No, you didn't hurt me," he answered. "I'm all rawhide and whalebone,
and it isn't in you to hurt me. Confound you, I'll get you at something
or other yet. Want to spar with bare knuckles?"

"Not to-day," Frank answered. "A bargain is a bargain, Blunt. I won this
set-to in a couple of straight falls. Now, tell me what you know about
Professor Borrodaile."

Jordan brought Blunt's shirt, and began pulling it over his head.
Harrison rushed to the horses and returned with a canteen. Blunt took a
long pull at the canteen, and got up.

"If you're afraid to spar--" he began, but Clancy interrupted him.

"You've lost out, Blunt, and Merriwell has bought and paid for the
information about Professor Borrodaile. Give it to him."

"That's right, old pard," put in Lloyd. "Come across, or let some o' the
rest of us."

"I'll do the talking." Blunt answered. "Yesterday afternoon," said he,
"we stopped for a while at McGurvin's.