a quick, sidestepping movement, Merry flung up his hand and deftly
parried the blow of Del Norte's blade, steel clashing against steel.

"Ha!" panted Del Norte, as he was flung back by a surge of Merry's
powerful arm. "Next time, gringo--next time!"

He was at Frank again in a twinkling, but once more the young American
met and baffled him.

Out of the shadows stalked Red Ben, holding his rifle in both hands and
standing near as if ready to use it in a twinkling. The moonlight fell
full on his dusky face, showing there an expression of savage
satisfaction in the battle he was witnessing.

"Best man shall have gal," he muttered. "Ben he see fair play. Merriwell
him best man, Ben stand by him."

The ground was somewhat rough. Over its broken surface the men dashed,
and leaped, and turned, and circled. Once Del Norte uttered an
exclamation of satisfaction as he struck, but Merry leaped away and the
keen blade of Del Norte's knife simply cut a long slit in his shirt
front.

"Near it that time, gringo dog!" panted the Mexican.

"A miss is as good as a mile," retorted Frank.

As the blades clashed together again Frank's knuckles were slightly cut
and the blood flowed freely.

"First blood!" exulted Del Norte.

"A scratch," was the retort.

But soon that scratch began to prove troublesome, for the flowing blood
covered the haft of the knife and made it slippery. This came near
proving fatal for the American youth. Again the blades clashed, and,
with a twisting movement, the Mexican wrenched Merry's knife from his
grasp.

The weapon rattled on the rocks ten feet away.

"Now you die, gringo!" snarled Frank's enemy, with a wolfish laugh.

He launched himself at the defenseless youth with frightful fury, but
Frank managed to clutch the wrist of his foe and check the stroke that
would have been fatal. With a surge he flung the Mexican aside, at the
same time springing toward the spot where Red Ben's hunting knife lay.
The moonlight revealed it plainly, and Merry had it in a twinkling.

Del Norte had followed him up, and was at him with a madness that was
almost irresistible. He sent Frank staggering from the shock, and Merry
tripped over a stone, nearly falling.

Seeing this, the Mexican uttered another cry of exultation, which turned
into a curse as he saw the youth regain his footing like a cat.

"Much good fight!" muttered Red Ben.

"I'll get you yet, gringo!" panted the Mexican. "I have sworn to leave
yo