over a
desk.

"Stop that!" cried the teacher, in alarm, and brought his lecture to an
abrupt end.

"A fight! A fight!" cried several of the boys, and left their seats to
surround Dick and the bully.

Slade was dazed for a moment, but on recovering he sprang at Dick and
tried to force him to the floor. Around and around went the pair,
bumping against the desks and sending some books to the floor. The
teacher tried to get at them, but before he could do so they had
separated. Then Dick hit Slade a telling blow in the left eye which
caused the bully to fall into a nearby seat.

"Stop, this instant!" cried the teacher, and then turning to some of the
boys added: "Summon Captain Putnam at once."

The room was in an uproar, and many wanted Dick and Slade to continue
the battle. But the punch in the eye had taken away the bully's courage
and he did not get up to continue the contest.

"What does this mean?" demanded Captain Putnam, as he came in, and he
faced Dick and Slade sternly.

"It means that that fellow ought to have a good thrashing, sir,"
answered Dick, boldly, and pointed at the bully.

"It's his fault, it ain't mine," put in Peter Slade, hastily. "He
started it."

"That is not true, Captain Putnam. I was passing his seat when he
reached out and smeared ink on my knee," and Dick pointed down to his
soiled trousers. "I wasn't going to stand for that and told him so. Then
he jumped up and hit me in the shoulder, leaving more ink on me. After
that I hit him."

"It ain't so!" roared Peter Slade.

"That's the truth," said several. "Peter's hand is full of ink."

"He knocked over an inkwell just before Dick came along," said Fred. "I
saw him do it."

"So did I," added Songbird.

"Did you see it?" questioned Captain Putnam of the instructor.

"I saw nothing until the boys were fighting in the aisle," answered the
teacher who had been delivering the lecture.

"Captain Putnam, I am sure Dick Rover is not to blame," said a very
quiet student named Rames. "Slade put the ink on Rover and struck the
first blow--of that I am positive."

"It was my inkwell he knocked over," came from another lad. "I told him
to leave it alone, but he wouldn't mind me."

"Oh, you are all against me!" roared Peter Slade.

"Evidently you are guilty," said the master of the Hall, sternly. "I
want both you and Richard Rover to come to my office. Rames, you can
come, too, and you also, Brocton."

In the office a thorough inves