he would never do
such a thing again. It was pride and hope that sustained him through his
severe course of training.

"No fresh mug can do youse now," Buster Kelley finally declared. "I'll
put me dough on you, an' I'll win, too."

Bruce was really in very good form, and he felt that he stood more than
an even chance with Merriwell.

He had seen the freshman fight, however, and he realized that he would
not have a walkover.

The freshmen began to think that Browning feared to meet Merriwell, and
they openly told him as much. They taunted him to such an extent that it
was with the utmost difficulty he held himself in check till the
expiration of the time he had set for getting himself in condition.

"What if I should see the freshman getting the best of me and should
break his wrist?" he thought. "I might make it appear to be an accident,
but I would know better myself. I'd get the best of Merriwell, and the
fellows would still hail me as King Browning, but I would be ashamed of
myself all the while."

It was that thought which troubled him so much and made him appear so
grouchy.

"Browning is in a blue funk whenever he thinks of stacking up against
the freshman," one sophomore confidentially told another. "I believe he
has lost his nerve."

"It looks that way," admitted the other.

Thus it came about that Bruce's appearance led his former admirers to
misjudge him, and he saw a growing coolness toward him.

"I'll meet Merriwell on the level," he finally decided, "and I will whip
him on the level or I'll not whip him at all."

Then he instructed Hartwick to carry a challenge to Frank.

"I will fight him with hard gloves," said Bruce.

He had decided that with a glove on his hand he could not easily perform
the trick of breaking his enemy's wrist in case he was seized by an
impulse to do so.

"Gloves?" cried Hartwick. "Why, man, why don't you challenge him to meet
you with bare fists?"

"Because I have decided that gloves are all right."

"The fellows will say you are afraid."

"Let them say so if they like," returned Bruce, but he winced a bit, as
if a tender spot had been touched.

Hartwick did his test to induce his friend to challenge Merriwell to a
fight with bare fists, but Bruce had made up his mind and he was
obstinate.

So it came about that Hartwick carried the challenge just as Browning
desired, and it was promptly accepted. Merriwell was not a fellow who
sought trouble, but he knew he