if half of the place already belonged to
him. At the start, he had made a few friends, principally on account of
the money he had to spend, but these were gradually deserting him.

Dick was interested in the work on the punching bag, and he walked
closer to note what Lew Flapp was doing. Clap! clap! clap! went Flapp's
fists on the bag, which bounced back and forth with great rapidity.

"Well, how do you like that?" asked Lew Flapp, as he paused in his
exercise and stared at Dick.

"It's all right," answered Dick briefly.

"I'll bet there ain't another cadet here can do as well," went on Lew
Flapp boastfully.

"Oh, that's saying a good deal," said Dick. "Some of the boys can hit
the bag pretty well."

"Humph!" Lew Flapp stared at the eldest Rover harder than ever.
"Perhaps you think you can do it," he sneered.

"I didn't say that."

"But your words implied it."

"Dick Rover can do every bit as well," said a cadet who overheard the
talk.

"I want to see him do it."

"I didn't come here to punch the bag," said Dick as calmly as ever. "I
just thought I'd take a look around."

"Humph! Afraid to try, eh?"

"Oh, no."

"I dare you to show what you can do," sneered Lew Flapp.

"Very well, I'll show you," came from Dick, and he began to take off
his coat, collar, and tie.

CHAPTER VIII

A SCENE IN THE GYMNASIUM

Lew Flapp spoke in such a loud, overbearing voice that a crowd began to
collect in the corner where the punching apparatus was located.

"What's up?" asked more than one cadet.

"Lew Flapp and Dick Rover are going to try to beat each other at
punching the bag," was the report.

"Rover will have to do his best then. Flapp is a prime one at bag
punching. It's about the only thing he can do real well."

"This isn't a fair contest," put in another student. "Flapp took
lessons from a man who used to do bag-punching on the vaudeville
stage."

"If that's so I wouldn't try to beat him, if I was Dick Rover."

Dick heard some of this talk but said nothing. He was soon ready for
the trial, and stepping up to the punching bag he began to undo the top
strap.

"That bag is all right," blustered Lew Flapp.

"Yes--for you," answered Dick. "But you must remember, I am not quite
so tall. I must have it an inch lower."

"It seems to me you are mighty particular."

"I have a right to be. When you do your punching you can raise the bag
as high as you please."

"That's the talk," came from sever