CHAPTER VIII
A SCENE IN THE GYMNASIUM
Lew Flapp spoke in such a loud, overbearing voice that a crowd began tocollect 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 atpunching the bag," was the report.
"Rover will have to do his best then. Flapp is a prime one at bagpunching. It's about the only thing he can do real well."
"This isn't a fair contest," put in another student. "Flapp tooklessons from a man who used to do bag-punching on the vaudevillestage."
"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 forthe trial, and stepping up to the punching bag he began to undo the topstrap.
"That bag is all right," blustered Lew Flapp.
"Yes--for you," answered Dick. "But you must remember, I am not quiteso 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 bagas high as you please."
"That's the talk," came from several standing near.
By this time Larry was on the floor again, and he came up to learn whatDick was doing.
"Dick, they tell me he is the best bag-puncher here," whispered Larry.
"I can't help it."
"He will crow over you if you don't do as well as he can do."
"Let him."
Dick began his punching exercise slowly, for he had not tried it forsome time, and was afraid he was a little stiff. But, it may be addedhere, there was a punching bag in the barn at the Rovers' farm, so theyouth knew exactly what he was doing.
"Oh, anybody can do that," remarked Lew Flapp presently. "That's assimple as A. B. C."
"Well, can you do this?" returned Dick, and branched off into somethinga trifle more difficult.
"To be sure I can."
"Then what about this?" and now Dick settled down to some real work.Clap! clap! went the bag, this way and that.
"Yes, I can do that, too," answered the tall boy.
"I'd like to see you."
Lew Flapp was only too anxious to show his skill, and having adjustedthe bag to suit him, he went at the work once again, doing just whatDick had done.
"Now do this!" he cried, and gave a performance of his most difficultexercise. It was certainly well executed and at the conclusion many ofthe cadets began to applaud.
"Dick Rover will have to hump himself to do that," remarked one.
"I don't believe he can touch it," said another.
With care Dick fixed the bag and went at the exercise. It was somethinghe had not practiced for a considerable time, yet he did not miss astroke, and he wound up with a speed fully equal to that exhibited byhis opponent.
"Good for you, Dick!" cried Larry heartily.
"They'll have to call it a tie," suggested another cadet.
"I'm not done yet," said Dick. "Can you do this?" he asked of LewFlapp, and then commenced an exercise he had learned some time before,from a boxing instructor. It was full of intricate movements, allexecuted so rapidly that the eye could scarcely follow them. The cadetslooked on in wonder, Lew Flapp staring angrily at the performance.
"Wonderful!"
"I didn't know Dick Rover could do such punching!"
"Say, Flapp, you'll have to get up early in the morning to beat that."
"Oh, you shut your mouth!" retorted Lew Flapp angrily. "I can do tentimes better, if I want to."
"Let us see you."
"I--I--I'm in no condition to go ahead just now. Remember, I waspunching the bag for an hour before Rover got here."
"How can that be, when all of us just came from the mess hall?"questioned Larry.
"He's trying to sneak out of the trial," said a voice in the rear ofthe crowd.
"I'll sneak you!" roared Lew Flap, in a rage. "I want you all to knowthat I ain't afraid of Dick Rover, or anybody else."
"Do you want the trial to continue?" questioned Dick, in an even tone.
"Didn't I just say I was tired out? But I'll show you what I can dosome time," blustered Lew Flapp.
"Oh; all right."
"You needn't think you're king-pin of the punching bag," went on thetall boy, who had lost control of his temper because of the exhibition.
"Thank you, Flapp, what I think and what I don't think isn't any ofyour business."
"Pooh! I've heard about you and your two brothers, Dick Rover. Theytell all sorts of stories about you, but I don't believe the half ofthem."
"Come, come, what's the use of quarreling," put in Larry pleasantly.
"I'm sure I don't want to quarrel," answered Dick. "He challenged me topunch the bag against him, and I did so, that's all."
"You're dead stuck on yourself, Rover," went on Lew Flapp slangily."You think you're the only toad in the puddle. But you ain't, let metell you that. As soon as I heard about you, I made up my mind Iwouldn't knuckle under to you."
"This isn't right!" cried Larry. "Dick is my friend, and let me say henever asks any cadet to knuckle under to him, unless the cadet didsomething that wasn't on the level."
"That's true! That's true!" came from half a dozen of the students."Dick Rover is all right!"
"So you're all turning against me, eh?" burst out Lew Flapp fiercely,his face growing dark with rage. "I was warned of this before I camehere."
"Who warned you?" asked Tom, who had just put in an appearance.
"A gentleman who used to teach here."
"What was his name?" questioned several.
"Mr. Jasper Grinder. He said he had left because the Rover boys triedto run everything."
"That old fraud!" cried Larry.
"He left because he was kicked out," came from another.
"And he is a criminal," put in Dick. "I can prove it, if he wants me todo it."
"Oh, you can talk all you please," growled Lew Flapp. "I know what Iknow, and don't you forget it. And what is more, Dick Rover, don't youexpect me to knuckle under to you. If you try that game, you'll getwhat you least expect," and so speaking Lew Flapp forced his way out ofthe crowd and left the gymnasium.
"Well, of all the idiots I ever met!" came from Tom. "He believes inmeeting trouble three-quarters of the way, doesn't he?"
"I think Jasper Grinder must have stuffed him full of stories aboutus," said Dick. "That's the way that rascally teacher expects to getsquare on Captain Putnam--by ruining the reputation of the school."
"Oh, it's mostly Lew Flapp's fault," put in a pupil who had been at theHall for some time. "The very first day Flapp arrived he had a row withlittle Tommy Browne, and knocked Tommy down, and a few days after thathe had a fight with Jack Raymond, and was pounding Jack good when Mr.Strong came up and made them run off in different directions. He's agood deal of the same kind of a bully that Dan Baxter was."
"If that's the case, he had better keep his distance," said Dickdeterminedly. "I don't want any quarrels, but I despise a bullythoroughly."
"So do I."
"I wonder if this Flipflap ever heard of Dan Baxter," put in Tom. "Ifhe has he ought to profit by the example."
"Hullo, Tom's got a new name for Flapp," said one of the boys.
"Isn't his name Flipflap?" questioned Tom innocently. "Or is itFlapjack?"
"It will be Flopdown, if he ever gets into a fight with Dick," saidLarry, and then followed a general laugh.
"I really don't want any more fights," said Dick, when he could beheard. "I came back to Putnam Hall to dig in and learn something. I'vehad enough adventures to last a lifetime. If the others will only leaveme alone I'll leave them alone."
"But if they won't leave you alone, Dick?" asked George Granbury.
"Then they had better look out for themselves, that's all," was thereply of the eldest Rover.