Merwell's face blazed and he looked as if he wished to annihilate the senator's son.
"Humph! I suppose you think you can do as you please, with your own crowd around you," he muttered. "You don't know how to take a joke."
"I can take a joke as well as anybody, but not such a perilous trick as that."
"It's on a par with the joke of the fellow who put gunpowder in a poor Irishman's pipe," broke in Shadow. "It put the Irishman's eyes out. I don't see any fun in that."
"I think we ought to give them both a good licking!" cried a boy named Jason, and without more ado he took his wooden sword and gave Poole a whack across the back. Then he turned and whacked Merwell.
It was a signal for a general use of the wooden swords and stuffed clubs, and in a moment the two unlucky students were surrounded, and blows fell thick and fast. Poole yelled like a wild Indian, but Merwell set his teeth and said nothing, only striking back with his fists when he got the chance. Dave took no part in the onslaught, nor did Ben and Phil. As soon as he saw a chance Nat Poole ran for his life. Link Merwell stood his ground a little longer, then he too retreated, shaking his fist at the members of the Gee Eyes.
"Just wait!" he fairly hissed. "I'll get square for this, if it takes me a lifetime!"
