"If every sneak in school had somebody to step in and fight his battles, things would soon undergo a change." As he said this, he cast a contemptuous glance at Davis, who was looking on, in a helpless way.
"You may fight or not, as you like," said Frank, serenely.

"But you know what I think of a bully who is too cowardly to tackle a fellow he fears may be his match." And then, unmindful that Bascomb made another move and was held back by his friends, Frank turned his back and walked round the table to Davis.
"Come," he said, "we will go." There was a murmur of applause when he turned away, with Davis at his side.
Still Frank knew very well that he had taken an unpopular stand by espousing the cause of a plebe who did not seem to have nerve enough to stand up for his own rights, and he was breaking all precedent and traditions by a show of friendliness for his own fag.
However, Frank was a lad who firmly believed in standing by the right, no matter whether the cause were popular or not, and his sympathy was invariably with "the under dog in the fight." He could not bear to see the weak oppressed by the strong.
His generous heart had gone out to the lad who had been so tenderly and delicately reared, and who declined to lie or fight because he had promised his mother he would not do such things.

Somehow Davis did not seem at all like a "sissy-boy" to Merriwell, who believed the plebe had a great deal of moral courage, if he were not physically brave.

And Frank had come to believe that moral courage is a higher qualification than physical courage.
In this world there are two classes of heroes, and one class is likely to be grievously misunderstood.

First comes the physical hero, the fellow who defiantly faces dangers that are sufficient to turn to ice the blood of another, and yet may succumb to some simple temptation that he knows will lead him into wrongdoing.
Then comes the moral hero, who resists the strongest temptations to do wrong, who fights and conquers in many a silent battle with his passions and desires, who bravely faces ridicule and scorn because he is confident that he is doing right, yet who quails, cowers, trembles, and flees in the face of physical danger.
Who will say which is the greater hero?
As soon as they were in the open air, Davis turned to Merriwell, his voice shaking, as he said: "You must not fight with that fellow on my account." "Why not ?" asked Frank.
"Because you must not.