He had pitched against and torn Gene Skelding's flaring necktie.
And he had even dared to knock off Julitan Ives' hat and disarrange his lovely bang.
At last, in his exuberance, he seized a handful of clammy soil that was almost the consistency of mud, and playfully tossed it at Lew Veazie.

It missed Veazie, and, by an infortuitous fate, took Buck Badger smack in the eye.

Badger, who had seen Pike's antics, clapped a hand to his eye with a grunt of pain and astonishment.
"You scoundrel!" he bellowed.

Then he lunged at Pike, with a startling suddenness that took Donald quite off his guard and threw him headlong.
Badger believed that Pike had thrown the mud into his eye purposely.
There had been bad feeling between them, and even worse, for some time, and the gap separating them seemed to be growing wider all the while.
Each had said exasperating and belittling things of the other, and a wall of hate had been built up where once there had been a bond of strong friendship.

The pain in Badger's eye was excruciating, and it rendered him for a little while absolutely reckless.