"OTTO CREPT TO THE TRUNK. IT WAS UNLOCKED AND THE CRIMSON SWEATER LAY IN THE TOP OF THE TILL." (SEE PAGE 979.) "By Wissick Creek, at what the fellows call the Deep Hole." The stranger snorted triumphantly. "Why did you go there to sleep?" asked Doctor Emery. "Why, sir, I-I was out walking and-and I lay down and got sleepy. So I just went to sleep." He knew that it sounded silly and unconvincing. Evidently the Doctor thought so too, for he smiled gently and regretfully. "Don't you think that's rather a strange tale to tell, Porter?" "It's the truth, sir." "It's a tarnation lie, that's what it is," said the stranger, vindictively. Roy turned hotly. "It is n't a lie," he cried. "And I don't know what business it is of yours, anyhow!" "Well, I rather guess it's my business-" began the other. But Doctor Emery held up a hand. "Leave him to me, if you please, Mr. Mercer," he said, quietly. "Porter, this gentleman tells me that he discovered a boy, presumably one of my boys, fishing at the bottom of his meadow at about four o'clock yesterday afternoon. The boy saw him coming and ran away, leaving this pole behind him. The boy wore-" "There wa' n't any stripes on the one I saw," said Farmer Mercer, decidedly. "Porter," said the Doctor after a moment's silence, "I'm sorry that I can't bring myself to believe your story. Is there anyone who can substantiate it? Were you alone yesterday afternoon?” "I am sorry, sir, that you won't believe me. I was n't on this man's land yesterday, and I don't think I ever was. Anyhow, I never fished on it. I've never fished since I came here." "I hope you are telling the truth," answered the Doctor, gently. "But circumstantial evidence is sadly against you. There is no one who can prove that you were at the Deep Hole "Ask him what he wore," interrupted Farmer at four o'clock?" Mercer. "Just what I have on now," answered Roy. "And this cap," he added, holding it forth. "Yes, you had a cap all right," said the farmer. "But I don't suppose you happened to have on a red sweater, eh? A dark red one?" "No, I did n't," replied Roy. "No, sir, no one knows that I was there at that time." Chub, he reflected, had left him at least a quarter of an hour before and so could n't have been sure of his whereabouts at four o'clock. "Hm! That's unfortunate," said the Doctor. "You have such a sweater, I understand, He turned to Farmer Mercer. "I don't think however," said the Doctor. I need trouble you to remain, sir. I regret deeply that this has occurred and assure you "Yes, sir, I have a crimson sweater." "That's what it was, crimson," said the far- that punishment will be justly meted out to the culprit." mer. "But I did n't wear it yesterday. I haven't had it on since camp." The farmer arose. "It's got to be stopped, Doctor," he said. "Have you loaned it to anyone recently?" "As for the culprit you've got him right here. asked the Doctor. "No, sir." "Where is it kept?" "In my trunk." That's the boy without a doubt. Put him in his red sweater and I'll tell you mighty quick. Just about his height he was, and kinder slimmish like. Well, you know your "Could anyone borrow it without your own business best. Good morning, Doctor." knowing of it?" And the farmer passed out with a final ugly "Why, I suppose so, sir; that is, if my trunk look at Roy. was unlocked." "Do you keep it unlocked?" "No, sir, not very often." "Then you think it would have been impossible for anyone to have taken it without your knowledge?" "I think it would, sir." "Do you know of anyone else in school who has a red sweater?" "No, sir. Gallup has a red and white striped one," but nobody else has a solid red one. CHAPTER XXIV. ON INNER BOUNDS. By noon the news was all over school; Roy' Porter was on inner bounds for the rest of the term. "Well, Sid, who'll play first?" asked one of the audience. Sid shook his head dispiritedly. "Patten, I s'pose. I think it's a beast of a shame, that's what I think, to take a fellow off the nine just five days before the big game! Of course Hammond 'll lick us." "I'll wager if we wanted to we could get him back on the nine," said Sid presently. "How ?" asked half a dozen voices eagerly. "Oh, I know a way," was the unsatisfying reply. "Go on and tell us, Sid!” "I would if you'd promise never to tell anyone, cross your heart and hope to die." Everyone promised instantly and fervidly. "Supposing, then," resumed Sid, "that a whole raft of us were caught fishing on old Mercer's place. What would happen ?" "We'd all get suspended," piped up the youngest boy promptly. "Inner bounds," suggested some one else. "Huh! I guess not! It isn't likely Prexy would suspend half the school," replied Sid, scornfully. "He 'd see the injustice of it, of course, and give us all a good blowing up and let us go. And if he let us go he 'd have to let Roy off too. It would be a- -a-"-Sid paused for a word-"it would be in the nature of a popular protest!" "That's so," said one of the number. could n't punish all of us very well." "We ought to get a whole lot of fellows, though," one of the Middlers said. one of the elms well away from possible eavesdroppers. "Tell me all about it," demanded Chub, scowling fiercely. So Roy told him. He's "You don't think he will let you off in time for the game Saturday?" asked Chub. "No, I'm pretty sure he won't. dead certain I was the chap that Mercer saw." Chub jumped to his feet. "Where are you going?" asked Roy suspiciously. "To see Prexy," was the answer. "I'll tell him that you did n't wear your red sweater and that you could n't have been on old Mercer's place because you were with me." "Don't be a fool!" said Roy. "What's the good of getting into trouble yourself? He'll ask what you were doing and you'll have to 'fess up; and then the nine won't have any captain on Saturday." "I don't care," answered Chub stubbornly. "I got you into the hole and the least I can do is to get you out." "But you would n't get me out! You 'd "He just throw yourself in with me. Look here now, Chub; Prexy is n't going to take any stock in your story. He'll just think that we concocted it between us this morning. Besides, you left me for almost an hour and you can't swear that I did n't go over to Mercer's while you were gone. It's only a quarter of a mile from where you left me." "Yes, about twenty," answered Sid. "We can do it, too, you bet! Supposing we call a meeting of the Middlers and Juniors for this afternoon after supper ?" "Good scheme ! Where ?" "At the boat-house. You fellows tell it around, but don't say what the meeting 's about." Then the dinner-bell rang and the informal think we were both out fishing and that I went conclave broke up. to Mercer's; and instead of being minus a first baseman on Saturday the team will be short a first baseman and a second baseman too; also a captain." "Wait for me after dinner," whispered Chub to Roy at the table. "I want to see you." "All right," answered Roy cheerfully. He was trying very hard to hide the fact that he was terribly down in the mouth. The half-curious, wholly sympathetic looks of his companions followed him all through the meal and he was glad when it was over. Chub caught up with him on the steps and together they crossed the walk and found seats under "Patten, of course; he can do it." "He can't bat as you can." "He'll do all right," answered Roy, cheerfully. "Now you keep mum, old man, will you?" "I suppose so," Chub muttered. "But I ought n't to." "Yes, you ought. I'm not the main thing, Chub; there's the school." "You're a brick," said Chub. "All right; I'll keep mum as long as you want me to. But if you change your mind all you've got to do is to say so and I'll do all I can. Promise to tell me if you change your mind?" "Honor bright; but I shan't change it; I don't mind, Chub, as long as we win." "Look here," said Chub after a moment's silence, "You did n't poach on Mercer, and I did n't. Who the dickens did?" "I can't imagine. I dare say it was some fellow from the village." "With a crimson sweater on? Not likely. I suppose it could n't have been your sweater, eh?" Roy shook his head. "How do you know?" pursued Chub. "'Cause mine was locked in my trunk." "Sure?" "Certain." "Some one might have had a key that fitted the lock, though." "They might have, but-" Roy paused and scowled thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, Chub, my trunk was n't locked yesterday af They hurried up to the dormitory and Roy "HIS BROTHER'S ADVICE WAS: WHEN YOU 'RE DOWN ON YOUR LUCK GRIN AS HARD AS YOU CAN GRIN." unlocked his trunk, threw back the lid and opened the till. "I thought I left it here on top," he muttered, diving through the contents of the till. "Maybe I put it underneath, though." Out came the till and out came most of the contents of the trunk. But there was no crimson sweater. Roy turned to Chub in distress. "I don't care if they took it," he said, "but I hope they'll bring it back! I wouldn't lose tory was empty and Chub stood guard that sweater for anything!" "Lock your trunk again," said Chub, “and let's get out of here. Some ore's coming. Let's go somewhere and think it over." "If we only knew who was away from school yesterday afternoon," said Roy, when they were once more under the trees. "We knew that Ferris and Burlen were," answered Chub suggestively. "They said so." "And Ferris saw you borrow that pole from Tom!" said Roy. Chub sat up suddenly. "I'll bet that was Tom's pole that old Mercer brought with him!" he cried. "But you left it at Deep Hole, and I did n't leave there until long after four, I guess." "But you said you did n't see it when you left!" "But "That's so ; I'm pretty sure it was n't there," answered Roy, thinking hard. how could anyone have got it ?” "Don't know, but some one did. They might have sneaked up while you were asleep. Horace Burlen could do it." "If he took the sweater he's thrown it away," said Roy sorrowfully. "He would n't be likely to bring it back again." at the head of the stairs while Roy crossed the room and examined Horace's trunk. "Locked," he announced softly. Chub joined him and they stood for a moment looking at the trunk as though striving to get an X-ray view of its contents. 66 Maybe we could find a key to fit it," whispered Chub. "I would n't like to do that," answered Roy, shaking his head. "No more would. I," answered Chub, "but I'd do it if I was just a little more certain that the thing was in there. I'd like to bust it open with an ax," he added savagely. Then the two o'clock bell rang and they hurried downstairs. "Keep mum about it," said Chub, "and we 'll get to the bottom of it yet." "The trunk?" asked Roy with effort at humor. "Yes, by jove!" was the answer. a weak Roy watched practice that afternoon. He stood on the school side of the hedge which They looked at each other a moment in marked inner bounds and, out of sight himsilence. Then, self, saw Patten playing on first. It was lonely work and after a while the figures on the green diamond grew blurred and misty. Then, suddenly, Brother Laurence's advice came back to him and Roy brushed the back of his hand across his eyes and turned away. "Why not? He found the trunk unlocked and maybe thought he could put it back again without anyone knowing anything about it. See? That's just about what happened, Roy. I'll wager he did the whole thing to get you in trouble." "'When you 're down on your luck,'" he murmured, "grin as hard as you can grin.'" So he tried his best to grin, and made rather a sorry affair of it until he spied Harry walk "Wasn't Tom in the dormitory when we ing toward the tennis courts with her racket in got there?" “Yes.” "Then maybe he was there when Horace got back; and Horace could n't get at my trunk without being seen." hand. He hailed her and she waited for him to come up. "I'm awfully sorry, Roy," she greeted him. "I told dad you did n't do it." "And he believed you at once," said Roy |
