“Well?” he said sharply.

“I know of no one, sir.”

“Humph!” grunted the professor, “you do, but you won’t say.”

“If you suspect any one it will be best to tell us, March,” said Professor Wheeler, more kindly.  “You must see that the evidence is much against you, and, while I myself can not believe that you are guilty, I shall be obliged to consider you so until proof of your innocence is forthcoming.  Have you any enemy in school?”

“I think not, sir.”

The door opened and Remsen appeared.

“Good-morning,” he said.  “You wished to see me, professor?”

“Yes, in a moment.  Sit down, please, Remsen.”  Remsen nodded to Joel and the secretary, shook hands with Professor Durkee, and took a chair.  The principal turned again to Joel.

“You wish me to understand, then, that you have no explanation to offer as to how the letter came to be in the bell tower?  Recollect that shielding a friend or any other pupil will do neither you nor him any service.”

Joel was hesitating.  Was it right to throw suspicion on Bartlett Cloud by mentioning the small occurrence on the football field so long before?  It was inconceivable that Cloud would go to such a length in mere spite.  And yet—­Remsen interrupted his thoughts.

“Professor, if you will dismiss March for a while, perhaps I can throw some light on the matter.  Let him return in half an hour or so.”  Professor Wheeler nodded.

“Come back at one o’clock, March,” he said.

Outside Joel hesitated where to go.  He must tell some one his trouble, and there was only one who would really care.  He turned toward Hampton House, then remembered that it was dinner hour and that Outfield would be at table.  He had forgotten his own dinner until that moment.  In the dining hall West was still lingering over his dessert.  Joel took his seat at the training table, explaining his absence by saying that he had been called to the office, and hurried through a dinner of beef and rice and milk.  When West arose Joel overtook him at the door.  And as the friends took their way toward Joel’s room, he told everything to West in words that tumbled over each other.

Outfield West heard him in silence after one exclamation of surprise, and when Joel had finished, cried: 

“Why didn’t you tell about Cloud?  Don’t you see that this is his doing?  That he is getting even with you for his losing the football team?”

“I thought of that, Out, but it seemed too silly to suppose that he would do such a thing just for—­for that, you know.”

“Well, you may be certain that he did do it; or, at least, if he didn’t cut the rope himself, found some one to do it for him.  It’s just the kind of a revenge that a fellow of his meanness would think of.  He won’t stand up and fight like a man.  Here, let’s go and find him!”

“No, wait.  I’ll tell Professor Wheeler about him when I go back; then if he thinks—­If he did do it, Out, I’ll lick him good for it!”