“Do you know Dr. Carter’s voice well?” asked Prescott.

“Very well.”

“Then kindly allow me to use your telephone.”

Pulling the desk instrument toward him, and hailing central, Dick called for “33 Main.”

“Hello, is Dr. Carter in,” called Dick after a moment.  “This is Prescott.  Do you recognize my voice?  Very good, sir; will you now talk with Lawyer Griffin, who is beside me, and tell him what you heard last night in the room of one Peters?  Here is Dr. Cater waiting for you Mr. Griffin.”

Lawyer and physician talked together for some minutes, the attorney’s excitement increasing.  Greg, in the meantime, was executing a silent jig over near the door of the room.

“Now, you can call up Dr. Davidson,” suggested Cadet Prescott.

“I don’t need to,” replied the lawyer.  “Dr. Carter has substantiated all that you told me, and has informed me that Dr. Davidson is ready to be called upon for the same information.  Instead, I shall call upon some one else.”

An instant later the attorney called up another number.

“Hello,” he said presently.  “Connect me with Mr. Dodge.  Hello, is that you, Mr. Dodge?  Can you reach your son readily?  Oh, he is there at the bank with you, is he?  This is Mr. Griffin.  I shall expect you both at my office within five minutes.  Yes; about the Prescott matter.  No; I can’t tell you over the ’phone.  Both of you come here.  Goodbye!”

As though to wind up the conversation abruptly, Lawyer Griffin rang off and hung the receiver on its hook.

“Now, we’ll wait and here the other side,” remarked the lawyer grimly.

“If the other side dares make its voice heard!” laughed Cadet Dick Prescott.

There being now no need of silence, Greg Holmes relieved himself of some noisy enthusiasm.

CHAPTER VIII

A FATHER’S JUST WRATH STRIKES

A very few minutes later a knock sounded at the door.

Then Bert Dodge entered very abruptly, his tongue starting with the turning off the knob.

“Well, have you seen the mucker Prescott?” called Bert airily. 
“Was he scared to-----”

Here Bert caught sight of the two West Pointers and stopped short, while his father entered behind him.

“No,” broke in Holmes, dryly, “Prescott wasn’t even scared silly.”

“Oh, you shut up, you two!” growled Bert.  “Mr. Griffin, what are these pieces of airy nothing doing here?”

“That advice about preserving silence will very well apply to you, also, Mr. Bert Dodge,” rejoined the lawyer.  “Take a seat in the background, please.  I want to talk with your father.”

“What’s the matters” demanded Bert, not taking a seat, but advancing and leaning against the top of the lawyer’s desk.  “Has this fellow won you over with a lot of his smooth talk?”