“I beg your pardon, Mr.—–­, I did not catch your name,” continued Dr. Wise, “but you have no authority in this case.  You are not a civil magistrate, not even a police court judge, and you cannot hold this boy for any jury, grand or little.  You can make a charge against him, it is true, and then if the local magistrate considers the evidence good he will be held for the Grand Jury.  You are doubtless unaware, being a stranger to the section, that I am a magistrate myself, although seldom called upon to adjudge cases.”

“I was not aware of it, sir,” said the other, a little shamefaced.  “I may have been hasty, but my association with suspicious characters-----”

“Has made him one himself,” muttered Percival, whereat Jack could not help smiling.

“Has made me suspect persons unjustly, perhaps,” the detective went on.  “Still you must admit yourself that the finding of the watch, as related by you, is, to say the least, singular.”

“Singular, yes; suspicious, not necessarily.  You say yourself that the watch was supposedly passed from one person to another.  Why could not one of the suspected men have slipped it in Sheldon’s pocket, either designedly or by mistake?  It is certainly possible.”

“I wish you’d let me go out and tell the Hilltop boys that this man has more than intimated that Jack Sheldon is a thief, Doctor,” said Percival “I can imagine what they will have to say about it, and what they will do to him.  The river is very convenient!”

“Restrain yourself, Percival,” said the doctor.

“If I have given the young gentleman an unenviable reputation,” the detective rejoined, his face red, “it is on account of the reports I have heard of him from-----” and he stopped short.

“Who told you this?” demanded the doctor.  “There is not a more exemplary boy in the whole Academy than John Sheldon.  Ask any one of the instructors, ask the boys themselves, ask the editors of the Riverton papers, ask the heads of the business houses, the superintendent of the Machine Works, the Chief of Police himself, and they will all tell you the same.  Who was your informant to the contrary?”

“I am not at liberty to reveal the name of my informant,” said the detective, a little abashed, “but I had it from more than one source.”

“Then let me tell you that you were maliciously misinformed, for there is not a boy in the Academy who bears a better character than John Sheldon.  I will retain this watch until I have a better authority to deliver it than yours.  I wish you a very good morning.”

Just then the bugle blew to call the boys to dinner, and as they always formed in regular order to march into the dining tent there was not the opportunity, which Percival so much desired, of pitching the detective into the river or at least giving him a sound hissing.

“As you please, sir,” the man said, as he bowed himself out.  “You cannot expect me to believe all that this young gentleman says after what I have heard of him from-----”