“But why should they, Sheldon, especially as both poems are your own?  What reason would any one have to do this?  If the inserted lines belonged to another poem so that you might be accused of plagiarism, then there would be some color to this argument, but the whole thing is yours.”

“It is strange,” said Jack, going back to his seat, all the boys seeming to be greatly puzzled, and talking to each other about the matter in low and earnest tones.

“I will now read the poem which took second prize,” said the doctor, and proceeded to read Percival’s poem, very much to the latter’s surprise and delight.

“Well, I came somewhere near you, at any rate, Jack,” he said, “but I never expected to come in second.”

There were other poems read, one receiving a prize and the best honorable mention, the boys being thoroughly satisfied with the awards, and cheering the winners loudly.

Jack was still puzzled about his poem, but he said nothing, having certain ideas about the matter, but not caring to make them known at the time, preferring to wait till he had more information.

After the exercises were over the boys went off in little groups of four or five in different directions.

Percival went with Jack on the river, taking young Smith along, and when they were out from shore Dick said: 

“You have an idea who inserted the verses of your other poem in your new one, haven’t you, Jack?”

“How did Herring happen to hit upon some other verses of mine which a paper up the state had stolen?” asked Jack.

“He might do that, of course, but how did they get into the poem you had submitted two days before if he got the paper only this morning?”

“The paper was a week old, Dick.”

“Then you think that Herring may have been lying, Jack?” asked Dick pointedly.

“Other persons besides Herring may have seen the verses in the other paper, Dick.  I cannot prove—–­now—–­that Herring wrote them in.”

“But you may do so at some other time?”

“That’s what he means,” said young Smith, “but Jack never says anything against a fellow unless he is sure of it.”

“That’s right enough, J.W., and we agree with you.”

“Do you remember a night or so ago when Billy Manners had the black eye?” asked the young fellow suddenly.  “He said he must have got it tripping over a tent rope, and Harry said he got into their tent by mistake.  I asked him what he was doing outside, and at first he would not tell me, but afterward he said there was some funny business going on the night before, and he thought that Herring and Merritt were in it, but he could not tell what it was.”

“Well?” asked Percival.

“Then he told me that he had gone to the doctor’s cottage, and that some one got out the window, fell over him and gave him a black eye.  Herring, as he thinks, said that he would fix somebody and keep him from getting the prize.  He told me not to say anything, but-----”