Thad made a low, growling sound, as though he put not the slightest faith in the story Leon was telling.  He knew the other to be utterly unprincipled, and a willing tool in the hands of Nick Lang; indeed, there were some things about the sneaky Leon that blunt, honest Thad hated worse than the bullying propensities of the other boy.

“So you really and truly left your watch in your locker, did you?” he demanded, with a perceptible sneer in his tones.

“I think I did; in fact, I’m certainly hoping so,” Leon hastily replied; “because if it doesn’t happen to be there I don’t know where I could have lost it; and I’ll get a fine turning over from dad in the morning when he asks me for the same to take back, and exchange for one that keeps decent time.”

“Oh!” continued the still skeptical Thad, thinking to corner Leon, “then, perhaps, you’ll prove your words by showing us the inside of your locker right now?  Number 19 it would be, you said; well, here it is, on a direct line with Hugh’s locker.  Get busy with your key, Leon, and open up!”

Possibly Thad was confident that the other would not venture to do as he demanded.  He may have expected him to invent some handy excuse for not complying; but then the other had already laid the foundation for a reasonable sense of disappointment in case no watch was forthcoming when the locker was opened; since he said he hoped he might have forgotten it when dressing, and not lost it on the way home that evening at dusk.

Leon started to obey with alacrity, as though he had no fears.  His key immediately opened the door, and this, upon being swung aside, revealed a bundle of old athletic garments hastily thrown in without regard to neatness.

These Leon commenced to eagerly take out, one at a time.  He was careful how he handled them, as though fearful lest he might toss the silver watch out, to land on the floor with disastrous results.

As he picked up such various articles of wearing apparel as used by an athlete in training, Leon continued to air his grievances, as though he meant Hugh to understand how utterly impossible it was for him to have intended any mean thing by breaking open a locker other than his own: 

“It was silly of me getting those numbers mixed in my head, of course; but then a figure nine is only a six turned upside down, you see.  I was so worked up over missing my clock that I just couldn’t think straight at all.  Well, it isn’t under that jersey, anyhow; nor yet covered by those trunks.  I remember now I pushed it away back, so I couldn’t drag it out.  There’s an old sweater I use when I’m overheated, and afraid of taking cold; mebbe now it’s under that.”

Reaching further in, Leon caught hold of the article in question, and carefully drew it toward him.  Then he as cautiously lifted the torn sweater; and, as Thad turned the glow of the flash-light directly into the box they all saw the watch reposing in the corner, just as the boy had left it.