“Do you object to the search?”

“I do, sah.  I am not guilty, sah, an’ dis am not treatin’ me jest right, sah, ’deed it aint, sah.”

“If you object, Pop, I will be under the painful necessity of having Snuggers place you under arrest.  You know he is a special officer for the Hall.”

At this announcement Aleck fell back completely dumfounded.  “Well, dat’s de wust yet!” he muttered, and sank back on a chair, not knowing what to do next.

CHAPTER VIII

IN WHICH ALEXANDER POP RUNS AWAY

“Will you submit to having your trunk examined or not?” demanded Captain Putnam, after a painful pause, during which Alexander Pop’s eyes rolled wildly from one teacher to the other.

“Yo’ kin examine it if yo’ desire,” said Aleck.  “But it’s an outrage, Cap’n Putnam, an’ outrage, sah!”

Without more ado Captain Putnam approached the waiter’s trunk, to find it locked.

“Where is the key, Pop?”

“Dare, sah, on de nail alongside ob yo’ sah.”

Soon the trunk was unlocked and the lid thrown back.  The box contained a miscellaneous collection of wearing apparel, which the captain pushed to one side.  Then he brought out a cigar box containing some cheap jewelry and other odds and ends, as well as two five dollar bills.

“Dat money am mine, sah,” said Aleck.  “Yo paid me dat las’ Saturday, sall.”

“That is true, but how did this get here, Pop?”

As Captain Putnam paused he held up a stud set with a ruby-the very stud the cadet Weeks had lost!

“Dat —­ dat stud —­ I never seen dat shirt-stud before, cap’n, ’deed I didn’t,” stammered the waiter.

“That is certainly Weeks’ stud; I remember it well,” put in George Strong.  “He showed it to me one day, stating it was a gift from his aunt.”

“And here is a cheap watch,” added Captain Putnam, bringing forth the article.  “Pop, is this your watch?”

“No, sah —­ I —­ I never seen dat watch before,” answered Aleck nervously.  “I dun reckon sumbuddy put up a job on dis poah coon, sah,” he continued ruefully.

“I believe the job was put up by yourself,” answered Captain Putnam sternly.  “If you are guilty you had better confess.”

A stormy war of words followed.  Alexander Pop stoutly declared himself innocent, but in the face of the proofs discovered the master of the Hall would not listen to him.

“Peleg Snuggers shall take you in charge and drive down to the Cedarville lock-up,” said the captain.

The news that some of the things had been found in Pop’s trunk spread with great rapidity.  Many were astonished to learn that he was thought guilty, but a few declared that “a coon wasn’t to be trusted anyway.”

“Niggers are all thieves,” said Jim Caven, “never yet saw an honest one.”

“I don’t believe you!” burst out Tom.  “Pop’s a first-rate fellow, and the captain has got to have more proof against him before I’ll believe him guilty.”