“That’s all right, gentlemen,” he said, from his retreat behind the bed. “I didn’t mean any offense, and I beg your pardon, as the convict said when the governor passed his cell.” “You are lucky to escape with your life,” said Rattleton. “Sing something late and catchy, Merry.” Frank struck into one of the popular songs of the day, and the fellows all “made a stagger at it.” As Diamond afterward declared, it was something awful. “If this keeps up, the faculty is bound to come down on us,” Frank decided. When the song was ended, Frank declared that he must go. “Don’t!” cried Billings, clinging to Merry with affection that was not relished. “It’s getting awfully late.” “We won’t go home till morning,” somebody sang. “How late?” said Billings, familiarly reaching into Frank’s vest pocket. “Where’s your watch, Merriwell? Oh, here she is. Wonder ’f I can see to tell what time ’tish?” He took a watch out of Frank’s pocket and began to fumble to open it. “Say,” exclaimed Merry, “aren’t you getting a bit too new? Hello! What is that, anyhow?” Sidney Gooch started forward, uttering an exclamation of astonishment and satisfaction. “That’s my watch, Billings!” he shouted. “Where did you get it?” Billings looked up in a stupid manner. “G’way!” he gurgled. “’S Merriwell’s watch. Got ’tout of his pocket.” “It’s my watch!” cried Gooch, clearly. “See, fellows, there is my monogram on the inside of the front case! That is the watch that was stolen from me.” Gooch snatched it from Billings’ hand. Frank Merriwell arose to his feet. He was aware that every eye in the room was on his. “Gentlemen,” he said, his voice calm and steady, “this looks to me like an attempt to get square with me for the little joke of a short time ago. If so, it strikes me as decidedly a mean way of getting back at me.” CHAPTER XXIX. THE SPYING PROCTOR. Although he had not lifted his voice the least, there was indignation in Merry’s manner, and his eyes were flashing. He looked from one to another of the lads before him, as if seeking to discover the guilty one or ones. There was a brief silence, and then Bruce Browning hastened to say: “Oh, it’s all right, Merriwell. Billings must have done it, for a joke, himself.” “Not by a blamed sight!” came surlily from Billings, who seemed to have sobered up wonderfully when he realized that the watch really belonged to Gooch instead of Merriwell. “I may have taken considerable punch, but I’m no practical joker, and I won’t be called a thief by anybody. Anybody calls me a thief I’ll fight him right here and now!” Billings seemed, in a half-drunken manner, to realize that he was suspected by some of having stolen the watch. “Oh, I don’t think you took it, Newt,” hastily said Gooch, as the freshman glared at him. “Well, it’s a good thing f’you that you don’t!” growled Billings. Then he turned to another freshman and muttered plainly enough for all to hear: