“I’d punch face off’n him if he hinted anything of the sort! Dunno where the old watch came from. Took it out of Merriwell’s pocket.” “One thing is certain----” began Harry Rattleton. “And that one thing is that Frank Merriwell did not steal Gooch’s watch,” finished Charlie Creighton. “Oh, I don’t want to think anything like that!” hastily exclaimed Sidney, with apparent sincerity. “As for Billings, he has not been near me this evening, so he could not be the one who took it from me.” “It is possible no one took it from you, Gooch,” said Diamond. “Some fellow may have picked it up from the floor and tucked it into Merriwell’s pocket for a joke.” “If any fellow did so, he will prove his manhood and relieve Merry of suspicion by stepping forward and speaking up,” said Creighton. “Step right out! It was no crime, although it was a foolish sort of joke.” The boys waited for some one to step forward, but not a soul moved. “Who had a good chance to swipe the watch, Gooch?” asked Walter Gordan, who had been keeping in the background. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” answered Sidney. “I suppose lots of fellows have had a chance.” “You missed it first just after we caught those fake professors?” “Yes.” “You were one of the fellows who held Merriwell?” “Yes, I was the first one to get hold of him. I couldn’t hold him alone. It took four of us, and then he came near getting away.” “What are you driving at, Gordan?” flashed Jack Diamond, his face flushed with anger, for he fancied Walter was attempting to wind the net about Merry. “I’m just trying to find out----” Walter hesitated, for he saw a gleam in the eyes of the hot-tempered Virginian that was more than a simple warning. “I hardly think anyone will believe that I would steal a watch,” said Merriwell, slowly; “and yet I do not like to have this thing hanging over me. I repeat, if it was a joke, it is a pretty poor joke.” “Joke!” exploded Diamond. “It’s an infernal outrage, and I can lick the sneak who did the job! If more than one fellow took part in it, I’ll agree to lick the whole gang one at a time!” This brought something like the ghost of a smile to Frank’s face, for he thought of the time when Jack Diamond had regarded fighting as low and beneath the dignity of a gentleman and Virginian. Then it was that Diamond had refused as far as possible to engage in a “low fistic encounter,” but now he was making fighting talk without saying anything about calling anybody out upon the “field of honor.” Since coming to Yale there had been a wonderful change in the passionate lad from the South, but he was not a whit less courageous and full of chivalry. “Thank you, old fellow,” said Frank, placing a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I assure you of my appreciation, but perhaps you’d better let me do my own fighting.”