Barney Breslin had expressed himself boldly about one whom he believed had taken the coin, as he had said that he met a cadet coming out of the room of Scott Clemmons and himself, and unless the gold piece was returned that night, he would make his accusation public. He would not give a hint as to whom he suspected, but said: “Wait until night, and then I shall accuse the one I deem the thief,” and he turned away to perform an act which he had won quite a reputation for, which was to walk around the pedestrian track of the gymnasium on his hands. “Can you do that, Merrill?” asked Scott Clemmons, who stood near him, and there was a sneer in his tone and manner. “I think so,” was the quiet response, and Mark Merrill threw himself upon his hands and began to go around the track, when suddenly, with a loud ring, the missing gold-piece rolled from his pocket amid almost a roar of amazement from his brother cadets. CHAPTER XXVII. A DOUBLE ACCUSATION. Barney Breslin had just completed his walk on his hands around the track of the gymnasium, and the applause with which he had been greeted had ceased, when Scott Clemmons asked Mark Merrill if he could accomplish a like feat. When the gold coin fell from Mark’s pocket and the loud murmur of amazement was heard, Barney Breslin had sprang forward, and seizing the piece of gold cried: “It is your luck coin, Clemmons, as I live!” “It certainly is, but surely there must be some mistake, for Merrill could not be guilty of----” “I tell you now that he is the man I saw leaving our room,” said Breslin, interrupting Clemmons. And all this time, unheeding the dropping of the coin from his pocket, Mark Merrill had continued his hand-walk around the track, accomplishing the feat with an ease far greater than Barney Breslin had done. As he approached the group now, his face flushed from his peculiar exercise, every eye was upon him, and a death-like silence was upon all. “You must speak, Clemmons, for this cannot be allowed to go by,” said Breslin, breaking the silence. “Merrill, it seems that you accomplished Breslin’s feat, but you have also done something that he could not and would not do,” said Scott Clemmons. “What is that, may I ask, Mr. Clemmons?” “You dropped something from your pocket awhile since?” “Yes, I heard it drop, but as I had no claim to it I paid no attention to it.” “You know what it was?” “Ah! yes; an octagonal coin which Breslin stole from you and placed in my pocket, hoping to prove me the thief,” was the cool response. “Ha! you dare accuse me of being a thief?” and, like a mad bull, Barney Breslin rushed upon Mark Merrill. Some would have interfered had they had time, and all expected to see Barney Breslin seize and crush Mark Merrill in his iron grasp. But instead, they saw the huge bully fly backward with terrific force and measure his length upon the track of the gymnasium.