"He's probably fooling about somewhere out of bounds with my fag," said Ranger. "He'll have to catch it, Fisher, though he is your brother." "Let him have it," said Fisher. "I'd do the same to your young brother if I had the chance. But to change the subject, I've something to tell you fellows that's rather awkward. That money hasn't turned up yet." "That is awkward," said Yorke. "I wish I could help you out with it, but I'm cleaned out." "Oh, that's not it. Of course I'm responsible, and must get the governor to make it good. Dear old governor, he'll do it, but he'll pull a precious long face, and go round the house lowering the gas and telling every one he must economise, with two such expensive sons as me and my minor at school. It's not that, though. Dangle came over this morning, and wanted to know what we were going to do about the accounts, now we've dissolved the clubs; and somehow or other he's heard of the deficiency, and wants to know all about it." "I hope you told him," said Yorke. "Of course I did; but he told me a lot more than I could tell him. He thinks he knows what's become of it." And Fisher proceeded to narrate Dangle's suspicions against Rollitt. The captain's face grew very long as the story went on. Then he said-- "I hope to goodness there's nothing in it. Is it a fact about Widow Wisdom's boat?" "Yes; my young brother was with Rollitt that day, and told me about it as a secret. But as it's out now, there's no good keeping it." "Dangle has a spite against Rollitt. If any one else had told you this, there might have been something in it." "And if it had been any one but Rollitt bought the boat, it would have been nothing. But he's so frightfully poor. He'd no time to write home, even if he could have got money from there, and there was no one here he could borrow of. Why, he must have gone off very first thing in the morning and bought the boat." "And are you quite certain you had all the money collected by that Saturday?" asked Yorke. "Yes; and what's more, I'm almost certain I counted it and made it come right. That's the last time it has come right." The captain drummed his fingers on the table and looked very miserable. "I wish, Fisher," said he, "I hadn't advised you to take that treasurership. If we could only be quite sure there wasn't some mistake in the accounts, it would be different. It would be a frightful thing to suspect Rollitt unless it was absolutely certain." "You're welcome to round on me," said Fisher, looking quite as miserable as his chief. "I was a fool to take your advice. I'd much sooner make the money up myself, and not say a word about it to any one." "You can't do that now. You may be sure Dangle won't let it drop." "What shall you do?" asked Ranger.