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 maybe sure Dangle won't let it drop."

"What shall you do?" asked Ranger.

"What would _you_ do?" said Yorke, testily. "Isn't it bad enough to be
in a fix like this without being asked hopeless questions? I'm sorry,
old man, I've lost my temper; and as it's not come back I vote we say no
more on the subject at present."

The evening wore on, and still the truants did not return. At ten
o'clock Yorke reported their absence to Mr Wakefield, and Mr Wakefield
reported it to the head-master. A similar report reached him from the
matron of Mr Forders house with regard to the missing ones there; and
presently, further report was made that Rollitt was not in the school.

No one could give any account of their probable whereabouts. Rollitt
had been seen go