“Take this matter in charge, Mr. Anstey,” begged Dick, turning to the Virginian.

“Mr. Dodge,” continued the Virginian, “be good enough, suh, to pay good heed to what I have to say.  That will be necessary, in fairness to yourself, suh.  I’ll begin at the beginning.”

Anstey began with the handkerchief-borrowing episode in barracks area.  He dwelt upon the accusation against Cadet Prescott, the court-martial, and the further fact that even the verdict of acquittal had not, at first, been fully accepted by all members of the corps of cadets clearing Dick of the fearful suspicion against his honor.

“What has all this to do with me?” snarled Dodge.  “Is Prescott trying to revive his old and infamous hints against me?

“Wait a moment, Mr. Dodge,” continued Anstey patiently.  “Now will now move along to the drill in the riding hall yesterday afternoon.”

Anstey then described the bared cuff that Prescott had seen on Dodge’s left wrist.

“That’s a lie,” rasped out Dodge.

But Anstey heeded him not; Prescott merely smiled.  But the sight of that smile maddened Dodge, who sprang up, crying: 

“Yes!  You think you have it all cooked up against me, Dick Prescott!  But you’ll find that truth and right will win.”

Dick did not answer, but Anstey, looking impressively at the culprit, declared: 

“Mr. Dodge, tonight, while you were away, we pried up that brick!”

Every vestige of color fled from Bert’s face.  He seemed about to fall, but he clutched at the chair back and remained standing.

“Of course, Mr. Dodge, you know what we found there.  Brayton, you don’t so you will interested in seeing the things.  Milesy, be good enough to spread the collection on that table.  Here, you see, first of all, is the cuff of yesterday.  Even the writing, in India ink, remains on it.  And here are reddish stains, made by the impact of that cuff with the tan-bark of the riding hall.  Here are slips of paper on which the main features of the hardest math. problems of each day have been noted down, ready for writing on a cuff.  Here is the water-proof ink and the pen with which the writing on the cuff was done.  And here are some other slips of paper, evidently older, on which other problems have been written out more fully.  These older slips of paper contain problems of last November and early December—–­the time when Prescott was in his deep trouble.  Now, these older slips are of paper just like the piece that fell from the handkerchief that Prescott took out of his blouse on that tragic day.  Somewhere in the files the authorities have that slip that figured in the charges at Prescott’s trial by general court-martial.  I imagine, on comparison, that slip will be found to be on paper identical with these slips containing older problems.  And you will note that these older slips are written on with a typewriting machine, with crude figures drawn in, just as in the case of the slip that figured Prescott’s trial.  Now, Mr. Dodge, isn’t it plain to even the dullest mind that you have been systematically cribbing at math., and that it is to that fact you owe your present high standing in the yearling class?”