A decided gloom prevailed over the college. Judd, although he had been called a rube had become a great favorite and very popular at Bartlett.
The students looked at Cateye, sympathetically, when he hobbled down to breakfast half an hour later. His face was red and his eyes, … yes, unmistakably swollen from excessive weeping. Cateye was met upon all sides with sincere words of sympathy and regret for the loss of his beloved room-mate. To all these declarations Cateye made the sober reply: "Thanks, fellows, thanks. Your grief and sympathy quite overwhelm me." Then, dabbing his face sadly with a handkerchief for effect, Cateye smothered many almost unsuppressible giggles. It was turning into such a rich joke! If no one discovered Judd before the time was set to bring him out, it would be great!
Judd, meanwhile, had remained within the close confinement of his room awaiting until the time was ripe to resurrect himself.
At eight o'clock President Windell suspended all morning classes and the entire college practically went into mourning. Benz, overcome with grief, confessed time and again his part in the tragedy wherever he could find an audience. Within another hour the sheriff came down from Tarlton and gravely proceeded to corral all the participants in the "foul murder." He had been newly appointed custodian of the law and was overly anxious to perform his duties well.
Almost the entire student body congregated on the campus shortly after nine o'clock, to witness the departure of the sheriff with those directly implicated in the plot.
"I can't tell yet what I'll do with ye!" the sheriff said, addressing the students under arrest. "But this here drownin' is a serious crime and, some of ye will have to pay for it! That's just the way with ye college sports anyhow. Always up to some thing and never satisfied till ye've committed some devilment. But ye'll pay for this, … mark my words, … and ye'll pay dear!"
Some students, including Pole and Potts, arrived at this moment. They had been helping drag the river but, despairing of recovering the body, had returned. A crowd surrounded them at once.
"What luck?"
"Find any trace of him?"
These and many more anxious questions were hurled at the weary searchers.