“All right,” Dan agreed. “But I would like to know where Hiltz spent his afternoon!”
[CHAPTER XXIV]
GERALD WATCHES
There was a sensation the next morning when Mr. Collins announced after Chapel that the hockey cup had disappeared from No. 28 Clarke. “It is only to be supposed,” said the assistant principal, “that whoever took the cup out of the room did so as a joke. If the person will return the cup this morning, before dinner-time, I shall consider it a joke, too, although a joke in rather poor taste. If the cup is not returned by that time I shall see that the offender is punished. The Pennimore Cup is school property and there is, as you all know, a severe penalty for damaging or removing property belonging to the school. Aside from this consideration, the cup is needed to-morrow when Broadwood comes here to play hockey, and it should be the effort of every fellow to see that it is returned promptly to the office or to the manager or captain of the hockey team.”
The school in general accepted the disappearance of the cup as a very excellent jest, and fellows begged each other playfully to “give it up. We know you’ve got it. Be good and hand it back!” But when, in the afternoon, it was learned that the missing trophy had not been returned the amusement changed to indignation. By that time Alf was thoroughly worried, and the short practice went somewhat listlessly. Gerald had seen Harry Merrow and had learned from that youth, first swearing him to secrecy, that Jake Hiltz had been on the river for at least half an hour after Gerald had stopped on the bridge. After that Harry knew nothing of Hiltz’s whereabouts. Gerald reported this to Dan and Alf and Tom after practice.
“I say let’s find Hiltz and put it up to him,” said Dan impatiently. “We could say that he was seen in the building yesterday afternoon.”
“That would be a lie, wouldn’t it?” asked Tom mildly.
“Well, isn’t a lie excusable in a case of this sort?” retorted Dan.
“I don’t think so. You don’t, either, Dan. A lie’s a lie, no matter when you tell it.”