The Trojan himself was in serious trouble. Sentence had not yet been passed in his case, but apparently he stood convicted of violating the rule against taking text-books into rooms where examinations were held, and of committing the still graver offense of “trying to lie out of it,” as the school phrase ran.
Sam seemed to be likely to fall heir to the unhappy reputation of being the chief witness against his friend. The story spread rapidly. He could observe its effects when he went to school the next morning. A group of girls fell to whispering as he approached them, and drew aside as he passed; some of the boys nodded stiffly. There was a loud controversy in a corner of the yard, which quieted of a sudden, when he came near. Step, very red of face, said something in a low tone to the youth with whom he had been disputing, and joined Sam, slipping an arm through his and drawing him away.
“Confound a chump, anyway!” he growled. “But I say, Sam! Got anything on for this afternoon? Let’s take a hike somewhere.”
Sam suffered himself to be led out of earshot of the others. Then he spoke crisply:
“What’s the row? Talking about me, are they?”
Step tried to avoid the question.
“There are a lot of idiots in this school. They run away with any fool yarn, or let it run away with them, and——”
“And the yarn this time is about me—about Trojan and me, that is?”
“Why—why, Sam——”
“Yes or no, Step?”