“You’ve something to add? Go on!”
Sam summoned all his resolution. “I was talking about being tricked. I was caught, too, by the way the questions were put. Somehow, I seemed to be made to give the Trojan away. I hadn’t any notion of doing that, and there wasn’t any reason why I should, seeing that he hadn’t done anything wrong. But Mr. Bacon seemed to tangle both of us up. Do you remember, sir, how he didn’t go straight at the thing, but fussed around it, and—and——”
“I do remember,” said the principal, when Sam hesitated. There was something in his tone which reminded the boy of his curious doubt that the head of the school had really approved the course the inquisition took.
“Well, sir, in the end I appeared to have done the Trojan a lot of harm, and he’d harmed himself, and it was all a mix-up. That’s what I meant by the trick part.”
“I see,” said the principal. Again there was a pause.
“The Trojan is honest,” was the way Sam resumed the discussion.
“Parker, let me show you the other side of the case,” said the principal quietly. “For some time we have had reason to believe that there has been cheating in examinations, and have been keeping a close watch on all the classes. There is, as you know, a strict rule against taking text-books into rooms where examinations are held. In this case, after your class had taken Latin papers, a Cicero was found in one of the desks. We established, beyond doubt, that it was the desk Walker had used. There was evidence that the book was his. When he was questioned, opportunity was given him to make confession——”
“But that was prejudging him guilty, sir!”
The principal coughed. “I get your point, Parker, but must remind you that we are interested rather in maintaining discipline and doing essential justice, than in following rules of court procedure. Walker’s course was unfortunate. It certainly did not serve to lessen the strong presumption of his guilt.”
“But what was I brought in for?”