e
men were to come and take it down in the morning.

"Lucky they were not here," I said, "or some of them might have been
suspected of taking it."

"Yes, it would be ugly for them," assented Hodson. "You see, nobody but
our boys and the Hastings chaps went into the tent, except the servants
to lay the tables, and of course they wouldn't have taken it."

"But they may have found it," I said. "He is sure to have dropped it
somewhere in the grass."

"Of course," cried Mercer; "and some one has put his foot on it and
smashed the glass."

"Get out, Senna! you always make the worst of every thing," cried Hodson
merrily; and soon after, we reached the field, where the boys were
spread about, looking in all kinds of possible and impossible places--
impossible because Burr major had never been near them after he had put
on his things.

"Are you sure that you brought your watch out in the field," said Mr
Hasnip, who was one of the group standing by Burr major.

"Oh yes, sir, certain."

"But it does not do to be too certain, my lad. Have you been up in your
bedroom, and looked there?"

"No, sir, because I was so sure I brought it out."

"Why were you so sure?"

"Because--because I thought I would wear it, as we had strangers
coming."

"Never mind, you may have altered your mind. Go and look. You see we
have thoroughly searched every place where you could have been."

"I'll go and look, sir," said Burr major, "but it's of no use."

He went off toward the schoolhouse, and Mr Rebble then coming up, the
two masters began to talk about the missing watch.

"It is so awkward," said Mr Rebble. "We can't write and ask the party
if either of them took a watch by mistake. Stop! I have it."

"The watch?" cried Mr Hasnip eagerly.

"No. Wait till he comes back, and I think I can explain it all."

We had not long to wait before Burr major came back to us.

"No, sir," he said. "I've looked everywhere; it isn't in my room."

"Then I think I can help you," said Mr Rebble. "What jacket and vest
are those you have on?"

"My third best, sir."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir," said Burr major wonderingly.

"Look at them," continued Mr Rebble. "Are they really your own things,
and not the clothes of one of our visitors taken by mistake, and he has
taken yours."

Burr major slipped off his jacket and held it up in the dusk to point
out a label inside the collar, where, worked in blue silk upon white
satin, was th