d
suspicions, about which we will talk by and by, that watch was never
found?"

"Yes, sir."

I glanced at Mercer, but he was staring hard at Burr major.

"Now, Dicksee," said the Doctor, "have the goodness to repeat what you
told me a short time back."

"Yes, sir," said Dicksee eagerly. "I went up into the big loft over the
stable this afternoon, to see if I could find some nice stout pieces of
straw in one of the old trusses to make jackstraws with, when I heard
somebody coming."

I started as I remembered fancying I heard some one in the loft.

"Yes; go on."

"I looked out of the window, and saw it was Burr junior, so I went and
hid myself in the straw."

The rustling I thought was rats.

"Why?" said the Doctor sharply.

"Because Burr junior and Mercer are so jealous about any other boy going
up there, and they would have knocked me about, as you know, sir, they
did once before, for being up there."

"It isn't true!" I cried.

"Silence, sir," said the Doctor. "You shall be heard afterwards. Go
on, Dicksee."

"Yes, sir, please, sir. So I hid under the straw, and then I saw Burr
junior come up into the loft, and look round, and out of the window, and
everywhere but in the straw."

"State what you saw simply, sir," said the Doctor sternly; "and
recollect that you do not stand upon a very good pedestal, for you were
playing one of the meanest parts a human being can take, that of a spy."

"Hear! hear!" said the two masters together.

"Please, sir, I was afraid," pleaded Dicksee.

"Go on," said the Doctor.

"And I saw Burr junior open the big bin where he and Mercer keep their
rubbish."

"It may not be rubbish to them," said the Doctor, "Go on, sir."

"And after fiddling about a bit, and looking round to see if he was
watched, Burr junior took up a stuffed rabbit, put his hand inside, and
pulled out some tow, and then he opened that, and took out Burr major's
silver watch."

"How do you know it was?" said the Doctor sharply.

"Because we saw it such lots of times, sir, and I knew it again
directly."

"It might have been any watch," said the Doctor. "Go on."

"Yes, sir. And he looked at it, and played with it ever so long, and
then wrapped it up in tow again, and stuffed it inside the rabbit, and
then locked up the bin, put the key in his pocket, and went down."

"And you?"

"I waited till he had gone, sir, and then I ran and told Burr major,
sir."

"That will do. Now, Burr maj