you," snapped the president, "Wait
here until I go and dress. I want you to take me to where this
happened. And while you're waiting, put in a call for the sheriff at
Tarlton. He'll have to investigate anyway and the sooner he's on the
job the better."

The professor disappeared upstairs. Benz hesitated a moment, his hands
twitching nervously. Then he picked up the telephone and asked for
long distance in a voice that faltered brokenly.

* * * * *

At breakfast that morning tense excitement reigned. News of the
tragedy had just been spread broadcast and there were many vacant
chairs. A great number of students had rushed for the river but a few
of the calmer ones and those who loved their appetites above all else,
answered the roll call and contented themselves in stowing away the
usual number of pancakes.

Just as the meal was about over, Bartz staggered in, weak and
exhausted. He had run many miles up and down the river bank in the
hopes of discovering Judd--but a needle in a haystack might have been
more readily found than Judd's corpse in a river bed.

A great crowd thronged about Bartz, asking him hundreds of different
questions, excitedly. He made no attempt to answer them; in fact, his
one desire seemed to be to get a bite to eat and steady his nerves.
All he would say was: "Let me alone, fellows. I'm tired. Been up all
night. No, we haven't found his body yet. Yes ... the sheriff's
placed us all under temporary arrest. He's got our names an' he's
coming after the bunch of us and take us down to Tarlton for a hearing
at nine o'clock this morning. Oh, they'll drag the river all day if
they don't find him. Yes, we're going to wire his folks in a couple of
hours. For heaven's sake, guys, let me be! I need a rest!"

A decided gloom prevailed over the college. Judd, although he had been
called a rube had become a great favorite and very popular at Bartlett.

The students looked at Cateye, sympathetically, when he hobbled down to
breakfast half an hour later. His face was red and his eyes, ... yes,
unmistakably swollen from excessive weeping. Cateye was met upon all
sides with sincere words of sympathy and regret for the loss of his
beloved room-mate. To all these declarations Cateye made the sober
reply: "Thanks, fellows, thanks. Your grief and sympathy quite
overwhelm me." Then, dabbing his face sadly with a handkerchief for
effect, Cateye smothered many almo