hesitate before he made answer.

"What have you to say, Ranger?" asked Dr. Mead, in a sterner voice
than he had ever before used toward Jack. "I know you will tell the
truth, for I have never yet known you to lie. But I must tell you
that if I find that you are guilty it will go hard with you this
time. I have put up with a good deal from the students, but this is
too much."

"I--I don't know what to say, sir," replied Jack, in a sort of daze.
"I'm not guilty, I can assure you of that!"

"It's one thing to say so and another to prove it," snapped Professor
Grimm. "The evidence is all against you."

"It's all circumstantial," interrupted Jack.

"But rather conclusive," went on the irate professor. He detailed how
he had seen Jack and his friends out late, how he had come upon them
using arnica, and mentioned some of their pranks in the past,
including the mock duel arranged between Professor Socrat the French
teacher and Professor Garlach, the German instructor.

"I admit I have played pranks in the past," said Jack frankly, "but
I'm not guilty this time. All I ask is a chance to prove that I had
no hand in this."

"You don't deserve a chance!" exclaimed Mr. Grimm.

"That's hardly fair," spoke Jack indignantly.