tried not to look apprehensive. "Did you have any paper in your
hand while you had Mr. Prescott's handkerchief in your own possession?"

"No, sir," replied Dodge with emphasis.

"Did you, knowingly, pass the handkerchief back to the accused
cadet with any paper inside of it, or touching it in any way?"

"No, sir!"

Lieutenant Topham continued for some seconds to regard Mr. Dodge
in silence. The witness began to lose some of his swagger. Then,
abruptly, as though firing a pistol, Lieutenant Topham shot out
the question:

"How about that smear of dirt on your hand, Mr. Dodge? How did
it come to be on the back of your hand?"

If Mr. Topham had looked to this question to break the witness
down he was doomed to disappointment.

"I do not know, sir," Dodge replied distinctly. "I am of the
opinion, sir, that it must have come from the blacking on one
of my shoes as I put it on before leaving my room."

There was no more to be gained from Dodge. He was excused. Now,
Dick Prescott rose a was sworn, that he might testify in his own
behalf. Yet he could do no more, under the military rules of
evidence, than to deny any guilty knowledge of the slip of paper,
and to repeat the handkerchief-loaning recital substantially as