“Why not? Because there’ll be at least two faculty there, and if you think they’ll let you accept the captaincy after ’fessing up to that stunt you’re all wrong.”
“I don’t. They’ll have me in probation to-morrow, of course. That isn’t the question.”
“Of course it’s the question,” said Joe impatiently. “You’re practically sure of the captaincy. I know it and so do you. If faculty gets this on you you’re a goner. Besides, what good’s it going to do any one? School’s over in three days, and just as long as they’re going to let me pass with my class I don’t mind three days in bounds.”
“That’s all right,” replied Hal stubbornly, “but right is right. I let you suffer because I wanted to win the game. The game’s won. Now it’s my turn to stand the gaff.”
Hal shrugged. “I know. I thought of that, though. It can’t be helped. Besides――”
“It _can_ be helped!” said Joe angrily. “All you need to do is get this fool idea out of your head. You talk like a――a sick fish!”
“No, sir! I won’t stand for it! What sort of a silly fool do you think I’d feel like with you getting up before all that bunch and――and spouting all that rot? If you tell that yarn I’ll deny it!”
Hal smiled. “I can prove it, though. I can produce five fellows who will testify that I was in Gus Billing’s room at eleven o’clock that night.”
“Is _that_ where you were?” asked Joe eagerly.
“Of course there’s no harm, but I stayed too late. Gus’s clock was about an hour slow and I never thought to look at my watch. Anyhow, it won’t do you any good to deny it, Joe.”
“Well, then――” Joe spoke slowly, frowning intently across the shadowy room. “Maybe you sort of feel that you――you owe me something. Of course I didn’t do it just for――just to oblige you, but you wanted to win, and I guess I helped――”
“Of course I owe you something. I’m trying to make you understand it. And I’m going to pay what I owe.”
“Not that way,” replied Joe firmly. “If you do want to――to square things there’s just one way you can do it.”
“Yes, I mean it, Hal.” Their eyes challenged. After a moment Hal shrugged.
“All right,” he said, “but I don’t get your idea. It isn’t as if you’d done it for me――” He stopped and there was a long moment of silence. Then he asked brusquely: “You didn’t, did you?”