The commandant rushed to the closet and threw open the door. It was absolutely empty. He looked at the windows; all were shut. Professor Scott and Mr. Moehler were mystified beyond expression.

“Well!” ejaculated Commander Thornton, “this beats me. The explanation will be simple when Mr. Himski makes it, but I’m willing to believe now that Mr. Osborn may not have written that line against you, Mr. Moehler. He certainly didn’t write the words under it.”

“Mr. Himski!” called out the commandant in a loud voice.

“Here, sir,” replied Himski, entering the room.

“Did you write that on Mr. Osborn’s blackboard?”

“I wrote the bottom line, sir, not the one above it.”

“Of course, that’s what I mean. But will you please tell me how you got into the room to do it? The windows were shut and locked and you certainly didn’t come through the doorway.”

“I got in exactly as did the person who wrote the line about Mr. Moehler, and it wasn’t Mr. Osborn, because I saw his board after he left it, sir. If you will remain here a moment, sir, I will show you how I did it.”

Himski left the room and in a couple of minutes the door of the closet opened and he stepped into the recitation room, holding the closet door open.

The commandant, Professor Scott and Mr. Moehler crowded into it. They saw that what had been the ceiling of the closet was in reality a trap-door, which was now raised, and in the closet was a ladder leading to it.

“How did you discover all this, Mr. Himski?” asked the commandant sharply.

“When I went into the closet with you, sir, I noticed some marks on the white wall which could have been made by a ladder leaning against it. I looked up, threw up a burning match, and observed there was a crack all around the ceiling and it suddenly occurred to me that the ceiling was a trap-door. I knew Osborn hadn’t written those words and I was certain the only way that the man who did could have got into the room was by the closet. So then I got professor’s pass-key and opened the door leading to the garret. I found the trap-door and a ladder beside it. By the garret door I found this piece of wax; some one had been taking an impression of the lock. You know the rest, sir. It was easy to tiptoe into the room from the closet without making a noise, write on the board and get back to the closet without being discovered.”

“By George, Mr. Himski, I have much to thank you for. There must be some scoundrel here who wants to get Mr. Osborn into trouble!”

“There is, sir, but that’s a long story; I will tell you about that when you have time to listen to me.”

“Mr. Himski is right about that, captain,” broke in Professor Scott, who until now had kept silent. “I know something about that myself, and the former superintendent and your predecessor also knew about it.”

“You have saved me from doing an act of unconscious but cruel injustice, Mr. Himski, and you have saved a classmate from a terrible wrong. It is certain that but for what you have done Mr. Osborn must have been dismissed. I will hear about your story later but now I must see that section. They are in the hall; send them here.”

In a moment Ralph had marched his section in the room.

“Gentlemen,” began Commander Thornton, “Mr. Osborn did not write those words concerning Mr. Moehler. The remarks I addressed to him are entirely withdrawn. Mr. Osborn, I ask your pardon.” The commandant paused and looked at Ralph.

“I’m so glad you don’t believe I wrote it, captain,” said Ralph huskily.

“Gentlemen, this is a most serious matter and will be investigated. You are each directed to discuss this matter with no one, not even among yourselves. You will all be held to a strict accountability should this order be violated. Fall out, Mr. Osborn; second section leader will take charge and march the section back to quarters.”

With great kindness the commandant now explained the situation to Ralph, and the party went to the garret and saw how the whole thing had been accomplished.

“Now, Mr. Osborn,” Commander Thornton said, “I want you to write out a complete statement of everything that has happened to you since you entered the Academy, and describe any trouble you have had with any one. We will sift this thing to the bottom; and be assured that you will receive full protection from me. The very fact that we know that such a wicked thing could be planned to get you into such trouble will protect you. It means you must be doubly careful in everything you do.”

“Thank you, sir,” cried Ralph, overjoyed that he had such a powerful friend. “I will be careful, sir. These attacks have come several times but I have never been able to imagine who wants to harm me.”

“We’ll go into that later, Mr. Osborn. Now don’t worry about it. We’ll see that no harm comes to you; and we’ll use every effort to find out who the perpetrator of this act was.”

Ralph returned to his room in a very sober, thoughtful state of mind. That such deadly, determined hostility from an unknown source should be manifested toward him was terrifying.

The fact that he could not imagine who was his enemy was maddening. The blows had been so unexpected and had been aimed with such keen intelligence and with such inveterate hate that fear took possession of Ralph’s mind. He knew of no way to guard himself from such a terrible foe. That he was under the commandant’s special protection was comforting, yet his mind dwelt upon the hatred that had so relentlessly pursued him. For a while he was morose and worried and looked upon everybody except Himski with suspicion.

When he reached his room he commenced his statement to the commandant and worked feverishly at it. He gave it to Commander Thornton the next day. In writing it he was entirely undisturbed, for his roommate, Creelton, was in the hospital with rheumatism. He had been there for several days.

Some days later Himski was directed to report to the commandant.

“Mr. Himski,” he commenced,—“you must excuse me for not pronouncing your entire name; it’s a little bit too much for me.”

“Yes, sir, it seems to be for everybody. Every one calls me Himski, sir; I’m now more used to that than my entire name,” declared Himski.

“Well, we have had a complete investigation; of course you know of part of it. I am referring to that writing that appeared on Mr. Osborn’s blackboard.”

“Yes, sir.”

“It’s too bad; nothing whatever has been learned and we are entirely in the dark. The only person that Mr. Osborn ever had any trouble with, except Mr. Moehler, and of course he is out of it, was with a Mr. Short who was a midshipman for a few days. Did you know about that?”

“Yes, sir.”

“However, that was a long time ago and Mr. Short has disappeared. He left Annapolis, and from what we have been able to learn, he has not been here since. Now here is Mr. Osborn’s letter, and here is also the record of all the evidence that was given before the investigating board. And also there are some papers written by my predecessor and an anonymous letter signed: ‘Indignant Fourth Classman.’ The investigating board’s report exonerates Mr. Osborn and all of the members of his section, but doesn’t indicate any opinion as to who the culprit may be. So we are just where we started from and are at sea completely. Now it has occurred to me that you might help; your perspicacity in showing how the section room was entered from the closet has so impressed me that as a last resource I am going to give you this record and these letters and ask you to study them carefully; if you can find any clue as to who the guilty party may be I want you to report the fact to me.”

“Very well, sir,” and Himski took the papers and withdrew.

Himski was back in the commandant’s office a few days later with the papers.

“Have you come to any conclusion?” he was asked.

“Yes, sir, but I hesitate to give it.”

“Why?”

“Because I may be entirely wrong, sir; I may do a classmate an awful injury.”

“I understand that,” admitted Commander Thornton, aglow with interest, “but we must pursue every circumstance to wherever it may lead us. I want you to tell me frankly just what you suspect. This matter will be entirely confidential between you and me. If your suspicions are wrong no harm will be done.”

“Well, sir, I have hunted for a motive. No one could desire such injury toward Mr. Osborn except by a strong motive of revenge. Before Mr. Osborn came to the Academy he never experienced the enmity of anybody. That is certain, and since he has been a midshipman there have been repeated efforts from an unknown source to get him into serious trouble, to defame and disgrace him.”

“Yes, yes I know,” cut in the commandant impatiently.

“He never has had trouble except with that man Short; Mr. Osborn caused Short to be dismissed with ignominy, and I have come to the conclusion that Short was the real author of the dastardly attempts against Mr. Osborn.”

“I could believe that if Mr. Short had remained at Annapolis; but if he were the author then he must have had a tool in the Academy.”

“Yes, sir. After coming to this conclusion I have endeavored to learn everything I could about Short. I knew him, of course; when preparing for entrance here he rented a furnished house and had four candidates live with him as his guests. Two of these failed to pass the entrance examination; one entered but failed last year, so there now remains at the Academy but one midshipman who was once one of Short’s guests. Also I learned out in town, Saturday, that Short was seen to enter the Maryland Hotel the night of the June ball, last year. The livery-stable keeper saw him and recognized him. And a strange coincidence happened. After I left the livery-stable last Saturday afternoon which is near the railway station, I passed a man who was in a great hurry. He had just alighted from a carriage and was about to go into the station. This man was Short, I’m certain of it. He wore a heavy mustache but I know it was Short. I said, ‘Hello, Short!’ And he said: ‘You’ve made a mistake, mister.’ This proves that Short was in town a few days after the last attempt was made against Mr. Osborn, and I connect him with that attempt.”

“But no civilian could have gone about that building, in the corridors and through the garret without being stopped.”

“No, sir,” and Himski hesitated.

“What is your idea, Mr. Himski?”

The latter spoke very slowly, saying: “But a midshipman could have without question, sir.”

“By Jove, we’re coming to something. Go on,” and the commandant’s manner was now excited.

“I hate to go on, sir; I may be injuring an innocent man.”

“Who was Short’s fourth guest, Mr. Himski; the one who is now in the Academy?”

“Creelton, sir. Mr. Osborn’s roommate.”

“Is that possible? But Mr. Creelton must have returned with his own section after recitation. The man who went through that closet could not have marched back with his own section.”

“Mr. Creelton was in sick quarters with rheumatism in one leg; he had to go to all recitations but did not march in a section. He went to and from the hospital, as is customary, alone, merely reporting his leaving and returning.”

“So Mr. Creelton could have done it without attracting attention?”

“Yes, sir.”

The commandant was silent for a while, and then said: “You may be right, Mr. Himski, but these are small grounds on which to accuse a man.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now don’t talk of this matter to any one but come to me if you learn anything that increases or lessens your suspicion. How is Mr. Creelton thought of in his class?”

“He is rather popular, sir; he spends a lot of money, and is tremendously generous with it; he stands high in his studies. The fellows think well of him; on the whole, though, he hasn’t any very intimate friends.”

“Have you any suggestion to make?”

“Yes, sir; Mr. Osborn is worrying himself sick; he looks upon everybody with suspicion and I don’t blame him. I suggest he be ordered to room with me. If Creelton should be the man he will be protected against him, and anyway I think the effect upon Osborn will be good if he rooms with me. He is depending a good deal on me at present.”

“I’ll have that done, Mr. Himski. But it’s difficult for me to conceive the hold Mr. Short could have on any midshipman to compel such dastardly acts to be done.”