Phin felt himself reeling with a new fright.
"Then," demanded Mr.Morton, in a very low voice, his face white, "why did you deny having sent out these envelopes containing the copies of the code ?" There was a shuffling of feet.

Two or three of the Board laughed harshly.
"Oh, well!" burst almost incoherently from the trapped boy.

"When you employ such methods as these you make a fellow tell on himself!" All his 'brass' was gone now.

He looked, indeed, a most pitiable object as he stood there, his lower jaw drooped and his cheeks twitching.
"I think you have said about all, Mr.Drayne, that it is necessary for you to say," interposed the chairman.

"Still, in the interest of fair play we will allow you to make any further statements that you may wish to make.