Chapter XVIII: The Investigation

There was very little rain, but the wind was heavy and increasing constantly. It sent the burning brands from the brushwood directly between the tents of Company A and Company B.

“Fire! fire!” was the cry, as several cadets on guard duty saw the danger, and then one in his excitement fired his gun.

The shot brought the corporal of the guard to the scene, and in a moment a general alarm arose. The wind was now humming and whistling throughout the encampment and the burning brands were rolled first in one direction and then another.

“The camp is burning up!” yelled Mumps, as he came from his tent. “Save me! save me!” And he rushed towards the lake, with the idea of leaping into the water.

When Pepper came from his tent a burning brand, flying through the air, hit his cheek. One also struck Jack. The wind was now so fierce that the cadets could scarcely stand up, and some of the tents were swaying and bulging dangerously.

“All out!” called Captain Putnam, after a glance at the situation. “Company A, mind the tents and keep them from blowing away. Company B, see if you can secure the burning wood and throw it into the lake.”

At once the cadets ran to execute the orders. One tent was down and it fell directly on some of the burning wood, adding to the flames. Another tent went down on top of three cadets, and it was with difficulty that the lads were rescued from the wreckage. One had his shoulder twisted, but in the general excitement this was scarcely noticed.

But if Company A had its hands full saving the tents, Company B had even more strenuous labor fighting the flames. In such a high wind it was dangerous to go anywhere near the burning and flying brushwood and more than one lad had his hands and face blistered, trying to throw or haul the fiery stuff to the lake. Some of the cadets got rakes, used in policing the camp, and with these the bigger brands were pulled to the water and submerged. The fire seemed to be everywhere, and the boys did not know where to fight it first.

“The camp is doomed!” said Dale. “Wonder what started it?”

“We’ll find out later,” answered Andy. “I am glad now that we didn’t light the bonfire.”

“So am I.”

Captain Putnam and George Strong joined the ranks of the fire fighters and directed the work. Yet little headway was made until there came a lull in the wind. Then, as quickly as possible, most of the burning brush was hurried to the lake.

“We’ll wet some horse-blankets and beat the fire out that way,” said George Strong, and this order was carried out, and before the wind again arose all in the camp were glad to know that the conflagration was under control.

That night was one destined never to be forgotten by either Captain Putnam or those under him. With the danger from the fire past, the danger from the wind storm increased.

“It’s a regular tornado!” said Jack to George Strong, as both did what they could to hold down the big tent in the midst of the camp.

“Hardly, Major Ruddy, but it is a pretty stiff gale,” answered the teacher.

“Do you think it will keep up all night?”

“It may. But if it does I am afraid half of the tents will be down.”

“Yes, three of ’em are down already.”

“This is the worst wind we have had in some time. I did not look for such a blow.”

For an hour the wind kept up, only dying down for a minute or two. It was useless to attempt to peg down the tents when they once got loose and they were allowed to remain flat, and some cots were placed on top, to keep them from blowing away.

“This is the worst yet!” grumbled Stuffer. “I’d give as much as a dollar to be back in my bed at the Hall.”

“This is the fun of a soldier’s life!” cried Pepper. “Don’t you want to join the regular army, Stuffer?”

“Not to-night!” was the quick answer.

“The wind is going down a little,” announced Andy, some time later. “I think we’ll have a quiet Sunday morning.”

By two o’clock in the morning the wind had died down to a gentle breeze. Lanterns were lit and an inspection of the wreck was begun. Five tent poles had been shattered, three tents had been torn, and two tents had had good sized holes burnt in them. Among the cadets seven or eight had burnt blisters on their hands and faces and, one boy had his shoulder wrenched and another had twisted his ankle. Fortunately, however, none of the hurts were serious.

Extra tents were to be had from one of the wagons, and these were set up in place of those torn and burnt. Then the other tents were again fastened down, and the cots were readjusted. It was some time before the cadets had retired, for the excitement served to keep them awake.

“There will be an investigation of this,” said Andy to Pepper. “Whoever started that bonfire had no right to do so, for it was against Captain Putnam’s order.

“Do you think Fred started it?”

“He says not, and I believe him.”

Sunday morning found the storm cleared away and the sun shining brightly. When the cadets got up they were sleepy, and consequently Captain Putnam had roll call and breakfast delayed. Then came chapel service.

“As to-day is Sunday I shall not inquire into the cause that led to the fire last night,” said the master of the school, when the cadets had assembled. “But an investigation will be made to-morrow morning.”

This announcement was received with interest, and during the remainder of the day the cadets discussed the matter freely among themselves.

“You keep quiet about our smoking,” said Ritter to Sabine.

“I—I didn’t start the fire,” faltered Sabine. “I—er—I put out my cigarette as soon as you left me.”

“Don’t you dare to shove this thing off on me!” said the bully fiercely. “You are as much to blame as I am.”

This remark fairly terrorized the weak-kneed cadet and he promised not to say a word about smoking.

The investigation was started directly after breakfast on Monday morning. The entire school was assembled for the purpose and Captain Putnam showed that he meant to get at the bottom of the affair.

“A fire was kindled against my express orders,” said the master of the school. “I knew a storm was coming but I must confess I did not think it would blow quite so strongly. It was Providence that kept the entire camp from burning down. Dale Blackmore, come forward.”

At this command Dale stepped to the front.

“You assisted in gathering the wood for that bonfire, did you not?” asked the master of the school.

“I did sir,” answered Dale.

“Who else assisted at this work?”

“Captain Putnam, do you expect me to tell on the other cadets?” demanded Dale.

“Blackmore, this is a serious piece of business. The whole camp might have burnt up and some of the cadets with it.”

“I didn’t start the fire, and I don’t know who did.”

“Who gathered the wood beside yourself?”

“I did, for one!” said Pepper, coming forward a few steps.

“So did I,” added Andy and Fred.

“Anybody else?” questioned Captain Putnam, gazing around at the assemblage.

“I was going to, but I didn’t do it, after you said you didn’t want a bonfire,” said Coulter.

“Snow, you admit you helped to gather the wood. Did you kindle the fire?”

“No, sir.”

“What have you to say, Ditmore?”

“I didn’t start any fire.”

“Century, how about you?”

“I didn’t start the fire, Captain Putnam.”

“Somebody had a can of carbide. To whom did that belong?”

“That was mine, sir,” answered Fred. “I—er—I was going to show some of the fellows a new way to light a fire, by mixing the carbide with some water and generating acetylene gas.”

“Didn’t you light the gas?”

“No, sir.”

“You are positive?” And now Captain Putnam’s voice was stern.

“I have told you the truth, Captain Putnam,” answered Fred, and looked the head of the school squarely in the eyes.

“Ahem! When you retired, what did you do with the can of carbide?”

“I was going to put it back on my bicycle, where it belongs, but I forgot it and left it by the pile of brushwood.”

“Open?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Rather a dangerous thing to do.”

“I know it, sir, and I am sorry I did it.”

“Major Ruddy, who was corporal of the guard when the fire started?”

“Corporal Selick, sir.”

“Corporal Selick, what cadets were on post at the time?”

The corporal of the guard consulted his time book and read off the names of eight cadets, including Mason, Sabine and Ritter.

“Mason, you said you saw some fire in the air,” said Captain Putnam, to the lad who had been on Post 4.

“Yes, sir, I did,” answered Mason.

“Will you explain just what you mean?”

“Well, sir, I will as well as I can. I was walking towards Post No. 3 when I saw some fire fly into the air. The wind carried it towards the pile of brushwood. All of a sudden the brushwood was in a blaze, from the can of carbide.”

“You mean the fire fell on the carbide?”

“I guess that’s it, sir, and the carbide got wet from the rain that was just starting.”

“Why didn’t you put the fire out?”

“I tried to, but it roared so from the carbide and gas I got frightened,—and then the high wind did the rest,” answered Mason frankly.

“You say the fire came from the direction of Post 3?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Who was on that post?” asked the master of the school, turning to the other guards.

“I was,” answered Reff Ritter, after a pause.

“Did you see the fire, Ritter?”

“I—er—yes, sir—that is, after Mason spoke about it.”

“Where did it come from?”

“Why sir—I think—er—it came out of the sky. Maybe it was from a fire balloon,” added the bully, struck by a sudden inspiration.

“A fire balloon?” queried Captain Putnam doubtfully.

“Yes, sir—they set ’em off from the hotels down the lake sometimes.”

“Hum! And you think it was a fire balloon, eh? What do you think, Mason?”

“I don’t know what to think, sir. I saw a little fire flying through the air, that’s all.”

“Wasn’t it more like the fire from a cigar, or a cigarette?” demanded Captain Putnam, searchingly.

“Why—er—it might have been, sir. It wasn’t very large, that’s sure.”

“Were any of you guards smoking?” demanded Captain Putnam, looking at the eight cadets.

Nobody spoke, but Billy Sabine shifted uneasily and grew very red in the face.

“Sabine, answer me at once!” cried the master of the school. “You were smoking, were you not?”

“Oh, Captain Putnam, I—er——”

“Answer me at once!” thundered Captain Putnam, and striding forward he caught the weak-kneed cadet by the arm.

“Yes, sir, I—er—tried a cigarette Reff Ritter gave me,” gasped Sabine, in terror. “But I didn’t set the wood on fire, sir. It was—was the light from Ritter’s cigarette did that!” went on Sabine, shaking from head to foot in fright.