"Stop on your way back and tell me how it looks. No use of me going if you are. I'll wait in the drug store here for you," and Jim turned into the "Emporium." "We may not be back until late this afternoon," Fenn said. "That's all right, I'm in no hurry. I can wait here as well as anywhere else," and Jim went into the store and took a seat on one of the stools at the soda fountain, from whence he could look out of the window. "Well, if that isn't the limit!" exclaimed Ned. "It's a wonder he didn't ask us to bring the tower around for him to look at," said Bart. "He would, only he was too lazy to think of it," remarked Frank. The boys found quite a crowd around the fallen mass of bricks, and many were the comments on the accident. "Let's go up and take a look at where the roof was broken through," suggested Ned. The chums started to enter the school intending to go to the auditorium, but, as they reached the stairs, for the building was open, they were met by Mr. Williamson, president of the Board of Education. "You can't go in, boys," he said pleasantly enough. "Is it dangerous?" asked Ned. "Well, that's what we're trying to find out. We have some workmen looking over the ruins to see what repairs we will have to make. There's quite a hole in the roof." "Will it interfere with the opening of school next week?" asked Bart. "Do you wish it would?" asked Mr. Williamson. The boys laughed, for the president had read their thoughts. "We hope not," Mr. Williamson went on. "By the way, you boys know almost everything that goes on in Darewell? Did you happen to hear of any one carrying off one of the clock dials? We can only find three in the ruins, and there were four." "I took one home with me last night," said Frank promptly. "I wanted it for a relic. I hope there was no harm in that." "None in the world, if you still have it," said Mr. Williamson. "You see we are trying to find out just what caused the tower to be blown down by the wind, and we want all the evidence we can get. Just keep the dial safely and, the next time you come up toward my store, leave it for me. You may have it back again after we are through with it, for we'll have to have a whole new clock I expect." "Wonder what he expects to find from the clock face?" asked Ned, as the boys went back on the campus to get another look at the fallen tower. "Probably wants to look into its open countenance and ask questions about how it feels to be blown down," Bart replied. "I hadn't any idea they'd want that piece of the clock, or I'd never have taken it," said Frank. "Lucky I saved it, or someone else might have carried it off and they'd never get it again." They took another look at the tower, though there was little they had not already seen, and then on Stumpy's invitation to have some hot chocolate they strolled back to the "Emporium." They found Jim still there, but he seemed to have fallen asleep.