“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. CHAPTER XIX RITTER GIVES A FEAST Billy Sabine’s revelation caused a profound sensation in the camp. Captain Putnam turned sternly to Reff Ritter. “What have you to say to this, Ritter?” he questioned. “It’s a—er—a mistake,” stammered the bully. “I was only fooling Sabine.” “You gave him a cigarette, did you not?”