“Too bad it didn’t last longer,” sighed Buster.
“It wasn’t quite as big as I thought it would 158 be,” said Luke. “I thought some of the stones would fly about a mile high.”
“Good enough for a free exhibition,” put in Gus. “Beats fireworks all hollow.”
The boys walked down to the ruins of the old bridge and hung around for the best part of a half an hour. Then, in groups of five or six, they walked to town, to look around there before returning to Oak Hall. Dave and his chums passed Jason Sparr’s hotel. He was on the veranda and scowled at them, and Phil and some of the others scowled in return.
“Have you done anything about that Sparr matter yet, Phil?” asked one of the lads.
“No; but I will soon, you wait and see,” was the growled-out reply.
On the main street of the town some of the boys separated, to do a little shopping, and then some walked to the school, while others got in the carryall that happened to be at hand. As a consequence some of the students did not get back to Oak Hall until some time after the supper hour.
Dave was alone when he entered the dining-hall and he was surprised to see that neither Phil nor Roger was present. Ben was also absent and likewise Shadow.
“Didn’t some of them come in with you?” he asked of Buster. 159
“Gus and Luke did,” was the reply. “I don’t know where the others are.”