"No, sir," came from both of the guilty ones.
"It was a rash thing to do, to start such a blaze. In this wind you might have burnt down the whole woods and endangered the school buildings."
"I don't believe Ritter and Coulter," whispered Andy to Pepper.
"Neither do I," was the reply.
"Ditmore, you said the barrels belonged to you?" went on the owner of the school.
"Yes, sir. I bought them from the tar-roofer in Cedarville and he delivered them. We were going to have a great bonfire—and we did!" And The Imp said this so dryly that even Captain Putnam had to smile.
"Well, I presume I shall have to drop the matter," said the captain, after a few more questions. "But let me warn you all about fires in those woods in the future. If a fire gained headway here we might burn everything down to the ground."
So, from an official standpoint, the matter was dropped. Ritter beckoned to Coulter, and they hurried away, followed by Nick Paxton and one or two others.
"Well, that ends the tar-barrel celebration," said Pepper, rather mournfully. "I really ought to make Ritter and Coulter pay for the barrels."
"You won't get any money out of Ritter," remarked Bart Conners.