He had scarcely spoken when another firecracker went off with a loud bang.
“Something must surely be wrong,” murmured Captain Putnam, as he sprang up and donned part of his clothing. “There goes another shot!”
He ran outside and soon found the bewildered corporal of the guard, who was running around asking the various pickets who had fired the shots.
“I can’t find where the shots came from,” said the corporal, and just then came two more explosions, followed by a third.
As it happened, the explosions came from different sides of the camp, so Captain Putnam was as much bewildered as anybody. By this time all of the cadets were stirring, for it had been ordered that no shot should be fired unless something was really wrong.
“Must be thieves in the camp!”
“Maybe some wild beasts!”
“I think it is some bears,” said Andy, in a loud voice.
“Bears!” screamed Mumps, and the cry was taken up on all sides. “Oh, I don’t want to meet any bears!”
“Nonsense! There are no bears on this island,” said Captain Putnam. “They must be shooting at something else.”