“Now—now—I—er—didn’t mean any harm,” spluttered Codfish. “I—er—only did it in fun. I didn’t know the cannon would explode.”
“You come along to Colonel Colby’s office and tell your story there,” said Fred.
“Oh, please, please, Captain Rover, don’t make me go to Colonel Colby’s office!” whined the sneak. “If he hears of this maybe he’ll send me home and then my father will knock the daylights out of me!”
“Well, you’re going to the office just the same,” declared Fred. “My cousins here aren’t going to have this happening placed to their discredit. They’re in bad enough as it is—we all are,” he added.
Much against his will and still protesting loudly, Stowell was marched back to the Hall and to the office, where Colonel Colby had just arrived, followed by Captain Dale and Professor Grawson. Captain Dale had already reported to the master of the Hall, and Colonel Colby looked at the three Rovers in a troubled way.
“This is rather a serious piece of fun, Captain Rover,” he said, addressing Fred. “I am sorry to see you and your cousins mixed up in it.”
“He had nothing to do with it, Colonel Colby,” put in Randy. “I and my brother are guilty so far as placing a blank charge in the cannon and setting it off. But we didn’t place in it the stones that did all the damage,” he added.
“Who did that?” demanded Colonel Colby.
To this none of the Rover boys replied, but all looked suggestively at Codfish.
“Oh, Colonel Colby, please, please forgive me!” sobbed the sneak, breaking down and hiding his face in his hands. “I didn’t mean to do any harm—really I didn’t! I thought it would be nothing but a joke!”