CHAPTER V
THE MAN ON THE ROAD
“Well, I reckon you fellows can be thankful you got out of it so easily.”
It was Jack who spoke, addressing his three cousins. It was an hour after the session in Colonel Colby’s office, and the cadets had brought their celebration to an end and were preparing to retire.
Henry Stowell’s confession had come somewhat as a surprise to the owner of the Hall. The sneak had been so wrought up and so fearful of consequences that in the end he had been placed in charge of Professor Grawson, who did what he could to calm the youth.
A doctor had made a careful inspection of the wounds caused by the flying stones and had reported that none of the hurts was serious and that the injured cadets would be as well as ever in a few days. This being so, the colonel had come to the conclusion to let the matter rest as it stood.
“Of course the boys should not have discharged the cannon,” he said to Captain Dale. “But, after all, it was only a schoolboy trick.” He had not forgotten that he had once been a boy himself, and that when a pupil at Putnam Hall with Dick, Tom and Sam Rover he had played many a trick himself.
“I’ll say the colonel is a brick!” declared Andy, with satisfaction. “A real, genuine, dyed-in-the-wool brick!”
“He’s all wool and a yard wide,” added Randy. “The best ever!”