“It’s too bad the cannon had to go up,” said Fred. “I rather think the colonel will hate to lose that piece.”
“I was thinking about that,” said Randy. He turned to the young major. “Do you think, Jack, that your dad could get the authorities at Washington to let him have another cannon? They must have a lot of those old pieces lying around loose.”
“I don’t know; but we might find out,” was Jack’s answer.
News of the explosion was carried to Clearwater Hall, and the Rover girls and their friends became much excited wondering if any of the cadets had been seriously hurt.
“You mustn’t fire off any more cannons,” said Martha, when she saw the boys. “It’s too risky a thing to do.”
“Just as if soldiers don’t have to fire off cannons right along!” ejaculated Andy.
“Yes! But not old pieces that are all rusty,” put in Mary.
The explosion was a topic of interest at the Hall for a number of days, and with this was another topic of equal if not greater importance, and that was, as may be imagined, the loss of the silver trophy.
Early on the morning following the celebration a number of the cadets went out on the lake and dragged a part of the bottom in the hope of bringing up the vase. This attempt proved of no avail, and later attempts during the term were equally unsuccessful. Colonel Colby had Captain Dale and Professor Paul Brice call upon the owner of the steam yacht and see what he had to say concerning the matter.
“I’m not at all to blame—not in the least,” declared the owner of the Jocelyn. “There are half a dozen men at the Outlook Hotel who were on board, and every one of them will testify to the truth of what I am saying.”