"Wake up, boys; the Hall is on fire!"
"Fire! Fire! Fire!" came from all parts of the building.
One after another the cadets roused up. Some were completely bewildered and did not know what to do.
"We had better get out as soon as we can!" exclaimed Dick, as he slipped into his trousers. "Come, Tom! come, Sam!"
He ran for the hallway, to find it so thick with smoke that escape in that direction seemed cut off.
"We can't go down that way!" came from Frank. "We'd be smothered to death."
"Let's jump from the windows," put in Larry, who was more frightened than any of the others.
"No, no; don't jump yet!" cried Tom "You'll break a leg, and maybe your neck."
"But I don't want to be burnt up," returned Larry, his teeth chattering.
"Hold on, we have that rope we used when we had the feast last summer," said Sam. "Let us tie that to the window and get down on it."