But the sounds of the beams and boards breaking were so terrifying that for several minutes after the damage was done none of the crowd dared to move. Each felt as though the next second might be his last.
At length Dick pulled himself together and peered forth.
"Any—anybody hurt?" he panted.
"I'm not," came from Tom. "But, say, wasn't—"
A splutter, coming from Hans, interrupted him. In his eagerness to escape the fall of the barn the German cadet had plunged into the hay open-mouthed, and now some of the stuff had entered his throat and was almost choking him.
"Clap him on the back!" cried Dick, and Tom did as requested. Then came several gulps and Hans began to cough. But the danger from strangulation was over.
All were soon out of the wreckage, and thankful that they had escaped thus easily.
"But we won't have the barn to shelter us," said Frank ruefully.
"What will we do next?"
"Push on until another shelter appears," said Dick. "We can't remain here, to be frozen to death."
"Yes, but be careful that we don't get on to the lake again," cautioned Sam.