He was in a measure recalled from his sadness by Little Pond who rushed up to him and said: "Ward, I just heard something."
"What is it?" said Ward, only slightly heeding the boy's eager words.
"I heard that some ashes had been sprinkled on the road where the accident occurred."
"What?" said Ward, interested in a moment.
He stopped and for several minutes conversed with his little friend and when he turned to enter the class-room, there was an expression upon his face which had never been seen there before.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE INVESTIGATION
As soon as the recitations were finished that morning, Ward sought out Little Pond and as they walked together to the dining hall, he said:
"What did you mean by what you said about ashes having been sprinkled on the hill yesterday?"
"Brown told me," replied Little Pond. "Brown said he overheard Tim and Ripley talking together this morning before chapel. He wasn't trying to listen you know, but they take their meals at the same place, and as they came out of the house he heard Ripley say something about ashes and then Tim say 'Yes,' and that 'somebody must go up there right away.' Then they suddenly stopped short as they looked behind them and saw Brown so near them. Brown said they looked guilty too, and as they knew he was a good friend to Jack, they probably were afraid he had overheard them."