They helped the half stunned victims to their feet, and for a time there was a wild hullabaloo of questions and answers as they tried to solve the mystery.
Fortunately none of them was badly hurt, though at the rate they were going it might very easily have turned out to be a tragedy.
Most of the boys had rubbed pieces of skin off their arms and legs, and Fred had a cut in his scalp from which the blood was flowing.
“What did it?” shouted Howell.
“I don’t know,” replied Bobby hesitatingly. His head was going round like a top.
“M-must have hit a tree trunk or something like that,” stammered Sparrow.
“That isn’t it,” replied Howell, looking around him. “There isn’t anything of that kind in sight as far as I can see. Just wait a minute till I get Sam Thompson’s flashlight.”
Luckily Sam had it with him and promptly handed it over.
Howell flashed it about him and gave a shout.
“It’s ashes!” he cried. “The whole hill’s littered with ’em.”