"That would have been foolish. I took the same chance that you did," answered Ned, as he arose, and limped off between the captain and Tom.
A great silence seemed to have followed the terrific report. And now the officers and soldiers began to recover from the stupor into which the accident had thrown them. Sentries began pouring into the proving grounds from other portions of the barracks, and an ambulance call was sent in.
General Waller's comrades had hurried out to him, and were now leading him away. He did not seem to be much hurt, though, like many others, he had received numerous cuts and scratches from bits of stone and gravel scattered by the explosion, as well as from small bits of metal that were thrown in all directions.
"Are you hurt, General?" asked Admiral Woodburn, as he put his arm about the shoulder of the inventor.
"No—that is to say, I don't think so. But what happened? Did they fire some other gun in our direction by mistake?"
For a moment they all hesitated. Then the Admiral said, gently:
"No, General. It was your own gun—it burst."
"My gun! My gun burst?"
"That was it. Fortunately, no one was killed."
"My gun burst! How could that happen? I drew every plan for that gun myself. I made every allowance. I tell you it was impossible for it to burst!"