"Who said he wasn't?" demanded Bart. "Can't a fellow make a remark about his chum without being found fault with?"

"I don't think it's nice to say he's queer," Alice said.

"Why he admits it himself," her brother put in. "He doesn't care what we say about him. We call him queer about twice a week; don't we fellows."

"Sure," replied Ned, coming to his chum's support.

"Well, never mind," Alice rejoined. "Let's hurry home or we'll be blown into the next county."

It was such a cold bl.u.s.tery night, with the wind seeming to increase in violence rather than diminish, that all were glad when they reached their houses.

"It's a pretty fierce gale," remarked Mr. Keene, when his son and daughter had told him what had happened, "but I wouldn't think it was strong enough to blow the tower down. Must have been weak somewhere."

"The janitor said some of the chimneys needed new mortar in the cracks, and maybe the tower did also," Bart said.

"I suppose the school authorities will investigate and see what caused it to fall," his father went on. "It was a dangerous thing to let such a weak tower stay up."

Bart stopped at Ned's house the next morning to call for him, and then they intended to get Frank and Fenn to go together and take a look at the tower.

"Come on in," Ned invited his chum at the door. "I've got a letter."

"Who from?"

"My aunt, Mrs. Paul Kenfield, of New York. She wants me to come down for a week or two. You know, she wrote me some time ago inviting me for next summer. Now she says she wants me to come right away, and to bring you three fellows. I wrote her, after I got the first invitation that I'd like to take my chums with me."

"That's very kind of you," replied Bart. "I guess I can go. When are you going to start?"

"Monday."

"That will give you a week there. I don't believe I could get ready so soon. I've got to help dad Monday."

"Then you and the other boys could come afterward. Say on Tuesday or Wednesday," suggested Ned.

"I'll think about it," his chum replied. "But come on, let's go take a look at the fallen tower."

CHAPTER XII

NED STARTS OFF

Ned and Bart went to Fenn's house, where they found Frank. The two were just on the point of starting out.

"Did you get your relic home safe?" asked Bart of Frank.

"You mean the clock dial? I did, though I thought at one time the wind would blow it away. I got that black stuff whatever it was on it, all over my clothes."

"Was it paint?" asked Ned.

"No, seemed like some kind of smoke. I had hard work to get it off my hands."

"Come on!" called Fenn. "There are crowds going to see the tower."

"Well, what of it?" asked Ned. "They can't carry it away; can they?"

"No," replied Fenn, "but they'll all get around it and we can't see anything."

"Oh we'll get you a pair of opera gla.s.ses," rejoined Frank.

"I guess you're all just as anxious to see it as I am," said Stumpy.

"Come on."

A fine, calm day, though cold, had succeeded the bl.u.s.tery one. As Fenn had said, the streets were filled with a large throng hastening to see the wreck of the tower. The falling of it had created more excitement than had been known in Darewell for some years.

"Say, you fellows are all right," called Jim Nelson, as the four chums pa.s.sed him. "That was a fine yell you gave. I'd a joined in, only--"

"Too much work, eh?" asked Frank, for Jim had the reputation, not altogether undeserved, of being the laziest boy in town.

"No, it wasn't that exactly," Jim replied, "but I couldn't remember the words."

"Why didn't you come in on the tune?" asked Ned.

"Um," was all Jim said. It was his usual reply when he did not want to take the trouble to answer in words. "Say," he called a moment later, as the chums kept on, "are you going to the tower?"

"Yes; are you?" inquired Fenn.

"I was, but if you're going that way would you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" asked Ned.

"Stop on your way back and tell me how it looks. No use of me going if you are. I'll wait in the drug store here for you," and Jim turned into the "Emporium."

"We may not be back until late this afternoon," Fenn said.

"That's all right, I'm in no hurry. I can wait here as well as anywhere else," and Jim went into the store and took a seat on one of the stools at the soda fountain, from whence he could look out of the window.

"Well, if that isn't the limit!" exclaimed Ned.

"It's a wonder he didn't ask us to bring the tower around for him to look at," said Bart.

"He would, only he was too lazy to think of it," remarked Frank.

The boys found quite a crowd around the fallen ma.s.s of bricks, and many were the comments on the accident.

"Let's go up and take a look at where the roof was broken through,"

suggested Ned.