tremendous report followed, and when the smoke cleared away the
boys in the bushes were horrified to see that the rusty pistol had
been shattered into a thousand pieces and that both Tom and Hans
lay on their backs in the road, their faces covered with blood.





CHAPTER VI

THE STRANGE FIGURE IN THE HALLWAY

At the fearful outcome of the joke Tom had been perpetrating the
boys concealed in the bushes were almost struck dumb, and for
several seconds nobody could speak or move.

"Oh, Heavens, Tom is killed!" burst out Dick, who was the first to
find his voice. He ran forth as speedily as possible, and one
after another the other cadets followed.

Tom lay as quiet as death, with his eyes closed and the blood
trickling over his temple and left cheek. Quickly Dick knelt by
his side and felt of his heart.

"Tom, Tom, speak to me! Tell me you are not seriously hurt!" he
faltered.

But no answer came back, and Sam raced off to get some water,
which he brought in a tin can he had discovered lying handy. The