"Our camping-out things are in that place," said Snap.

"Is that so. What blew up, some of your powder?"

"I--I don't think so," faltered Snap. He had up to that moment not
thought of the cartridges they had stored on one of the sleds.

"Must have been pretty powerful," said another man. "That noise was
like a regular blast over to the stone quarries."

In the crowd was Shep, who had just been on be point of going to bed,
and soon Whopper and Giant arrived. In the meanwhile large quantities
of snow were hurled on the ruins and soon the fire was completely
under control.

"Snap, do you think our cartridges went off? questioned Whopper.

"No, I don't. How could they go off, unless they were fired, from a
gun or otherwise?"

"A rat might have gnawed them," suggested Giant.

"Those cartridges wouldn't cause such a wreckage as this," said Snap
firmly. His senses were now coming back to him. "Well, I never!" he
exclaimed suddenly.

"What's up now?"

"I just thought of something."