Hasley Shell Loading Company had been located on the opposite shore of Clearwater Lake for a number of years previous to the opening of the war in Europe. But at that time it had been only a small concern, employing but a handful of men. A year after the opening of hostilities, however, the plant had been enlarged, and now, since the entrance of the United States into the war, the force of workmen had been again doubled and many additional buildings had been erected, some along the lake front and others in the hills further back. A spur of the railroad had also been built to the plant, and on this were numerous cars, all painted to show the dangerous nature of the freight they were destined to carry.
On two different occasions the Rover boys and their chums had rowed over to the vicinity of the shell-loading works to look at what was going on. Guards around the works, however, had kept them from landing or even getting within a reasonable distance of the place. This, they knew, was done because the authorities feared that some spies might try to get into the buildings with a view to blowing them up.
“Gee, that certainly sounds like war!” cried Andy, as the explosions continued. There was a continual popping of small shells, punctured every now and then by a decidedly heavier explosion.
“My gracious! Look at that!” burst out Jack a moment later.
What the oldest Rover boy referred to was a curious explosion of a quantity of shells which seemed to go up in the form of an immense sheaf of wheat. Thousands of small objects filled the air, flying off in all directions of the compass.
“I’ll bet we’ll get some of those over here!” exclaimed Gif Garrison, who was clinging to the running board of the machine.
And he was right. Only a few seconds later several small bits of metal came down around them, two striking the hood of the automobile and one falling into the tonneau on Ruth’s lap.
It did not take those in the automobile long to cover the half mile which lay between them and Haven Point, where the railroad station was located. Here they found the town people in great excitement, and learned that steps were already being taken to care for any of the workmen who might be injured by the explosions.
“Of course we have no idea yet how many people have been killed or wounded,” declared a policeman who gave the cadets this information. “We are all upset because we don’t know how bad the explosions may get. If they don’t get any worse than they have been, we’ll be thankful.”
The cadets and their girl friends did not remain long in Haven Point. All were anxious to get to Clearwater Hall, to learn if that place was much damaged. The girls’ school was directly opposite the shell-loading plant, and consequently more liable to suffer than the town or Colby Hall.
“Look at them getting away from that place, will you?” cried Fred, who had come as far as Haven Point on another automobile and then had rejoined his cousins. He pointed to the lake, where a number of rowboats and other craft were leaving the vicinity of the explosions.
“You can’t blame them for wanting to get away,” returned Jack. “It may mean life or death to them.”
“Oh, I hope nobody has been killed!” murmured Ruth.
“I’m afraid, Ruth, that’s too much to expect,” answered Jack soberly.
“Oh, I just think war is too horrible for anything!” cried out Alice Strobell, who was along.
“I just wish they could sink all those Germans in their old submarines!” declared Annie Larkins who was also in the crowd.
“I guess we’d all be willing to subscribe to that!” cried Randy.
“You just wait until Uncle Sam gets into this scrap,” declared Jack. “We’ll show ’em what’s what!”
“How I wish I could go to the front,” said Andy wistfully. “It would beat going to school all hollow.”
“Now that we’ve gone into the war, we’ll have an army over there before long,” said Spouter. “I suppose they’ll send some of the regulars over first, and then some of the national guard—of course taken into the regular army—and after that we’ll have the volunteers. I suppose if Uncle Sam really wanted to do it, he could get together several million men without half trying. And with an army like that, properly trained and equipped, and transported to the battlefields of Europe, we shall be sure to make a showing which will throw terror into the hearts of——”
“Hurrah! Spouter is off again,” broke in Randy.
“Say, Spout! they ought to send you to the front to help talk the Huns to death,” put in Andy. “Talk about gas and gas masks——”
“Aw say! you’re always butting in when I’ve got something to say,” growled the lad who loved to talk.
There might have been a little friction right then and there, but another explosion came from across Clearwater Lake, and all stopped to gaze at the thick volume of yellowish-black smoke which rolled directly toward them.
“The wind must be shifting,” declared Jack, for all of the smoke heretofore had rolled up the lake shore.
“It’s too bad it is coming this way,” said Ruth. “Miss Garwood declares that a good deal of smoke from such shells is poisonous.” Miss Garwood was the head of the school for girls, and likewise an authority in chemistry.
The road was filled with automobiles going and coming, and Randy had all he could do to send the machine along without getting into some sort of collision. The heavy smoke continued to roll across the lake, and soon they were in the midst of this. It had a curious pungent odor to it, which set them to sneezing and coughing.
“No fun in this, I must say,” declared Jack. The girls all had their handkerchiefs to their faces, and May Powell looked as if she was getting sick.
In a minute more they came within sight of Clearwater Hall, a large structure setting back in well-kept grounds. There were numerous bushes and flowers and quite a number of fair-sized trees.
Several automobiles had reached the school ahead of them so the scene was one of animation. Town people, as well as scholars from the Hixley High School, mingled with the cadets and the girls from Clearwater Hall.
“Go on in and find Mary,” said Jack to his sister. “Tell her we are here to help her in case anything happens.”
Martha rushed off, followed by Ruth, and the two soon located Fred’s sister. She was in a rear room of the school, along with a number of the other pupils and one of the assistant teachers.
“Oh, I’m so glad you’ve come!” declared Mary Rover. “What a dreadful thing this is getting to be!”
“I suppose it has made your head ache worse than ever,” said Martha sympathetically.
“No, strange to say, it’s just the other way around,” declared Fred’s sister, with a faint smile. “Those explosions seemed to have shocked the headache all away.”
Mary was glad to join the others, and the Rovers and their friends proceeded to one of the reception rooms of the school. In the meantime the explosions across the lake continued, but seemed to be gradually dying down.
“It
