THE chief handed Mr.Bobbsey the half-emptied cigarette box.Mr.Bobbsey turned it over and over in his hand, as though trying to learn to whom it belonged.
"They are something I never use," he said."I don't suppose we could tell, from this, who had it?""No," and the chief shook his head."It's a common kind, and a good many of the stores sell 'em.A good many of the boys smoke 'em, too - that's the worst of it," and he looked at Bert a bit sharply.
"Oh, you needn't be afraid for my boy!" exclaimed Mr.Bobbsey hastily."I have Bert's promise that he won't smoke until he's man, and perhaps he won't want to then.""Good!" exclaimed the chief heartily; "That's what I like to hear.But it's as certain as guns is, and nothing more certain than them, that some one was smoking in your boathouse, and set fire to it.And I wish we could find out who it was.""So do I!" exclaimed Mr.Bobbsey."If only to teach them a lesson on how dangerous it is to be careless.Well, I suppose we can't do anything more," and he sighed, for half the beautiful boathouse was in ruins.
Mr.Bobbsey and Bert were soon at home, telling the news to the folks.
Freddie's eyes opened wide in surprise as he listened to the account of how the firemen had put out the fire.
"Oh, I wish I could have been there!" he cried."I could have helped.""What caused the fire?" asked Mrs.Bobbsey of her husband, when the children had gone to bed again.
"Some boys - or some one else smoking cigarettes, the chief thinks.We found a half-emptied box."In her room Nan heard the word "cigarettes" and she wondered if her brother could be at fault, for she remembered he had told her how once some boys had asked him to go off in secret and smoke.
Mr.Bobbsey was up early, for he wanted to see by daylight whatdamage the fire had done, and he also wanted to see the insurance company about the loss.The beautiful boathouse looked worse in the daylight than it had at night, and the neat living room, where some of the Bobbseys had spent many happy hours, while others of them were out in the boats, was in ruins.
The fire chief came down while Mr.Bobbsey was there, and they talked matters over.The chief said he would send one of his men around to the different stores that sold cigarettes, to try and learn if boys had purchased any that afternoon, for it was against the law to sell cigarettes to anyone under sixteen years of age.
One afternoon Danny's father, Mr.Rugg, came home unexpectedly, and, wanting something that was out in his barn went to get it.As he entered the place he heard a scramble of feet, some excited whispers, and then silence.He was sure that some one was in the place and had run to hide.
"Who's there?" called Mr.Rugg sharply.There was no answer, but he listened and was sure he heard some one in the little room where the harness was kept.
He walked over to the door, and tried to open it.Some one on the inside was holding it, but Mr.Rugg gave a strong pull, and the door flew open.To the surprise of Mr.Rugg he saw his son Danny, and a number of boys, hiding there, and the smell of cigarette smoke was very strong.
