The three boys hurried across the campus and dove into the woods beyond.  Then Pepper put up his hand for silence.

“Let us surprise ’em if we can,” he whispered.

“That’s the talk,” answered the young major.

It did not take the three long to reach the vicinity where the tar-barrels had been left.  As they approached they saw a light flare up.

“They are setting ’em on fire!” cried Andy.

“Stop, Ritter!  Stop, Coulter!” yelled Pepper.  “Don’t you light those barrels!”

“Ha! ha!” came from the bully of the Hall.  “What’s an old tar-barrel, anyway?  Guess we can fire them if we want to!”

“Those are my barrels,” answered Pepper.

He rushed forward, followed by Jack and Andy.  But they were too late, for on the instant a big flame shot up and all three of the tar-barrels, standing in a close triangle, and filled with dried leaves, commenced to burn furiously.  As the flames shot up among the trees, Ritter and Coulter backed away.

“Good-by to those barrels!” came sorrowfully from Andy.  “We’ll not be able to use them for the celebration to-night.”

“I’ll fix you for this, Ritter; and you, too, Coulter!” called out Pepper, bitterly.  “Oh, what luck!” he groaned, as he saw the flames from the tar-barrels climb higher and higher.  “What a grand bonfire they would have made on the lake-front!”

“Boys, this fire is dangerous!” ejaculated Jack.

“What do you mean?” came from the others.

“It is going to set fire to the woods!  See, the dried leaves are catching already!  If it reaches yonder cedars there will be a terrible conflagration here!”

“Phew! that’s true!” came from Pepper.  His merry face grew sober for the moment.  “What shall we do?”

“We are not responsible,” said Andy.  “It is Ritter and Coulter’s fault.”

“But we don’t want these grand woods to burn down,” went on the young major.  “Besides, the wind is rising and it is blowing towards the gym and the stables!  The burning embers might set fire to those buildings!”

“Come on and put the blaze out!” said Andy.

“How are you going to do it?  We haven’t any water—­and water isn’t of much account against tar, anyway.  Gracious, see those flames shoot up!” Jack added, as a column of fire shot skyward.

“One of the trees is catching already!” gasped Pepper.  “We had better sound an alarm!”

“Andy, go back to the school and tell the others, teachers and all,” ordered the young major.  “Captain Putnam will know what to do.  Pepper, you and I had better try to throw dirt and stones on the barrels.  That will keep down the flames a little.”

The acrobatic youth set off on a sprint in the direction of Putnam Hall.  While he was gone the others did their best to subdue the rapidly-increasing conflagration.  It was hot work, and soon the perspiration was pouring down their faces.