"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
water was dashed over Toni's face, and presently he gave a little
gasp.
"Oh my! what struck me?" he murmured, and then tried to sit up,
but for the minute the effort was a failure.
"The pistol exploded," said Frank. "A piece must have hit you on
the head," and he pointed at a nasty scalp wound from which the
flow of blood emanated.
As well as it could be done, Frank and Dick bound up Tom's head
with a handkerchief, and presently the fun-loving lad declared
himself about as well as ever, "Only a bit light-headed," as he
added.
In the meantime the others had given their attention to Hans, who
had been struck both in the scalp and in the shoulder. It was a
good quarter of an hour before the German youth came around, and
then he felt so weak that the boys had to assist him back to the
academy.
"Honestly, I thought the pistol was empty," said Tom, on the
return to the Hall. "Why, I think I've pulled that trigger a
dozen times."
"Don't mention it," said Frank with a shiver. "Why, only last
week I pointed the thing at Peleg Snuggers and played at firing
it. Supposing it had gone off and killed somebody?"
And he shivered again.
"Dot vos almost as pad as von Indian's schalping," put in Hans
faintly.
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