All the members of the Board of Education, the school janitor, the chief of police, a detective, the fathers of Bart and Fenn, and Frank's uncle were at the hearing. There was much testimony in an informal way, to the effect that the tower was wrecked by an explosion and not by the wind. So much was easily proved.
The next thing was to discover who had done the deed. The janitor said he had seen a boy hanging around the tower just before the entertainment began, but he could not give a good description It might fit half the boys in Darewell.
There was no direct evidence against the chums. Bart had bought some powder in Mr. Williamson's store a few days before the explosion, but he testified it was for his gun, which evidence was corroborated by Mr. Keene. The taking away of the clock dial by Frank was dwelt upon, and there seemed a disposition to make much of it, but the boy's uncle bore out Frank's statement that the dial had been placed among a lot of other relics and ornaments in his nephew's room, and was not hidden away as though Frank wished to conceal any evidence. Ned's sudden trip was explained, though it was manifest that some of the school commissioners looked with disfavor on it.
The affair ended, as far as the four chums
