PREPARING FOR THE GRAND OUTING
Less than quarter of an hour after the celebration at the public
square Snap and his three chums met at Whopper's back gate. They
were minus their tall hats and gloves, but still wore a portion of
their grotesque outfits.
"Hurry up," said Whopper, and led the way to a carriage house.
Here, with great rapidity, the four youths stripped off the odd
suits and donned their regular garments. Then they hid the other
things in an out-of-the-way corner.
"Did you place the burnt-out fireworks in the box?" asked Shep, who
had been left at the square to set off the three rockets.
"We did," answered Snap.
"Hurry up, we want to see the rest of the fun," cried Giant, and
set off on a dog-trot in the direction of the Dudder mansion.
When the four boys reached that vicinity they found quite a crowd
collected. More people were coming from the public square. The
piazza of the Dudder homestead was illuminated with Chinese lanterns,
and there sat Mr. and Mrs. Spink, the Dudder family, and a dozen
specially invited guests.
"Carl, isn't it about time you began to set off those fireworks?"
asked Mr. Dudder, as his son came up the steps.
"Ham and I are going to get them out right away," answered Carl.
"Who set off the fireworks at the square?" questioned Mrs. Spink.
"I don't know."
"Were they nice?" asked Mrs. Dudder.
"Not near as nice as those we are going to show," returned Ham.
"Hurry up wid dem fireworks!" shouted an urchin hanging on the fence.
"You get off that fence, or you won't see anything," cried Carl.
"Bring on the fireworks!" shouted several.
"We are going to have a regular programme," announced Carl, standing
on a garden bench. "First there will be a bouquet of four rockets.
Then will follow two large Roman candles, six vari-colored pinwheels,
two large and four small flower pots, one living picture of George
Washington, two aerial bombs, four golden clusters, one living
serpent, two mines, and a whole lot of other things too numerous
to mention."
"Go on with the show," shouted a man outside. "We don't want to
listen to no speech."
"Come, let us get the box," said Ham, and then he and Carl hurried
down to the barn, where they found the flat box. Much to their
surprise it was bound around and around with some old telegraph
wire. Snap and his chums had wanted to nail the box up but had
been afraid of the noise.
"Somebody's been playing a joke on us!" growled Ham.
"Never mind, we'll soon have the wire off," answered his crony.
"Let us take the box outside."
They lifted the box and carried it out into the yard. There a
number of visitors gathered around to watch proceedings, two holding
up lanterns to illuminate the scene.
It took several minutes to take the wire from the box. Then the
cover was wrenched off.
"Here we are!" cried Carl, and took up the top layer of fireworks.
"Let us stack them against that bench, Ham."
"Look!" screamed Ham, and pulled up a handful of straw, in which
the fireworks had been packed. "What does this mean?"
As he spoke he held up two half-burnt pasteboard tubes---the remains
of two Roman candles. The burnt-out remains of several pinwheels
followed.
Carl dove into the box and withdrew his hands covered with soot
and holding several burnt-out flower pots and the frame upon which
had once been fastened the "living picture" of our first President.
"What does this mean?"
"Somebody has been at this box!"
"The fireworks have all been shot off!"
"Hurry up with that display!" came from the fence. "Don't keep us
waiting all night!"
"Thought you was going to show us something better than that show
at the square!" piped in a small boy.
"We have been swindled!" groaned Ham.
"Somebody has tricked us," gasped Carl. "Oh, this is dreadful!"
"What's the matter, boys?" asked Mr. Dudden, coming up, followed
by Mr. Spink.
"The box is full of---of rubbish, father!"
"Somebody set off the things and put them back burnt up," added Ham.
After that there was considerable excitement. The box was overturned
and out tumbled the remains of the square celebration. With the
articles came a small basket, wrapped in a brown paper and sealed
up. Ham tore the covering from the basket and out dropped---two
lemons! On one was a bit of paper labeled Ham and on the other
a paper marked Carl.
"Oh, just let me catch the fellow who played this trick!" roared Ham,
dancing around in his rage. "Won't I just fix him! Won't I though!"
"Ain't you going to set off them fireworks?" called a boy from
the fence.
"Don't believe they've got any to set off," said another.
"It's a shame to keep us waiting here," put in a third.
"You shut up, all of you!" cried Carl, who was as angry as Ham.
"We'll set off the fireworks when we choose. Oh, if this isn't
the limit!" he murmured.
With no fireworks worth mentioning, the proposed celebration could
not come off, and everybody was bitterly disappointed. The crowd
outside the fence began to jeer, and some small boys threw lumps
of soft mud at Ham and Carl. Then Mr. Dudder got angry and ordered
everybody off, and took his guests into the mansion. Ham and Carl
were so chagrined they knew not what to do.
"We must find out who did this," said Ham.
"Maybe it was Snap Dodge and his crowd," suggested Carl. "It
would be just like them."
"If they are guilty---I'll fix them!" went on Ham, bitterly.
"They had no business to touch our fireworks. Just think what
they cost us!
"And it made us the laughingstock of the whole town," added Carl,
sourly.
"I've got an idea---that celebration at the square---maybe they
held it with our fireworks!"
"What! Say, it must be so! Oh, what fools we were! Of course
it was them. I see it all now---'Carlham fireworks' indeed!
That's Carl and Ham, as plain as day."
"Yes, and the 'Swimmer Company' is plain enough, too. They did
this to get even for taking their clothes away that day."
"We can't say they stole the fireworks. If we do they may say
we stole their clothes."
"We won't say anything---but let us get square, the first chance
we get," and so it was decided. It was several days before Ham
and Carl heard the last of the "grand celebration" they had reported
they would give.
With the fun of Independence Day at an end, Snap and his chums
turned their attention once more to the matter of the summer outing.
They realized that a trip to Lake Narsac would be quite different
from one only as far as Lake Cameron or Firefly Lake. The two
latter resorts were close to civilization, while Narsac Lake was
a wild spot, seldom visited by the regular run of sportsmen.
To get to the lake would be quite a task in itself, and whatever
would be needed for the trip must be procured at home or at one
of the other lakes. And while they must take all needed articles
along they must make their boat load as light as possible.
Doctor Reed made them a present of something which was much to their
liking. This was a "nest" of aluminum cooking utensils, including
a pepper and salt box, and a match safe. This kit weighed very
little and was exceedingly handy.
As Mr. Dodge had procured for them a suitable boat, and the doctor
the cooking things, Mr. Dawson said he would present them with a
new tent, of light, but strong and waterproof material. He also
got for them a rubber cloth, to be spread over their things when
it rained.
"My mother is going to supply us with the eatables," said Giant.
"She told me to get the list and she would have them all ready
the day we are to start." And then the list was made out, including
bacon, beans, flour, salt and pepper, sugar, and many other necessities.
The boys also got a liberal supply of powder and shot for their
guns, some cartridges for the rifle, and some fishing hooks and
lines. Everything was stored away in the boathouse on the river,
which was locked up tightly, so that nobody might carry off their
belongings.