Young Hunters of the Lake Part 7

"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 Was.h.i.+ngton, two aerial bombs, four golden cl.u.s.ters, 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!