Page:Young Hunters of the Lake.djvu/48

38 Then they stuffed hay in the bottom of the box and on the top placed two pinwheels and three small Roman candles.

"I'm afraid they'll suspect us if we set these off," said Snap, when he and his chums were at a safe distance.

"What if they do?" demanded the doctor's son. "If they say anything we can yell 'stolen clothes' at them."

The boys were afraid Ham and Carl would attempt to sort out the fireworks before the time to set them off, but this fear proved groundless, for Ham and Carl were busy showing off two silver-plated pistols they had purchased. They were firing at a target set up near Ham's house, but they failed to hit the bull'seye more than once in a dozen shots.

"No wonder they can't bring down any game," observed Giant, when he heard of this. "I could do almost as good as that with my eyes shut."

In a quiet way word was passed around to the juvenile element of Fairview that there would be "something doing" at the public square directly it was dark. Secretly a notice was posted up that the "Swimmer Company would give a free exhibition of Carlham fireworks." Several wanted to know who the Swimmer Company were and what