Page:Young Hunters of the Lake.djvu/56

46 "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