[CHAPTER IX.]
FOURTH OF JULY.
The children were up at the peep of dawn. Granny was awakened by something that seemed not unlike the shock of an earthquake; but Flossy, rubbing her eyes, said with a sigh,—
"Oh, dear! Joe has begun with his pistol the first thing! What does possess boys to be so noisy!"
Charlie, perched astride the gate-post, her clothes considerably tumbled, and her hair unkempt, thought it splendid. "If Joe would only let her fire once! Just as soon as she had a dollar she meant to buy a pistol of her own. It would always be good to keep away robbers!"
Joe laughed uproariously.
"Robbers indeed! There's nothing to steal here, unless it's some of the youngsters. You'd be sure to go first, Charlie!"
"I shall be thankful when Fourth of July is over," said Granny in a troubled voice, while Joe was singing,—
"But children are not pigs, you know,