The matter was talked over for a half hour. All of the boys knew it was not just right to appropriate the fireworks but they were "dead sore" on Ham and Carl and knew no other way to "get square."
The boys had made only a few preparations for the Fourth, for nearly all of their spending money had been used up in buying things for the proposed outing. They had some firecrackers, and some blank cartridges for their pistols, and that was all.
Independence Day dawned bright and clear and throughout the town of
Fairview there was the usual amount of noise. During the morning
Snap heard from another lad how Ham and Carl were boasting of their
fireworks.
"Finest fireworks the town ever saw," Ham had said. All the boys were invited to "hang on the Dudder fence" and see them set off that evening at nine o'clock.
"Now is the time for us to do something," said Snap to his chums, a little later.
The evening before they had visited the Dudder barn but had failed to locate the fireworks.
"That's right," said Giant. "The fireworks are there now—-I saw
Carl and Ham bringing them from the express office."
With caution the four boys walked down a side street, which connected, by an alleyway, with the Dudder barn. Nobody was in sight, and they slipped into the barn with ease. In a corner, on the floor, they saw a long, flat box, marked "Fireworks! With care!"
"We mustn't take them all!" said Shep. "We must leave a top row—-just to fool 'em."
The others understood and went to work with care. In a very few minutes they had most of the fireworks pinwheels, rockets, Roman candles, flower pots and others—-in their possession. Then they stuffed hay in the bottom of the box and on the top placed two pinwheels and three small Roman candles.