Just then there was a sudden banging and popping noise, and a shower of sparks shot out from the shed attached to the store. Then came some balls of colored fire and next a skyrocket sailed out over the fire engines and over the heads of the crowd, bursting with a pop up in the air. Then more beautifully colored sparks, stars, and balls of fire were scattered about.
“Oh, what is it, Daddy? Fourth of July?” cried Ted.
“That’s just about what it is,” answered Mr. Martin. “I wonder——”
His voice was drowned in another burst of sparks from the shed, followed by another skyrocket and then some more loud poppings. Out of the shed rushed a fireman, crying:
“There’s a lot of Roman candles and skyrockets going off in there! It isn’t a fire at all!”
As he spoke another skyrocket whizzed over his head and the crowd began to laugh.
“Fourth of July! Fourth of July!” yelled some boys, capering about. They yelled again as many colored balls from some Roman candles shot into the air.
“You’re celebrating Independence Day a little out of season, aren’t you, Mr. Martin?” asked a man in the crowd.
“It begins to look that way,” laughed Mr. Martin. “I see what happened. I had some fireworks stored in the shed. In some way the box must have caught fire.”
Another rocket shot up, then some fire-crackers exploded and next came a glare of red fire.