until the last. They are simple in construction, but quite startling when they go off.
Fasten together two very stiff flat pieces of steel (Fig. 62), those sold for the back of dress-skirts work well, and use a strong string many yards long to tie them with. Bring up the four ends of the steels and tie them with a slip knot (Fig. 63), in order that it may easily fly open. Place the cage thus formed in the centre of a square piece of tissue-paper.
Now cut strips of different colored tissue-paper, four inches long, and twist each piece at one end.
Put these in the centre of the cage and bring up the four corners of the square of paper, allowing the string to come out of the top. Twist the corners together and close up the small openings by folding over the edges of the paper. This makes a bomb somewhat resembling a common torpedo enlarged to many times its original size.
Pass the string through a screw-eye which has been screwed in the end of a flag-pole or broomstick, and place the pole out of the window. Then drop the end of the string down to the lawn below. Fasten one end of the pole in the window by binding it firmly to a strong, heavy chair, or secure it in any other way most convenient so there will not be the slightest danger of its falling.
Everything being ready, descend to the lawn, and pull the string so the bomb will rise slowly up to the pole.
When it is within a short distance of the screw-eye, give the twine a sudden sharp jerk which will cause the bomb to come in contact with the pole with sufficient force to untie the slip-knot, the elastic-metal ribs will fly back causing the bomb to burst and fill the air with bright shreds, flying, gliding, and darting everywhere in the most eccentric manner, making the air brilliant with floating colors.