There was a touch of silence after that utterance, for there were strange stories in circulation as to the explosive power of the new invention the railroad men were using. Rube Hollenhouser had heard old Squire Cudworth say that a "hatful of it would blow up the Constitution of the United States"; and if that were true, what would not be the effects of a wagon-load or so touched off all at once upon the stone quarry?
Bun and Rube were no sooner back from driving their cows that night than they both went over to the blacksmith's house, and secured the loan of his boat. Of course they told him what they wanted it for, and he said, instantly:
"Is that so, boys? Tell you what I'll do. I'd like to see that blast. I'll go myself. Plenty of room in the boat."
"What shall we do when we get to the mill-dam?" asked Bun. "The quarry's away below the pond."
"We can get another boat below the dam. If we can't, we can haul mine around it in five minutes."
The boys had been considering this problem at that very moment, but one look at Harms the blacksmith was enough to convince any one of his bodily ability to drag any boat on that creek around anything. He was tremendously large and strong, and curly-headed and good-natured. Everybody liked him, and he had more gray beard and mustache than any other man in Prome Centre.
"It's all fixed, then," said Rube.
"I told Deacon Chittenden about it when I drove his cows in for him, and he said right away that Katy and Bill could go. They won't take up any room."
"Plenty of room. Let 'em come. I'd just like to see how far that new powder can blow a rock. Glad you told me. We'll start in good season to be there."
So far everything had worked to a charm; but while Bun Gates told his mother at the supper table what was going to happen, his brother Jeff spoke right out, "Mother, may I go?"