They
were minus their tall hats and gloves, but still wore a portion of
their grotesque outfits.

"Hurry up," said Whopper, and led the way to a carriage house.
Here, with great rapidity, the four youths stripped off the odd
suits and donned their regular garments. Then they hid the other
things in an out-of-the-way corner.

"Did you place the burnt-out fireworks in the box?" asked Shep, who
had been left at the square to set off the three rockets.

"We did," answered Snap.

"Hurry up, we want to see the rest of the fun," cried Giant, and
set off on a dog-trot in the direction of the Dudder mansion.

When the four boys reached that vicinity they found quite a crowd
collected. More people were coming from the public square. The
piazza of the Dudder homestead was illuminated with Chinese lanterns,
and there sat Mr. and Mrs. Spink, the Dudder family, and a dozen
specially invited guests.

"Carl, isn't it about time you began to set off those fireworks?"
asked Mr. Dudder, as his son came up the steps.

"Ham and I are going to get them out right away," answered Carl.

"Who set off the fireworks at the square?" questioned Mrs. Spink.

"I don't know."

"Were they nice?" asked Mrs. Dudder.

"Not near as nice as those we are going to show," returned Ham.

"Hurry up wid dem fireworks!" shouted an urchin hanging on the fence.

"You get off that fence, or you won't see anything," cried Carl.

"Bring on the fireworks!" shouted several.

"We are going to have a regular programme," announced Carl, standing
on a garden bench. "First there will be a bouquet of four rockets.
Then will follow two large Roman candles, six vari-colored pinwheels,
two large and four small flower pots, one living picture of George
Washington, two aerial bombs, four golden clusters, one living
serpent, two mines, and a whole lot of other things too numerous
to mention."

"Go on with the show," shouted a man outside. "We don't want to
listen to no speech."

"Come, let us get the box," said Ham, and then he and Carl hurried
down to the barn, where they found the flat box. Much to their
surprise it was bound around and around with some old telegraph
wire. Snap and his chums had wanted to nail the box up but had
been afraid of the noise.

"Somebody's been playing a joke on us!" growled Ham.

"Never mind, we'll soon have the wire off," answered his crony.
"Let us take the box outside."

They lifted the box and carried it out into t