"Come, fellows," said Phil, when they had been standing there talking some time,--"come, let us go and see if any thing is left."
They all ran to the play-room, and some of the boys cried out to Edwin, "Don't cry, little fellow, we forgive you."
"Why here," shouted Phil--"here's a lot of Roman candles all safe and sound. Hurra!!"
"And here are six wheels in this corner," cried Thomas. "We are not so badly off, after all."
The boys at this good news began to rummage under the pile of ruins, and managed to collect quite a respectable quantity of fireworks. There were enough left to make a display with in the evening, though not near so splendid as they had intended.
"Hurra!" cried the boys, "we have plenty of Fourth of July left--we ain't dead yet."
"I have lots of crackers outside," said Phil; "but we won't fire them off now. They will do for the small fellows to-night. Let us go to the stable, and pay our respects to Napoleon, and Old Pudding-head. They will think themselves quite neglected on this glorious occasion."
So they sallied off to the stable, and saddled the pony and the donkey, and led them out to the play-ground, where Napoleon treated them in turn to a very fine dance on his hind legs, and Old Pudding-head, not to be behindhand in politeness, gave all the little boys a somerset over his nose. They had a first-rate frolic, and did not think once of the lost fireworks.
After dinner, and a fine dinner they had of chickens, and goose pie, and custard, Mr. Harrison took the boys (little Edwin too) down into the village, where a band of musicians were playing and parading through the street. Every little while they would stop playing and hurra! The boys always hurraed when the band did, for boys in general are not slow about making a noise. So they made all the noise they possibly could, and came back to tea, each one so hoarse, that Mrs. Harrison asked them if they had bullfrogs in their throats.
At last the evening came, and a still and beautiful evening it was. The stars peeped out, one by one, and the moon staid in--that is, she did not make her appearance until very late. They could not have had a finer night for the grand display.
The family were all assembled on the lawn, and Mr. Harrison fixed the wheels so nicely, that they whizzed round in the most astonishing manner. The Roman candles went up beautifully, and the grasshoppers and snakes sent the little fellows laughing and scampering in all directions.