Fairview there was the usual amount of noise. During the morning
Snap heard from another lad how Ham and Carl were boasting of their
fireworks.

"Finest fireworks the town ever saw," Ham had said. All the boys
were invited to "hang on the Dudder fence" and see them set off
that evening at nine o'clock.

"Now is the time for us to do something," said Snap to his chums, a
little later.

The evening before they had visited the Dudder barn but had failed
to locate the fireworks.

"That's right," said Giant. "The fireworks are there now---I saw
Carl and Ham bringing them from the express office."

With caution the four boys walked down a side street, which connected,
by an alleyway, with the Dudder barn. Nobody was in sight, and
they slipped into the barn with ease. In a corner, on the floor,
they saw a long, flat box, marked "Fireworks! With care!"

"We mustn't take them all!" said Shep. "We must leave a top row---just
to fool 'em."

The others understood and went to work with care. In a very few
minutes they had most of the fireworks pinwheels, rockets, Roman
candles, flower pots and others---in their possession. Then they
stuffed hay in the bottom of the box and on the top placed two
pinwheels and three small Roman candles.