"Well, I don't know what kind that is, but it sounds good on a Fourth of
July," said Jerry with a laugh. "I hope it doesn't explode when I eat it,
though, like a ham sandwich did once."

"Did a ham sandwich explode?" asked Russ, who always liked to hear the old
soldier tell army stories.

"Well, sort of," answered Jerry. "It was over in the Philippines. I was
eating my sandwich, and some of the soldiers were firing at the enemy, and
the enemy was firing at us. And a shell came pretty close to where I was
sitting. It went off with a bang, and a piece of the shell hit the
sandwich I was just going to bite."

"It's a mercy the shell didn't hit you," said Mrs. Bunker.

"Part of it did--my hand that held the meat and bread," explained Jerry.
"But it's good I wasn't biting the sandwich at the time, or I might have
lost my head. However, here comes the thunder-and-lightning cake. Now we
can see what it is."

Norah came out of the kitchen with two heaping plates, and, at the sight
of them, the six little Bunkers said:

"Oh! Ah! Oh!"

There were six "Ohs" and six "Ahs!" as you can imagine; one for each boy
and girl.

"Is this thunder-and-lightning cake?" asked Russ.