"Nor I, Tom. This is the most joyous hour of my life! How delighted
father will be when we go home and tell him that it is settled, that
the Declaration of Independence is a real and determined fact!"

"It will please him more than anything else in the world, Dick."

"Yes, yes indeed."

Then lifting up his voice the patriot youth cried out loudly, his
voice ringing clear as the notes of a bugle:

"Down with the king! Long live Liberty! Long live Washington!"

The excitement was even greater after that, and instantly the cry was
taken up on every hand. Thousands shouted aloud, in a thrilling,
triumphant roar: "Down with the king! Long live Liberty! Long live
Washington!"

People leaped and danced, and shouted till they were hoarse. They were
like crazy people, but with them it was pure joy because of the
thought that they were to be free, to be their own masters,
independent of a tyrannical king. They had reason to be joyous and
happy.

It was certainly a great day for the American people-without doubt the
greatest in the history of the greatest country on the face of the
Globe.

After awhile, when the people had calmed down to a considerable extent
and were beginning to disperse to their homes, Dick and Tom Dare set