Finally, however, he reached the bottom, almost exhausted with holding his breath so long and so hard, and stood listening for symptoms of discovery. To his great relief, there were no threatening sounds. The last stage of his journey, that across the sitting room, did not take as long as the interminable trip downstairs, and within a few minutes he had cautiously closed the screen door behind him and had tiptoed his way across the front porch, down the steps and into the yard. Then he put on his shoes and set out in a roundabout way for the square, not caring to run any more risk than necessary of encountering "Old Tin Star," who no doubt was still abroad. As Pinkey made his way along the silent streets he could feel his courage deserting him and the alluring novelty which he had anticipated in being out at such an hour did not prove as enjoyable as he thought, and he longed for company.

He reached the courthouse at last, however, and seated himself on the steps in the shadow of one of the tall sandstone pillars and waited. After a long lonesome wait, during which Pinkey spent most of his time in pinching himself to keep awake, Bunny appeared, bearing his contribution to the coming turmoil in the shape of two Roman candles. Pinkey now became sufficiently awakened to take more interest in things than he had before Bunny came and the two conversed in low tones while waiting for the others to arrive. In a short time the party had increased to a total of ten, and those ten were not backward in relating their harrowing experiences in getting away, and in making critical remarks about those who had failed to put in appearance.

"Guess the rest o' the fellers 're afraid to try it," said Joe Cooper, proudly, remembering what an effort it had been for him to screw his courage up to the escaping point.

"Well it just shows who 's afraid and who's not," boasted Bunny, puffing up with pride at his evident bravery.

Soon the little band noticed evidences of preparation going on in the park, the maple grove in the center of the square, and they knew from that that it was time for them to prepare for their fun also.

setting off the Roman candies either, cause they might 'tract his attention."

After a short discussion, it was decided best to explode their midnight greetings in the large vacant lot which adjoined the courthouse, where they could see some of the goings-on in the park and be fairly safe from molestation; so thither they adjourned to await the stroke of twelve.

"Now everybody get ready," said Pinkey, passing a match to each of his companions, "and we 'll have a celebration that 'll-"

Whether their movements had been observed for some time, or whether Jeremiah just happened to be passing at that time and had stopped to investigate, the boys never knew. Enough to say, Pinkey's speech was cut short by the interruption of that official's familiar voice:

"Now you kids clear out o' this or I'll lock you up, every last one o' you. What 're you doing 'round here this time o' night anyway?"

Jeremiah's question was not answered, in fact it is doubtful if anyone heard the latter part of his speech. Instinctively all started on a blind run for the fence, forgetful for the moment of all save putting as much distance between themselves and Tin Star as possible. He was the one person in the town of Enterprise of whom they stood most in awe; and they knew that it was one of his hobbies to drive all boys from the streets after eight o'clock at night. What he might do to them for being out at midnight was too awful even to contemplate.

Just as the last of the fleeing boys was clearing the top board of the fence, a terrific explosion rent the air, being the first of many similar ones set off in honor of the Glorious Fourth. The boys afterward declared that Old Tin Star had shot at them, and from the manner in which many of their legs gave way under the stirring demands made on them, it seemed that the boys really thought so at the time.

According to their standing agreement, made to cover just such cases, the culprits immediately separated in all directions, no two pursuing exactly the same course. Some cut across into the park and headed straight for home, some flitted into the dark alleys behind the nearby stores, thence taking the nearest route homeward as soon as they were convinced the coast was clear. Others went down the streets which ran in front of and along the side of the courthouse; but each one, no matter in which direction he ran, developed a burst of speed which showed plainly that he was sure Jeremiah had singled him out as his especial prey. Each hoped that some of the others might be brave enough to go back and endeavor to recover the abandoned fireworks, but none had any serious intentions of doing so himself.

Pinkey reached home in a state bordering

bed once more and calmly reviewed the doings of the last hour he concluded that there was nothing to show for it all but the ignominious failure of all his carefully laid plans, and, what was still worse, the loss of a large share of the firecrackers and other combustibles which all had laid aside for the celebration. Pinkey soon fell asleep, however, still thinking bitter thoughts and planning deep revenge against those who persisted in making life almost unbearable, chief among whom was Old Tin Star.

When morning came and Pinkey awoke and

remembered what day it was and that there were still some pleasures ahead, he felt his spirits gradually rise and approach their normal buoyant state. After breakfast he started out to contribute his share in the ever-increasing noise and in company with others of his kind succeeded in creating more disturbance in the same length of time than words could describe. A visit to the scene of the rout of the night before disclosed the fact that all the abandoned firecrackers, torpedoes and other similar material had disappeared. As he stood there looking the ground over he saw Bunny running toward him, evidently much excited.

"Say, Pinkey," yelled Bunny as he drew near, "I b'lieve Old Tin Star took all our fireworks an' things las' night an' gave 'em to his kids. Billie Singles has got a lot just like the

ones you had."

This intelligence aroused Pinkey's ire still more and although a close questioning of Billie failed to prove Bunny's accusation, Pinkey nevertheless was in a state of mind which prompted him to believe it anyhow and he wished more than ever for some way to square matters with the cumbersome arm of the law. The hope lessness of gratifying such a desire and the memories of the previous night's doings clouded Pinkey's enjoyment of the Day's celebration. Luckily, for him, however, his worst fears were not realized, for with the exception of those equally concerned with himself no one had witnessed the affair, and, except for a few rumors which leaked out, no one knew how, Pinkey escaped any extensive chaffing. If his comrades blamed him for the occurrence, they gave no sign of it by word or action, so he was spared that blow.

It was largely due to this loyalty on the part of his companions that Pinkey felt such a strong desire to show Jeremiah the displeasure which all felt at his high-handed action.

During the speaking in the afternoon, which Pinkey attended with his mother against his most ardent protestations, and while watching the foot races, sack races, and other games which furnished amusement for the crowds on the glorious Fourth, Pinkey's thoughts kept returning to the interrupted midnight meeting. When he went home to supper, he was still un

decided what form his rebuke to Old Tin Star should take, but when his eye fell on an empty pasteboard mailing tube, in which a picture had been received a few days before, it flashed through his mind that here was something of which he might make good use.

With the mailing tube and some red tissue paper which he found in the store-room, it was but a short time until Pinkey had constructed a very lifelike and very formidable counterfeit of an enormous cannon firecracker. He extracted the fuse from a real one, and after filling the ends of the tube with the red paper, inserted it in the center of one end, and his dummy cracker was complete.

When Pinkey had finished his supper, his mother suggested that he go down town with her and Mr. Perkins and watch the fireworks from the windows of Mr. Perkins' office. Pinkey objected so strongly to being "shut up in a house when there was so much going on" that he was permitted to go down town alone on condition that he should meet his parents at the office in time to come home with them.

Pinkey carefully secreted his dummy firecracker under his coat and set out, religiously hoping that before the evening was over he might have a chance of testing its realistic appearance in the eyes of Old Tin Star. He met Bunny, in accordance with their agreement of the afternoon, and showed him what he had made. Bunny testified to its reality and was in high glee over the possibilities ahead.

"How are you going to do it, Pinkey," inquired Bunny, "put it in his pocket?" He was a little fearful of the risk entailed in such an action as they contemplated.

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Well, I can't tell yet. It all depends," said Pinkey. "We've got to find him first and make our plans afterward. We have got to have good room to run, that 's certain."

"There he is, Pinkey!" said Bunny in a hushed undertone, as shortly after dark the two boys were slowly making their way through the crowds which filled the walks around the square.

"Sure 'nough," said Pinkey, "wonder if he 's telling about the battle o' Shiloh again."

Even among the younger generation in Enterprise it was a standing joke how, without

any excuse and on all possible occasions, Jeremiah Singles was ready and anxious to hold forth on his thrilling experiences during the civil war. So often had he told them to his patient listeners during the cold winter nights around the hospitable stove of the corner drug store, or in the balmy summer evenings as they all sat on goods-boxes and whittled, that he had really come to believe them himself.

On this occasion, Singles was mounted on the driver's seat of a self-binder, which during the harvest season sat on the slightly raised wooden platform just beyond the outer edge of the cement pavement in front of a hardware store. As Pinkey had suggested, he was telling of Shiloh, claiming that the noise of the celebration all about him brought back vividly the stirring events of that awful day. With forceful gestures and reddened face, he was pouring forth into the tingling ears of a rural audience, to whom the town marshal was an exalted personage, his wonderful tales of blood and battle.

"He's good for a half hour, Bunny," said Pinkey, decisively, "come on. I see our chance," and the pair disappeared around the corner and made for the dark alley behind the row of stores. Luckily the hardware store had remained open in order to accommodate its patrons from the country, and it was through the back door that Pinkey and Bunny made their way, not caring to be seen going in by the front entrance.

There was no one in the back part of the store, all being up in front watching the skyrockets and other fireworks which were just beginning to soar heavenward, and the boys had no difficulty in reaching the stairway and mounting to the second floor. Once there, they made their way cautiously through the long line of plows, cultivators and all sorts of similar implements until they gained the front windows, from one of which they climbed out upon the awning.

Creeping to the edge, they listened for a while to Jeremiah's thrilling recital.

"Shells and cannon balls were dropping all around us," he was saying, "and my third horse had just been shot from under me when a whopper of a bomb-shell came rollin' along

the ground, straight toward me. The fuse was n't over an inch long and was splutterin' fire and gettin' shorter every second.

"I knew 't would kill us all if I let it explode, so without ever thinkin' of the danger I just grabbed it up in my two hands as it rolled past me, and hove it bodily into the little creek right beside us. I was just in time for I noticed as it struck the water that the fuse had burned

clear up to the powder. A general who was standing by and saw it all, said afterward that—"

What the general said remained untold. While the story had been absorbing the attention of those gathered about Jeremiah, Pinkey had lit his dummy firecracker and had lowered it by a string, down, down, down, until, just as his victim had reached that part of his tale where the general had complimented him on his bravery, the sputtering fuse and round red body came into view beneath his hat brim and about six inches from his nose.

As luck would have it, just at this moment a real cannon cracker exploded right beside the platform on which the binder was sitting.

It was all too much for Jeremiah. Evidently he had outgrown the habit of calmly tossing aside such things as bomb-shells and other death-dealing missiles. At any rate, he failed to do so in this case. Uttering an agonized mixture of a yell and a groan, and clutching wildly at the air, he slid helplessly from his seat and rolled heavily down into the self-binder, landing in a heap under the tangled mass of wheels, canvas, and wooden arms. As he struck the platform, the dummy cannon cracker fell with a hollow sound and rolled along the platform toward him, the fuse still sputtering, and evidently about to explode under his very nose.

Instinctively Jeremiah rolled away from it, and in so doing wedged himself all the tighter beneath the machine and lay there in helpless terror while the harmless fuse burned itself

out.

All this had brought forth a round of laughter from the audience which so recently had been absorbed in his tale, and it was some minutes before they realized that he was hopelessly entangled and began to take any steps