CHAPTER IX PREPARATIONS FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY
It was a great home-coming. As was to be expected, Aunt Martha had hadthe cook prepare a most elaborate supper, and, to this the lads did fulljustice. The long ride on the cars had tired them, yet they remained uplong enough to tell about affairs at college, and learn what their fatherand their other relatives had to say.
"Say, this is like old times!" exclaimed Dick, as he entered his bedroom."Looks as natural as it ever did."
"Anyt'ing I can do fo' yo' young gen'men?" asked a voice from thedoorway, and Aleck Pop showed himself, his mouth on a grin from ear toear. Indeed Aleck had not stopped grinning since the boys had appeared.
"Not that I know of, Aleck," answered Dick. "How have you been since wewent away?"
"I ain't been well, sah," answered the colored man, and his face fell fora moment. "It's been dat awful lonesome lik I thinks I was a gwine to diesometimes."
"Never mind, Aleck, we'll cheer you up some day," came from Tom.
"I guess I ought to be at a boahdin' school, or a collidge," went onAleck. "Perhaps I'll go back to Putnam Hall--if de cap'n will take me."
"Oh, he'll take you back fast enough," answered Sam. "But why not try fora place at Brill?"
"Yo' collidge? Would da hab me dar, yo' t'ink?"
"Perhaps. They have some colored help."
"Den say, won't you put in a good word fo' me, all ob yo'?" asked Aleck,earnestly. "I'd gib most anyt'ing fo' to be wid yo', 'deed I would!" andhis eyes rolled from one lad to another.
"We'll keep that in mind, Aleck," answered Dick. "But you can be with usthis summer--at least part of the time."
"I'se glad ob dat, Massa Dick. I'se jess been a-pinin' an' a-pinin' fo'you boys!"
The boys slept soundly, and did not get up until late. They spent thebest part of the day in roaming around the farm, and in writing lettersto the girls, telling of their safe arrival home.
"I'll tell you what I'd like to do," said Tom, that afternoon. "I'd liketo invite the Lanings and the Stanhopes down here to spend the Fourth ofJuly. We might have a sort of house party."
"Great!" shouted Sam. "Just the thing--if they'll come."
"Let us sound dad and Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha on the subject,"added Dick.
The matter was talked over, and the boys readily secured permission tohave their friends at the farm for the best part of a week. Theinvitations were issued immediately, for the national holiday was but tendays off.
"I know what I'd like to do, after they are gone," said Dick. "I'd liketo take our tent and go camping up the river for a week or two, just forthe novelty of it. We could fish and swim, and take it easy, and havelots of sport."
"Suits me down to the ground," answered Tom. "We'll do it--unlesssomething better turns up."
"I was going to suggest an automobile tour," said Sam. "Uncle Randolphhas the new car and it is certainly a dandy."
"Well, maybe we can take the tour, too," answered Dick. "The summervacation will be pretty long."
"We could run up to Cedarville," said Tom.
"Sure--right to the Lanings' home," added Dick, giving Tom a poke in theribs.
"Oh, sure--and over to the Stanhopes' place, too."
Having sent their letters the boys waited anxiously for replies. OnSaturday the answers came, and they read the communications with deepinterest.
"Hurrah! Nellie and Grace are coming, with their mother!" cried Tom.
"And Dora is coming with them," said Dick.
"What about Mrs. Stanhope?" asked Sam.
"She said she might come, but she wasn't sure."
A letter had been written by Mrs. Rover to Mrs. Laning and there was areply to this, both from Mrs. Laning and Mrs. Stanhope.
"We'll have a great celebration!" cried Tom.
"How about those fireworks?" asked Dick.
"I expect them today."
"Have you got enough?" asked Sam.
"As many as we had at Brill."
"That will be plenty."
"I ordered some powder, too, for use in the old cannon," went on Tom."We'll wake up the natives this Fourth all right!"
"You look out that you don't blow yourself up," warned Dick, for he knewhis fun-loving brother could get rather reckless at times.
"Oh, I'll be on guard," was Tom's answer.
When Tom went to Oak Run to get the fireworks old Ricks was decidedlygrouchy.
"I've got a good mind not to let you have 'em," growled the stationmaster. "You didn't have no right to play that trick on me with thatcigar."
"What trick?" demanded Tom, innocently.
"Oh, you know well enough, you scamp! Think it's smart to put off a cigaron me thet swells up and busts out worms! Bah! you keep your cigars toyourself after this."
"All right, if you want me to," answered Tom, meekly, and then, watchinghis chance, he placed another of the "doctored" cigars in Ricks' office,where he had a cigar box with tickets in it. Then he, with Jack Ness'aid, loaded his fireworks and the small box of powder on the farm wagon.
As Tom worked he watched Ricks narrowly and saw the station agent enterhis office to sell tickets. While he was making change he chanced to lookinto the cigar box with the tickets, and Tom, peeping through a crack ofthe door, saw him take up the cigar and look at it wonderingly.
"Hum!" murmured Ricks. "I thought that box was empty. Sallers must haveleft this in it when he gave it to me. That's one on Bob. Guess I'llsmoke it up before he comes an' asks me about it." The man he mentionedwas a storekeeper of the vicinity, who had given him the cigar box theevening before.
Ricks struck a match and commenced to puff away with satisfaction. Bythis time the wagon was loaded and Tom directed Jack Ness to drive off tothe bridge and wait for him.
"Well, good-bye, Mr. Ricks," said the fun-loving youth, as he stepped upto the ticket window. "Hope you don't hold any hard feelings."
"You quit your foolin'!" growled the station master.
"I see you're smoking another cigar."
"What if I am? Ain't I got a right to smoke if I want to?"
"Not if you see things when you do it."
"See things? Wot do you mean, Tom Rover?"
"They tell me that you imagined you saw snakes the other day when youwere smoking."
"You go on about your business! You played me a trick, that's what youdid!"
"It's queer how cigars affect some people. They get nervous and think theend of the cigar is crawling," went on Tom, earnestly. "Now, if I wasaffected that way I wouldn't smoke."
"Say, Tom Rover, I want you to understand----"
What the station agent wanted Tom to know was never divulged, for at thatinstant the cigar commenced to swell at the lit end and then anashy-colored "worm" commenced slowly to uncurl, reaching a length of afoot or more. Ricks took the cigar in his hand, held it at arm's lengthand viewed it with horror.
"It's another one of 'em!" he groaned.
"What's the matter, Mr. Ricks?" asked Tom, calmly.
"This cigar! Did--did you play this trick on me?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Look at the end o' this cigar."
"I don't see anything wrong. It looks like a fine cigar, and it seems toburn well," answered Tom, as soberly as a judge.
"Don't you see the--the worms?"
"Worms! Mr. Ricks you are dreaming!"
"Ain't that a--er--a worm?" shouted the station master, pointing with hisfinger at the thing dangling at the end of the cigar.
"Mr. Ricks, you must have 'em again," answered Tom, and looked deeplyshocked. "You had better go and see a doctor. This cigar smoking has goton your nerves."
"It ain't so! I see the worms! There they are!" And the station masterpoked his finger into the mass.
Now, as those who are acquainted with the fireworks known as Serpent'sEggs, or Pharaoh's Serpents, know, the "worms" or "serpents" are veryfragile and go to dust at the slightest touch. Consequent
ly when Ricksplaced his finger rudely on those at the end of the cigar they wereknocked off, and falling to the floor, were completely shattered to dust.At this the station master started in amazement.
"Where are the worms?" asked Tom. "I don't see them?"
"Why--I--er--that is--they were here!" stammered Ricks.
"Where?"
"On the end o' the cigar."
"Then where are they now?" demanded Tom. "Give me one, till I examineit."
"Why they--they are--er--gone now."
"Gone?"
"Yes. Say, I don't know about this!" And the old station master commencedto scratch his head. He looked at the cigar wonderingly. But no more"worms" were forthcoming, for the reason that the pellets Tom had placedwithin had burnt themselves out.
"You certainly ought to see a doctor--or else give up smoking cigars,"said Tom, as soberly as ever.
"Tom Rover, ain't this no trick o' yours?"
"Trick? Do you think I am a wizard? I find you smoking a cigar and you goand see worms, or snakes, just as if you had been drinking. Maybe you dodrink."
"I don't. I ain't teched a drop in six months."
"Well, you had better do something for yourself," said Tom, as he backedaway from the ticket window.
"I don't understand this, nohow!" muttered the old station master. "But Iain't goin' to smoke thet cigar no more!" he added, and threw the weedout on the railroad tracks.
When Tom got to the wagon he was shaking with laughter. The joke was toogood to keep, and as they drove along he told Jack Ness about what hadoccurred.
"It's one on Ricks," said the hired man, with a broad grin. "He's kind o'a superstitious man an' he'll imagine all sorts o' things!"
"Well, if it cures him of smoking it will be a good job done," answeredTom. "I've seen him with a pipe in his mouth when a lady wanted arailroad ticket, and he would blow the smoke right into her face."
It made Randolph Rover somewhat nervous to have so many fireworks and somuch powder around the premises--and there was a good reason for this,for the facilities for fighting fire at Valley Brook were very meager.So, to please his uncle, Tom stored the stuff in a small building at thebottom of one of the fields, where some farming implements and berrycrates and boxes were kept.
The cannon Tom had mentioned was a rather old affair. But it seemed to bein good condition and the boys spent some time in cleaning it out andputting it in condition for use. It was mounted on a big block and set inthe middle of the lawn.
"Now, I reckon we are ready to celebrate!" cried Sam, after all thepreparations were complete. "And we ought to have a dandy time."
"We will have," answered Dick.
"Best ever!" chimed in Tom.