ong talk with the boys. What is it all about?'

Mr. Hardy now told them as much as he thought proper of the state of
things, and gave them their instructions. The girls, who had no idea
there was any real danger, and who had besides an unlimited confidence
in their father and brothers, were disposed to look upon it as fun, and
Mr. Hardy had to speak quite seriously to be sure that his orders would
be strictly attended to. The boys then informed them that the mysterious
box was to be opened, and the whole party went up to the house.

The box had been placed in the storeroom on the upper floor of the
tower, and the boys took up screw-drivers and hammers to open it. The
latter tools were not necessary, as the case was very carefully screwed
up; and when the top was taken off, it was found that there was an
inside case of tin, soldered up. As the boys were cutting through this,
they expressed their opinion that, from the extreme care taken, the
contents must be very valuable. Still Mr. Hardy would give no clue; and
when the case was finally opened, the astonishment of all was unbounded
to find that it contained four dozen large rockets and a dozen
blue-lights. One dozen of these rockets were ordinary signal rockets,
but the rest were covered with strong tin cases.

'Fireworks!' they all exclaimed in intense surprise. 'What have you
brought fireworks all this way for, papa?'

'I will tell you, my dears. I knew that the Indians of the Pampas were
horse Indians, and the idea struck me, that as they could never have
seen rockets, they would be horribly scared at night by them. Rockets,
you know, are used in war; and even if the riders are not frightened, it
is quite certain that the horses would be horribly alarmed by one or two
of these rushing fiery things charging into their midst. I therefore had
them specially made for me by a pyrotechnist in London. One dozen, as
you see, are ordinary rockets of the largest size; they contain coloured
balls, which will give out a most brilliant light. One of them thrown
into the air, even where we believe any Indians to be, will light up the
plain, and give us a fair view of them. The other three dozen are loaded
with crackers. As you see, I have had a strong case of tin placed over
the ordinary case; and one of them striking a man, will certainly knock
him off his horse, and probably kill him. The roar, the rush, the train
of fire, and finally the explosion and the volley of crackers i