, because he always
had to look out for his small brother when there was any danger like
fireworks around.

"Yes, and we're goin' to let the girls march in a division by
themselves," Bert told him. "My sister Nan is going to be captain, and
we'll leave all the girls' parts to her."

"Be sure and bring your flag," Harry cautioned Jack Hopkins.

"How would the goat wagons do?" Jack asked.

"Fine; we could let Roy and Freddie ride in them," said Bert. "Tell any
of the other fellows who have goat teams to bring them along too."

"Eight o'clock sharp at our lane," Harry told them for the place and
time of meeting. Then they went along to finish the arrangements.

"Don't tell the boys," Nan whispered to Mildred, as they too made their
way to Stimpson's.

"Won't they be surprised?" exclaimed Mabel.

"Yes, and I am going to carry a real Betsy Ross flag, one with thirteen
stars, you know."

"Oh, yes, Betsy Ross made the first flag, didn't she?" remarked
Mildred, trying to catch up on history.

"We'll have ten big girls," Nan counted. "Then with Flossie as Liberty
we will want Bessie and Nettie for her assistants."

"Attendants," Mabel corrected, for she had seen a city parade like that
once.

It was a busy day for everybody, and when Mr. Bobbsey came up on the
train from Lakeport that evening he carried boxes and boxes of
fireworks for the boys and girls, and even some for the grown folks too.

The girls could hardly sleep that night, they were so excited over
their part, but the boys of course were used to that sort of thing, and
only slept sounder with the fun in prospect.

"Are you awake, Bert?" called Harry, so early the next morning that the
sun was hardly up yet.

"Yep," replied the cousin, jumping out of bed and hastily dressing for
the firing of the first gun.

The boys crept through the house very quietly, then ran to the barn for
their ammunition. Three big giant fire-crackers were placed in the road
directly in front of the house.

"Be careful!" whispered Bert; "they're full of powder."

But Harry was always careful with fireworks, and when he touched the
fuses to the "cannons" he made away quickly before they exploded.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Hurrah!" shouted Freddie, answering the call from his window, "I'll be
right down!"

All the others too were aroused by the first "guns," so that in a very
short time there were many boys in the road, firing so many kinds of
fire-crackers that Meadow Bro