lly, the maid and her beau, all fell on the melon. This
squashed it flatter than a pancake and made it explode like a bomb.
While all this was taking place, Stubby and Button made their escape
through the open door and ran down the street to wait for Billy to
join them.

When he came up, all he said was, "Just our luck, to have to lose a
perfectly good lodging place just when we were almost ready to go to
sleep for the night! And just because two young geese could not drink
ginger ale warm instead of cold!"

"But I would not complain if I were you, Billy," said Button, "for we
got a good supper before it happened."

"Sure enough! So we did. I guess I better not complain. One thing, it
is a nice warm night, so it wouldn't be bad to sleep outdoors, and I
see a clump of trees and bushes down by the lake. Let's go down there
and see if we can't find a nice soft mossy bank to sleep on."

So the three trotted off and soon found a soft sandy bank under some
sheltering trees and bushes where they curled themselves up and were
soon fast asleep.

CHAPTER V

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

They were awakened at daybreak the next morning by a battered tin
falling on their heads, followed by a shower of pieces of red paper.

All three jumped up and were wide awake in a second for all around
them was the din of battle. For a moment they thought they were back
in France and that a big bombardment was on. But on looking through
the trees under which they had been sleeping, they saw a crowd of boys
shooting off firecrackers and putting bunches of them under barrels
and tin pans.

"This is no place for us!" exclaimed Billy. "I despise the Fourth of
July and its celebration, and this is just what it is. If those boys
see us, it will be all up with us, for if there is one thing boys
love, it is to torture animals on the Fourth by tying bunches of
firecrackers and tin cans on their tails."

"Well, thank goodness, my tail is so short they will have a good time
tying anything on it," exulted Stubby.

"Mine too!" replied Billy.

"But how about mine?" said Button. "It is long enough to tie a whole
string of crackers to it."

While they were talking, the boys started to run in their direction
and came straight toward them. When they were within hearing distance,
the Chums heard them say, "Let's pretend the trees and bushes are a
fort. We'll put a lot of powder around them and blow them up."

"What did I tell you?"