The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-09-24

match he touched the blaze to the
end of the fuse projecting from the
pipe. Kissing and suffering the hEe
crept toward the charge.
"Now get to covert" advised Ben1a-
min. excitedly. "She will reach the
powder in another minute, and the
air may be full of flying iron ana
wood"
They hurried down the river bank
to the boat. Then came a roar that
almost deafened them, and a great
glare shone over woods and river
Look! Look" shouted Benjamin,
pointing up. There she goes!"
A ball of fire had leaped from the
stump, and with one great bound had
reached an enormous height, leaving
a fiery stream behind it. They could
see it away up in the air, glowing like
a star. 1t seemed to remain motion
less for a minute and then began to
descend.
"Ain't that immense?" cried Benja-
min, waving his hat in great glee.
Down, down, it rushed like blazing
comet. The paper wadding had stuck
to the shell, and becoming ignited
from the explosion continued to burn
flercely. A stream of sparks rushed
upward from it. The air was full of
burning paper. Then, as it was about
to drop into the river g quarter Of a
mile away, it burst. A heavy crash
again woke the echoes and another
blaze of light flashed for an instant
Then came darkness.
ut is all over" said Benjamin.
But he was mistaken. There was a
good deal to follow, something which
he and his companions had not count
ed on.
It CHANGED that some public-spirited
men in the village had decided to give
an exhibition of fireworks on the night
of the Fourth also. Having determined
to keep the matter quiet until the
Fourth had arrived, the fireworks had
been purchased very slyly and carried
to a spot on the river bank about a
quarter-mile below the place where
Benjamin's bombshell had begun its
flight. Here a raft had been made,
and upon it the fireworks were put.
This was done on the evening of the
Sd. Two men were hired to sleep on
the raft to see that it was not dis
turbed.
The men poled the raft out into the
middle of the river and lying down
on their blankets went to sleep sur
rounded by wholesale assortment of
roman candles, giant
crackers, bombs, pinwheels, and all
manner of things, without a thought
of danger. They had been sleeping
soundly for about two hours when
the noise of the mortar awakened
them.
They saw the bombshell darting
down with marvellous speed, which in
creased every second, and before they
could pull in the rope to which the
anchor was fastened which held the
raft 1t was right above them.
Horror-stricken, they plunged into
the river and hurried away as fast as
they could through the shallow water.
Then the shell exploded.
The men ducked their heads. There
was great splashing in the water as
pieces of the bursted shell were hurled
into it, but neither of the men was
hit. Half dazed, they lifted their
heads. The red glare of the exploded
shell and the accompanying roar had
gone.
All was darkness for brief moment.
Then came vicious Kissing from the
raft, and the air was filed with f1ying
sparks. 1t was one of the pinwheeIs
which had caught, and as though in
'ptred by a spirit of mischief it was
at a great rate, sending it's
sparks everywhere.
The men rushed back to the raft tn
save the cargo.
Then the trouble commenced in ear
lest.
Firecrackers began to bang awav in
lnsuspected spots, and no sooner was
pack snatched out and thrown into
he river than other packs took up the
,horus.
Yank EN- out, yank EN- QUIT" cried |
me OF the men, making a dash for
hem at the risk of burning his fingers
Just then couple of pinwheels start
ID at the same time and began to buzz
Ind huster as though each was trying
o Guido the other and both bent on
'uttlng out the mems eyes in a shower
If sparks.
Now that they had got agoing the
lreWorks were evidently bound not to
'e lnterfered with, for while the rock
Us and roman candles were lombard
ng one man a giant irecracker did it's
'est TO tear the others fingers off and
0 neip defeat his assault a big bomb
almost in his face.
The tumult was at its height. but
he IL-c..I-a-l =,