Part 11 (2/2)
”He's subject to fainting spells,” she told the frightened people, ”and I think he'll be all right when he comes to.”
Peter looked around, then he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
”Did it go off?” he smiled, remembering the big report.
”Guess it did, and you went off with it,” Mr. Mason said. ”How do you feel?”
”Oh, I'll be all right when my head clears a bit. I guess I fainted.”
”So you did,” said Mrs. Burns, ”and there's no use scolding you for firing that old gun. Come home now and go to bed; you have had all the fireworks you want for one day.”
Quite a crowd followed Peter over to his home, for they could not believe he was not in any way hurt.
”Let us go home,” Harry said to his cousin. ”We have to get all our fireworks ready before evening.”
The boys found all at home enjoying themselves. Freddie's torpedoes still held out, and Flossie had a few more ”snakes” left. Nan had company on the lawn, and it indeed was an ideal Fourth of July.
”Look at the balloon!” called John from the carriage house. ”It's going to land in the orchard.” This announcement caused all the children to hurry up to the orchard, for everybody likes to ”catch” a balloon.
”There's a man in it,” John exclaimed as the big ball tossed around in the air.
”Yes, that's the balloon that went up from the farmers' picnic,” said Harry.
The next minute a parachute shot out from the balloon; and hanging to it the form of a man could be seen.
”Oh, he'll fall!” cried Freddie, all excited. ”Let's catch him--in something!”
”He's all right,” John a.s.sured the little boy. ”That umbrella keeps him from coming down too quickly.”
”How does it?” Freddie asked.
”Why, you see, sonny, the air gets under the umbrella and holds it up.
The man's weight then brings it down gently.”
”Oh, maybe he will let us fly up in it,” Freddie remarked, much interested.
”Here he comes! here he comes!” the boys called, and sure enough the big parachute, with the man dangling on it, was now coming right down--down--in the harvest-apple tree!
”h.e.l.lo there!” called the man from above, losing the colored umbrella and quickly dropping himself from the low tree.
”h.e.l.lo yourself!” answered John. ”Did you have a nice ride?”
”First cla.s.s,” replied the man with the stars on his s.h.i.+rt. ”But I've got a long walk back to the grove. Could I hire a bicycle around here?”
Harry spoke to his father, and then quickly decided to let the balloon man ride his bicycle down to the picnic grounds.
”You can leave it at the ice-cream stand,” Harry told the stranger. ”I know the man there, and he will take care of it for me until I call for it.”
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