﻿146 PICTORIAL MISCELLANY. 



by fire works, wmch were to be displayed in sight of the windows of 

 James' sleeping room. Both the boys were in bed when the first 

 explosions of the rockets were heard. 



"What is that?" cried James. " Adolphus ! do you see the 

 flames rising ? Look ! look ! Do you hear the guns ? Is the 

 house on fire ?" 



Adolphus immediately saw the use which he could make of the 

 fireworks to mystify his friend. " It is perhaps the enemy," said 

 he, " entering the city ; get up, James ; let us go to the window." 



" No, no, I am afraid. O look, look ! the sky is on fire. Oh! 

 what cannons ! the house shakes ! Adolphus, Adolphus, what shall 

 we do?" 



" Come to the window where I am ; one can see very well here.' 



" No, no, I am too much afraid." 



" Come, I tell you. Here come the Russians with their musta- 

 chios; here are the Cossacks on horseback; here are the Turks 

 with their long sabres. How they fight ! Come and see them. 

 Do you hear the grape-tshot ? Bang ! here comes a bomb into our 

 room." And at this moment a rocket, still smoking, fell at the foot 

 of James' bed. James concealed himself under the covering, and 

 called out " Papa, papa !" 



Adolphus continued the comedy : " Here are the robbers ; here 

 come the Russians, the English, the Chinese, who are entering the 

 house ; they will pillage it, and make us all prisoners." 



" Where shall I hide ?" asked James, trembling ; " they will see 

 me here. Ah ! I will get under the bed,'' and he sprang out and 

 hid himself beneath the bed. Meanwhile, the fireworks were almost 

 over ; but the noise grew louder, the illumination brighter, and the 

 shouts of the people more clamorous. At last en immense bouquet 

 was let off, by way of conclusion ; sheaves of fire lose high and fast ; 

 repeated and deafening plaudits were heard; it seemed as if the 

 city was all in flames, and that a hundred thousand cannons were 

 firing. James stopped his ears, trembled in every limb, and shook 

 the floor. Finally, the last rocket having fallen and been extin- 

 guished, everything returned to darkness and silence. 



" Well ! where are they, then ? " said James, surprised at this 

 change of scene ; " where are the Russians and the Chinese ? I do 

 not see a single lord ! " 



