midnight
`` But Buddy ought to be punished . Now if it was Arnold Baxter who had gotten away -- after that terrible fall -- I would n't say a word , '' answered Tom . The encampment came to an end in a blaze of glory on the Forth of July , with firecrackers and fireworks galore . The cadets `` cut up like wild Indians '' until after midnight , and Captain Putnam gave them a free rein . `` Independence Day comes but once a year , '' he said . `` And I would not give much for the boy who is not patriotic . '' `` You are right there , captain , '' returned George Strong .