ong; hoist him up, hoist him!" The
unresisting Bert was brought underneath this quartette, and then his
hands were lifted up until they could grasp them in their own. So soon
as this was done, a pull all together on their part hoisted him up from
the ground, three feet at least, and then his legs were seized, lest he
should be tempted to kick. The next moment, as perfectly helpless, and
looking not unlike a hawk nailed to a barn-door by way of warning to
kindred robbers, Bert hung there, doing his best to keep a smile on his
face, but in reality half frightened to death. The whole crowd then
precipitated themselves upon him, and with tight-shut fists proceeded to
pummel any part of his body they could reach. Their blows were dealt in
good earnest, and not merely for fun, and they hurt just as much as one
might expect. Poor Bert winced, and quivered, and squirmed, but not a
cry escaped from his close-set lips. The one thought in his mind was,
"Quit you like men," and so buoyed up by it was he, that had the blows
been as hard again as they were, it is doubtful if his resolution to
bear them in silence would have faltered.

He did not know how long he hung there. It seemed to him like hours. It
probably was not longer than a minute. But, oh! the glad relief with
which he heard one of the leaders call out:

"That's enough, fellows; let him down. He stood it like a brick."

The blows ceased at once; those holding his hands swung him a couple of
times along the fence after the manner of a pendulum, and then dropped
him to the ground, where he was surrounded by his late persecutors, who
now, looking pleasant enough, proceeded to clap him on the back, and
tell him very emphatically that he was "a plucky little chap"; "one of
the right sort"; "true grit," and so forth.

Feeling sore and strained, from his neck to his heels, Bert would have
been glad to slip away into some corner and have a good cry, just to
relieve his suppressed emotions; but as he tried to separate himself
from the throng about him, he heard the shout of "Hoist him! Hoist him!"
again raised, and saw the leaders in this strange sport bear down upon
Frank Bowser, who, still in the hands of his first captors had looked on
at Bert's ordeal with rapidly rising anger.

The instant Frank heard the shout, he broke loose from those who held
him, and springing up a flight of steps near by, stood facing his
pursuers with an expression upon his countenance that looked