gave you," howled the youth. "Help me get him off."

Now Chet was not a very wise youth, but he knew better than to pick off
a lobster, especially when there was yet one large claw that wasn't
working, but which was waving about seeking for something else to pinch.

"Can't you help me?" begged Andy. Frank had stopped to speak to an
acquaintance, and did not see the plight of his brother.

"Oh! Oh, dear! What shall I do?" wailed Mabel. Several men and boys
began to gather about the scene.

"I've got to get him loose or he'll pinch off my foot!" cried Andy. He
reached over as well as he could, while standing on one foot, and tried
to get hold of the lobster by the back, behind the vicious claws. But
he made a miscalculation.

The next moment the other claw of the lobster had gripped him on the
wrist, fortunately taking hold around Andy's coat sleeve so that the
flesh was not cut by the "teeth" of the crustacean's pincher.

Andy was now in a peculiar predicament, for he was held in a stooping
position with the lobster clinging to his ankle and wrist. He put on
the ground the foot which had first been gripped and was vainly
endeavoring to pull the lobster loose when Frank, attracted by the
crowd, hurried up. He saw at once what the trouble was, and with one
well-directed kick he sent the lobster spinning out into the middle of
the street, the suddenness of the blow loosening the tight claws.

"Well, of all things! What happened, Andy?" Frank asked.

"Don't ask me. Come on home," replied his brother, limping away, while
Miss Mabel smiled and turned aside. Chet Sedley grinned. It was the
first and only time he had unwittingly gotten the better of Andy Racer.

"I told you not to play any more jokes," spoke Frank, as he walked
along at his brother's side. "You never can tell when they're going to
come back on you."

"Oh, say, let a fellow alone; can't you?" expostulated the younger lad.

"Does it hurt you very much?" inquired Frank.

"I should say it does!" and Andy stooped over and rubbed his ankle and
then gently massaged his wrist.

"Better get home and put some vaseline on it," suggested Frank.

"Vaseline! Say, the next time I try to play a joke on anybody, please
holler 'Lobster' at me. And if that doesn't do any good just pinch me
good and hard," requested the younger lad.

"I told you so," commented Frank.

"Yes, but I didn't believe you. Let's get home. Don't tell mother.
She'd think