itive no citizen of
Boston could look upon the wooden face without seeing in it a strong
resemblance to the trader who had broken his agreement.

The head was severed from the trunk and affixed to the mast of Amos
Richardson's sailboat, which spar was willingly sacrificed for that
purpose by its owner.

The majority of the party appeared to think that the head in itself
would serve as a menace to Master Lillie; but Jim Gray was not
satisfied with so mild a warning, and proceeded, after his own
fashion, to add to its supposed terrors.

He found in the wood-house a piece of planed board, three feet long
and fifteen or sixteen inches in width, on which he inscribed, after
much labour, with paint composed of lampblack and fish-oil, the name
of each of the merchants who had been guilty of breaking their
agreement regarding the sale of British goods.

This he nailed on the spar within a few feet of the head, affixing it
so firmly that it could not readily be wrenched off, and the
instrument of warning was held erect a few moments that the young
conspirators might observe the general effect.

"Master Lillie will quake in his boots when he sees that," Hardy Baker
said, in a tone of conviction. "Nothing could be better, unless we had
his name with the others."

"But the head is there," Jim replied, "and even Master Lillie himself
must see that the face is like to his."

"Unless he is over-fond of looking in a mirror, he may make a mistake,"
Hardy persisted. "Can't you put his name on the board with the others?"

Jim was not disposed to add to what he considered almost a work of
art, lest he should detract from its merits in some degree, and after
a brief pause he said, as a happy thought occurred to him:

"This will look better, and there can be no mistake if the spar is put
up with the board set in the proper direction."

As he spoke he painted a rude hand with the dexter finger pointing.

"Now we have only to place it so that this shows the way into the shop,
and if Master Lillie makes any mistake in regard to its being intended
for him, he has a thicker skull than his neighbors credit him with."

It appeared to the party assembled as if nothing was wanting to make
this symbol of warning full of meaning and menace, and it only
remained to place it in position.

Hardy Baker proposed to set out at once to complete the work,
regardless of the fact that the citizens were yet astir, and that the
moon illumined the s