and heavy barrel that could
almost be called a hogshead, evidently something which had been used as
a crate to convey a portion of the previous owner of the cabin's
crockery ware thither when he moved up from town.

As the boys were no simpletons, they readily grasped the essential
qualities of Obed's little scheme. It may have been original with him;
and then again possibly he had borrowed the same from some book he had
read; but, nevertheless, it struck them as pretty clever.

Not content with the heaviness of the big barrel, he had placed a number
of stones inside so as to add to the swiftness of its flight down that
declivity, once it was released. The rope acted as "starter," and upon
being jerked, as must be the case, should any one get a foot caught in
the noose, it released a stake that kept the heavy barrel poised there
at the top of the descent. The consequence was that it would plunge
downward almost as though making a sheer drop; the noose tightening
about the leg or legs of the unhappy wight who had sprung the trap, he
would be jerked off his feet and hauled up, head downward, to dangle
there in midair, as helpless as a babe.

"Set it again, and let me try the trick, please, Obed," pleaded Steve,
who seemed to be particularly charmed with the arrangement.

"I will if yuh help me git the barrel back up the hill again," replied
the other. "Workin' all by myself I've had tuh take the rocks out each
time before I could push the old thing back again tuh the top, 'cause
she's some heavy, believe me."

Steve, yes, and both Bandy-legs and Toby also, hastened to comply with
this reasonable request; and between them all the heavy barrel was
slowly pushed up again until the stake held it poised there on the top
of the sharp declivity.

Max stood and watched operations, not that he was unwilling to lend a
hand also if necessary; but just then he wanted to observe Obed, and
draw certain conclusions in which he, Max, seemed to take considerable
interest.

Then Steve was given the wooden "dummy" which had worked so like a
charm, and instructed how to manage it, so that it would take the place
of a man's lower extremities. Steve did so well that he, too, by a
little jerk displaced the delicately arranged "trigger" as Obed called
the stake, and caused the barrel to pitch furiously down the steep
slope.

Steve had not been quite quick enough to snatch his hands away, after
working the trick. The consequence was th