muscular effort thus
employed seemed to serve no other purpose than that of exercise. Tired
with the employment of his hands in this regard, Moggs resorted to his
feet--then tried his knee, and anon his back, after the usual
desperate variety of such appeal resorted to by the "great locked
out," when they become a little savage or so at the delay to which
they are subjected. Sometimes, also, he would rap fiercely, and then
apply his eye to the key-hole, as if to watch for the effect of his
rapping. "I don't see 'em," groaned he. And then again, his ear would
be placed against the lock--"I don't hear 'em either." There were
moments when he would frantically kick the door, and then rush as
frantically to the middle of the street, to look at the windows; but
no sign of animation from within peered forth to cheer him. After full
an hour of toil and of hope deferred, Montezuma Moggs tossed his arms
aloft in despair--let them fall listlessly at his side, and then sat
down upon the curb-stone to weep, while the neighbors looked upon him
from their respective windows; a benevolent few, not afraid of
catching cold, coming down to him with their condolements. None,
however, offered a resting place to the homeless, unsheltered and
despairing Moggs.

In the course of his musings and mournings, as he sat chattering with
cold, a loosened paving-stone arrested his attention; and, with the
instinct of genius, which catches comfort and assistance from means
apparently the most trivial, and unpromising in their aspect, the
paving-stone seemed to impart an idea to Montezuma Moggs, in this "his
last and fearfulest extremity." Grappling this new weapon in both his
hands, he raised it and poised it aloft.

"I shall make a ten-strike now," exclaimed he, as he launched the
missile at the door with herculean force, and himself remained in
classic attitude watching the effect of the shot, as the door groaned,
and creaked, and splintered under the unwonted infliction. Still,
however, it did not give way before this application of force, though
the prospect was encouraging. The observers laughed--Moggs
chuckled--the dogs barked louder than before; and indeed it seemed all
round as if a new light had been cast upon the subject.

"Hongcore!" cried somebody.

"I will," said Moggs, preparing to demonstrate accordingly.

"Stop there," said the voice of Mrs. Montezuma Moggs, as she raised
the window, "if you hongcore the door of this 'ere house a