rappled with,
and it went hard with his assailants.

Meanwhile Clive, relieved by Bob, had become an assailant also.
Snatching up a stone, he dashed it full in the face of Number Five.
The man staggered back and fell, and Bob narrowly escaped falling
under him. But Number Five sprang up instantly, and before Bob or
Clive could close with him again, darted off without attempting to
help Number Six, and ran for his life. Cowardly by nature, the
beggars did not think of the size of their assailants; their fears
magnified the boys to men; and they only thought of safety in a
panic flight But Number Six was there yet, with Frank Wilmot's
sinewy arms about him, and Bob and Clive now rushed to take part
in that struggle. This addition to the attacking force turned the
scale completely.

The struggle that now followed was most violent, the Italian making
the most furious efforts to free himself; but Frank was very large
and strong for his years; he was possessed of bull-dog tenacity
and high-strung courage, and was strenuously assisted by the other
three; so that the union of all their forces formed something to
which one man was scarcely equal. In a very short time, therefore,
after the arrival of Bob and Clive, the would-be robber was lying
on his face, held firmly down by the four boys.

"Boys," said Frank, who was sitting on his shoulders, "fold his
arms over his back."

As they did this, he twisted his handkerchief tightly, and then
bound it around the man's hands as firmly as if it had been a rope.
Bob and Clive held him down by sitting on his legs, while David
sat on his neck. Frank now asked for their hand, kerchiefs, twisted
them, tied them together, and then directed Bob to fasten the man's
feet. This was Bob's task, and he did it as neatly as though he
had been brought up to that particular business exclusively.

The man was now bound hard and fast, and lay on his face without
a word, and only an occasional struggle. The weight of the boys
was so disposed that it was not possible for him to get rid of
them, and Frank watched all his attempted movements so vigilantly,
that every effort was baffled at the outset. Frank also watched
Bob as he tied the knots, and then, seeing that the work was well
done, he started up.

"Come, boys," said he, "let's give the rascal a chance to breathe."

At this the boys all got up, and the Italian, relieved from their
weight, rolled over on his back, and then on his side, star