uddenly the lad gathered himself together, made a
white and desperate rush forward, touched the monster's shoulder with
a far-outstretched finger, and sped away, while his laughter rang out
wild, shrill, and exultant.

The crowd of boys reverenced him at once, and began to throng into his
camp, and look at him, and be his admirers. Jimmie was discomfited for
a moment, but he and the larger boy, without agreement or word of any
kind, seemed to recognize a truce, and they swiftly combined and began
to parade before the others.

"Why, it's just as easy as nothing," puffed the larger boy. "Ain't it,
Jim?"

"Course," blew Jimmie. "Why, it's as e-e-easy."

They were people of another class. If they had been decorated for
courage on twelve battle-fields, they could not have made the other
boys more ashamed of the situation.

Meanwhile they condescended to explain the emotions of the excursion,
expressing unqualified contempt for any one who could hang back. "Why,
it ain't nothin'. He won't do nothin' to you," they told the others,
in tones of exasperation.

One of the very smallest boys in the party showed signs of a wistful
desire to distinguish himself, and they turned their attention to him,
pushing at his shoulders while he swung away from them, and hesitated
dreamily. He was eventually induced to make furtive expedition, but it
was only for a few yards. Then he paused, motionless, gazing with open
mouth. The vociferous entreaties of Jimmie and the large boy had no
power over him.

Mrs. Hannigan had come out on her back porch with a pail of water.
From this coign she had a view of the secluded portion of the Trescott
grounds that was behind the stable. She perceived the group of boys,
and the monster on the box. She shaded her eyes with her hand to
benefit her vision. She screeched then as if she was being murdered.
"Eddie! Eddie! You come home this minute!"

Her son querulously demanded, "Aw, what for?"

"You come home this minute. Do you hear?"

The other boys seemed to think this visitation upon one of their
number required them to preserve for a time the hang-dog air of a
collection of culprits, and they remained in guilty silence until the
little Hannigan, wrathfully protesting, was pushed through the door of
his home. Mrs. Hannigan cast a piercing glance over the group, stared
with a bitter face at the Trescott house, as if this new and handsome
edifice was insulting her, and then followed her son.

Th