hey were
up to something, and sure enough they were. When they came to that
part of the lane at which the various habiliments had been left, the
chair stopped, and out rushed the other conspirators.

"Do not be alarmed, Goody," said Hardy. "We are only going to make a
guy of you for an hour or two. No one shall harm you, and you shall
have all the money we get."

"I want to go to church--I want to go to church!" said the old lady,
and tried to get out of the chair.

Hardy, however, very dexterously threw some cord round the arms, and
tied the poor old creature down.

"We won't hurt you, Goody," said he. "We only want you for a guy. You
shall have all the money."

"I won't be a guy! I won't be a guy!" said Goody. "I do not want any
money. Let me out! let me out!"

She then made a blow with her broomstick, and struck Master Hardy on
the nose, from which the blood flowed freely. This, however, only made
him the more determined, and in a few minutes the poor old woman's
arms were secured as well as her legs.

"Oh, help, neighbors! They are going to burn me!" said the old lady,
and then she fell coughing, for she had long suffered from asthma.

While convulsed with this fit, the boys took the opportunity to
besmear her face with red and black paint, and to place the helmet on
her head, and the coat round her, so that the arms hung on each side
with nothing on them. The chair was then crammed with straw, and the
lantern and the matches suspended from it. In this state the chair was
wheeled rapidly along in the direction of the town.

Other boys soon joined, and surrounded the vehicle, shouting and
laughing. The old lady, made several ineffectual attempts to get out
of the chair. She called out, "A plot! a plot! a Popery plot! No
Popery! Oh! I shall be killed!" and many such exclamations. The
populace took this as a part of the character, and laughed most
heartily. The greatest number of persons thought the guy to be a boy
dressed up, and cried out that he acted his part well. No one
suspected it was old Dame Clackett.

Away they went in the midst of the hubbub, up one street and down
another, over the market-place and by the church. Just as the clock
struck twelve the boys of the Free School came from the latter place,
and joined the procession. It was now a national affair, and, as it
proceeded from the church doors, it was thought to be the church Guy
Fawkes--and so it was.

"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted a hundre