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The Tin Box, and What it Contained

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2017
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When he left the hotel he had increased his debt to forty dollars, andthe prospect looked darker than ever.

As he walked home, it is doubtful if he did not feel more uncomfortablethan our unfortunate hero, whom we left, bound hand and foot, in PeganHill Wood.

CHAPTER XVI

BOUND HAND AND FOOT

Though Harry was a courageous boy, his heart sank within him when hefound himself left alone in the wood, bound hand and foot.

Pegan Hill Woods were of considerable extent. In length they extendedabout three miles, while in width they ranged from a mile and a half totwo miles.

Probably the party had penetrated nearly a mile into the wood, and thetree against which Harry was leaning was not far from the center of thewood. The constrained position in which he was sitting became, after awhile, somewhat painful. The cords, too, chafed his flesh.

Of course, Harry thought of the possibility of escape. If he could onlyunloose the cords he could readily find his way home, reaching therebefore anxiety or alarm was excited by his absence.

He set to work upon his task, but found, to his disappointment, that hehad been too securely bound to make this attempt feasible.

The cord was tied again and again in so hard a knot that, even if he hadhad the use of both of his hands, he would have found it a work of timeto undo them. But when, in addition, his hands were tied, it becamewell-nigh impossible.

He worked until he was tired, and rested, feeling that thus far he hadreally accomplished nothing.

"Philip is about the meanest boy I know of," he thought to himself, bitterly. "I suppose he is triumphing over me, as he has a right to do, for he has got me into a very awkward scrape."

This consideration was not likely to make him any less uncomfortable, for Harry had his share of human nature. From Philip his mind revertedto James Congreve. The more he thought of Congreve, the less he couldunderstand him. He was certainly a much more gentlemanly boy – or, rather, young man – than Philip, and our hero disliked him less, thoughit was Congreve who had tied him.

"He told Philip to his face that he was a bully, and as much as saidthat I had served him right in doing what I did in defense of the twochildren. I don't see how he can be a friend of Philip."

Harry had not much knowledge of the world, however, and would have beensurprised to hear that Congreve was more dangerous and unscrupulous, andaltogether bad, than Philip himself, in spite of the latter's unamiabletraits.

After a while Harry made another attempt to loosen the cords; but thesecond time proved as unsuccessful as the first.

Considerable time had passed – how much he did not know – but, from thedirection in which the sun glanced in the wood, he concluded that it wasas late as six o'clock, and by this time he was almost always at home.

Indeed, supper must now be ready, and his mother and their boarder, Uncle Obed, were probably ready to sit down to the table, and onlywaiting for him. It was certainly very tantalizing to be lying therehelpless, knowing that his mother would soon be anxious and troubledabout him.

"If I could only use my knife," thought Harry. "I would make short workof these cords."

He had a knife in his pocket. If a boy has only twenty-five cents in hispocket, he is sure to spend it for some kind of a knife, or he must bevery different from the average boy.

So, of course, Harry was provided with a knife – a good, strongjackknife – but, for all the good it was likely to do him, it might aswell have been at home. His hands being tied, of course, he could notget the knife out of his pocket; and, even if he had done so, how couldhe make use of it?

"I never knew twine was so strong before," thought poor Harry, ruefully, after a third unsuccessful attempt to get free.

He lay a while longer, getting more and more hopeless of an earlyrelease. By this time his appetite began to assert itself. He had noteaten a very hearty dinner, and naturally felt all the more hungry now.

He began to think wistfully of the good bread and butter and slices ofcold meat and pie which his mother was wont to provide for the eveningmeal, and some twinges of excusable envy were felt, as he pictured JamesCongreve and Philip, who had brought this trouble upon him, sitting downat a well-covered supper table, eating as heartily as if they had notleft a victim in the woods, helpless and hungry.

"I suppose I shall have to stay here all night," thought poor Harry, despondently.

In the morning he was confident of being released. James Congreve hadpromised that he would come and release him, and Harry felt confidentthat he would do so. Had it depended upon Philip, there would be smallchance of it; but it was easy to see that Philip and Congreve were notalike. Of course, this gave him hope, but it was not pleasant to thinkof a night passed in the dark wood; not that Harry was timid orsuperstitious – he was neither – but it is hard not to be somewhataffected by gloomy surroundings.

While Harry was occupied with these reflections, suddenly a peculiarsound came to his ears, and, looking up, he was startled by the sight ofa blacksnake, at least four feet long, which, with head erect, wasgazing intently at him.

Whatever may be the cause of the repulsion that exists between the humanrace and the snake, it is, at all events, genuine, and Harry shared it.

With distended eyes he gazed at this sleek foe of humankind, and felt astrong desire to throw something at it, or crush it under foot. But, alas! he was able to do neither.

Suppose it should advance upon him, helpless and unable to defendhimself, and strike its fangs into his flesh, or curl, with slipperyfold, about him! What could he do? The perspiration came out upon hisbrow, and he made a tremendous effort to get away.

Apparently conscious of his helplessness, the snake remained quietlylooking at him, and began, after a pause, to slowly glide toward him.

Harry uttered a shrill cry of alarm, which, I am sure, under thecircumstances, was not discreditable to his courage, and his soul wasfilled with horror and repulsion.

It was a fortunate cry, for it brought help. The sound of flying feetwas heard, and an instant later a boy of about his own age came rushingup.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Look there!" said Harry, hastily.

"By Jehosophat!" exclaimed the boy, and, advancing toward the snake, heaimed a blow at his crest with a rough, stout stick which he held in hishand.

The blow fell with good effect. The snake had not yet seen his newadversary, and was taken unawares. The jagged stick tore his skin, andhis head dropped forward, maimed and writhing.

"Follow it up!" cried Harry, in excitement. "Kill him!"

"I'll do it!" said the boy, and he sprang forward to renew his attack.

He found a rock, or, rather, a large stone, close at hand, with which hebruised the serpent's head and killed him.

"Ugh, you ugly beast!" he said, in a tone of disgust, miscalling hisvictim. But, then, a country boy is hardly expected to be well up innatural history.

"Thank you," said Harry, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Why didn't you kill him yourself?" asked the boy. Then, for the firsttime, noticing in the indistinct light Harry's condition, he said, insurprise: "What's the matter with you?"

"You see I'm tied."

"Who tied you?"

"That's a long story. Just untie me, there's a good fellow, and I'lltell you."

The boy whipped out a knife from his pocket and quickly cut the cord.

Harry sprang up and stretched his arms and legs.

"It seems good to be free once more," he said. "But who tied you?"

"Two boys that had a spite against me. At least, one had, and the otherwas his friend."
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