across the line and then the fellows would rush out
and trip up the constable and hold him down till Pony got safe across. He
ought to hollo, when he was across, and that would let them know that he
was safe and they would be ready to let the constable up, and begin to run
before he could grab them.

Everybody thought that was a splendid plan except Archy Hawkins, that all
the fellows called Old Hawkins; his father kept one of the hotels, and Old
Hawkins used to catch frogs for the table; he was the one that the frogs
used to know by sight, and when they saw him they would croak out: "Here
comes Hawkins! Here comes Hawkins! Look out!" and jump off the bank into
the water and then come up among the green slime, where nobody but Old
Hawkins could see them. He was always joking and getting into scrapes, but
still the boys liked him and thought he was pretty smart, and now they did
not mind it when he elbowed the big boys away that were talking to Pony
and told them to shut up.

"You just listen to your uncle, Pony!" he said. "These fellows don't know
anything about running off. I'll tell you how to do it; you mind your
uncle! It's no use trying to get away from the constable, if he's there,
for he'll catch you as quick as lightning, and he won't mind these fellows
any more than fleas. You oughtn't try to start till along about midnight,
for the constable will be in bed by that time, and you won't have any
trouble. You must have somebody to wake you up, and some of the fellows
ought to be outside, to do it. You listen to your grandfather! You ought
to tie a string around your big toe, and let the string hang out of the
window, the way you do Fourth of July eve; and then just as soon as it
strikes twelve, the fellows ought to tug away at the string till you come
hopping to the window, and tell 'em to stop. But you got to whisper, and
the fellows mustn't make any noise, either, or your father will be out on
them in a minute. He'll be watching out, to-night, anyway, I reckon,
because--"

Old Hawkins was walking backward in front of Pony, talking to him, and
showing him how he must hop to the window, and all at once he struck his
heel against a root in the sidewalk, and the first thing he knew he sat
down so hard that it about knocked the breath out of him.

All the fellows laughed, and anybody else would have been mad, but Old
Hawkins was too good-natured; and he got up and brushed himself, and said:
"Say! let's go down to