hing to the somewhat rickety
door, not only closed it, but also locked it.

Matt viewed this movement with increased alarm, and squirmed to
release himself, but without avail.

"Yo' can't git away from us, nohow!" cried the ringleader, as he
squeezed the young auctioneer's arm until Matt thought he would crack
a bone. "We is gwine for to teach you a lesson, boy, dat yo' won't
forgit in a long while!"

"Help! help!" yelled Matt, without more ado, realizing that the
situation was becoming suddenly desperate.

He had barely time to repeat his cry when the ringleader of the
negroes clapped his big hand over his mouth. Then he was forced over
backward upon the floor.

"Go frough his pockets, Jeff!"

"Dat's wot I intends to do, Tooker!"

"He's got a putty good watch."

"Maybe he's got a lot o' money, too."

The rascals began to go through Matt's pockets, and he called Jeff
made a movement toward relieving the boy of his watch and chain.

The timepiece had once belonged to Mr. Lincoln, and to the young
auctioneer it was a valuable heirloom. The thought that he was to be
deprived of it angered him more than did anything else, and he began
to kick out hotly right and left.

The negroes were not prepared for this, and before they could guard
against it, one received a severe blow in the chin, and the other had
the toe of Matt's shoe nearly knock out his eye. They both gave sharp
cries of pain and fell back, and taking advantage of this Matt leaped
to his feet.

"Open that!" he commanded, to the third negro, who stood with his back
against the door. "Open that before I make it warm for you also!"

But the colored man would not budge, and Matt was compelled to attack
him in his fight for freedom.

The young auctioneer was thoroughly aroused, and now showed what
muscle he had gained during his free-and-easy life on the road. He
attacked the man without hesitation, and forcing him aside, compelled
him to keep away from the door by blows and kicks delivered with
surprising rapidity.

The man had, at the last moment, taken the key from the lock and
thrown it in the far corner of the room. Not waiting to recover this,
Matt began to hammer at the door, and gathering himself together,
threw his whole weight against it.

As has been said, the door was a rickety one, and it went down with a
crash, tumbling the young auctioneer upon his face just outside the
cottage.

"Hullo! what on earth does this mean?" cried a voi