g men.
Cursing and raving, Ben threw himself to the ground but was immediately
hustled back again by a score of rough hands.

"Set still, ye beast, an' stop ye'r wrigglin'," Jake ordered. "Ye'r
only gettin' what's comin' to ye. Ye'll git a darn sight more if ye
don't keep quiet."

Away from the wharf and the main highway Ben was borne, and across an
open meadow to a deep slimy frog-pond on the edge of a large swamp.
Here he was dumped unceremoniously upon the ground, and ordered to
remove his clothes. When he hesitated and looked helplessly about as
if seeking for some avenue of escape, rough hands seized him and in a
few minutes he was standing as naked as the moment he was born. Ben's
face was now pale and he was trembling in every limb. His cursing and
raving had ceased and the cowardly heart of the man showed itself. He
pleaded for mercy, and begged his captors to let him go.

"Not till we're through with ye," Jake told him. "Ye've had ye'r own
way in this place long enough, an' it's our turn now."

"We'll teach ye a thing or two, ye bloody liar," Tom Totten roared.
"Ye'r heart's as black as ink, an' ye'r body'll be jist as black in a
few minutes. Bring on the stuff, boys."

At once a pail of coal-tar was produced, and seizing the brush which
was handed him, Tom dipped it into the tar. At the first daub upon his
naked body, Ben emitted a yell of despair and made a frantic effort to
escape. But he was instantly seized and laid on the ground.

"Ye'd better keep quiet, me hearty," Tom warned, as he rapidly smeared
Ben's body from head to foot. "If ye'r not careful I'll do ye'r face
an' head at the same time."

While this was taking place, several of the men were ripping open an
old feather bed they had brought with them. Into this Ben was plunged,
and rolled over and over until he looked more like an unsightly
feathered creature than a human being. He was then made to stand on
his feet for general inspection. The men shouted with laughter at the
ludicrous spectacle he presented, and all kinds of uncomplimentary
remarks were made.

"Who's your tailor?" asked one.

"Is that the latest fashion?" questioned another.

Presently Jake raised his hand, and the babel of tongues ceased.

"Now, look here, Ben," he began, "this is a nasty job, I know. But it
was comin' to ye, an' it had to be done sooner or later. Ye were
altogether too fresh an' there was no livin' in the parish with ye.
This is jist