From that moment the play progressed under difficulties. In the scene where the slaves were being sold at auction some of the students began to pepper the actors with pea-shooters, doing it cautiously, so that they would not be spotted in the act. Every time _Marks_ would open his mouth to say "seventy-five" he would be struck by one or more peas, which were fired with force sufficient to make them sting like hornets. "Seventy----Wow! Whoop!" yelled _Marks_, clapping a hand to the side of his face, and suddenly dancing an original can-can. "Five hundred," cried _Legree_. "Seventy-fi---- We-e-e-ow! Stop it! Somebody is shooting things at me!" _Marks_ had been spotted on the end of his long nose, to which he was wildly clinging with both hands, as he pranced around the stage. "What's the matter?" growled _Legree_, in a guarded tone, unable to understand what had happened. "Have you gone crazy, you fool? Stand up and bid!" Then he cried: "Six hundred!" "Seventy-five---- Hornets and blisters!" finished _Marks_, as he was nailed by three or four peas. "I can't stand this! It's too much!" He bolted off the stage. _Legree_ looked dismayed, and then he advanced to the footlights and addressed the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "I trust you will excuse the gentleman who is playing the part of _Marks_. He has not been well for several days, and he is somewhat troubled with hallucinations. Of course we know his troubles are all imaginary, and---- Ye-e-e-ow! I'm shot!" A pea had struck him squarely between the eyes, and he started back so suddenly that he sat down on the stage as if he had been knocked off his feet. "A-haw! a-haw! a-haw!" roared the voice of Joe Gamp, and the audience joined in the shout of laughter. CHAPTER XXVI. TRAPPED. There was an uproar in the theatre, which the ushers and the police were unable to quell for some time. The curtain was rung down, and then, after a short wait, the manager came out and said the show would go on, if the audience would behave. He threatened to have the persons who were using the pea-shooters arrested, and this threat was greeted by hisses and catcalls. After a while, however, the curtain went up once more, and the play proceeded in a tangle of "real Siberian bloodhounds," _Gumption Cutes_, _Marks_, _Topsies_, _Little Evas_, escaping slaves, slave hunters and general excitement and confusion. It was plain that the actors feared further trouble, and they were rushing through their lines, eager to get off the stage as soon as possible. The bloodhounds were cheered by the students and peppered with peas. When _Topsy_ declared she "nebber was born, but jes' growed," some one inquired the name of the fertilizer used in her rearing. When the jackass appeared, a solemn voice from some uncertain part of the theatre called the attention of the audience to the "leading actor of the colossal aggregation." _Little Eva_ was invited to exhibit her wings.