Tom and Phil accordingly started up the leader, and soon wriggled on to the ledge as Teddy had done. The sign being gone, there was great danger of their slipping off into the street, and they crept along very cautiously. When they found themselves over the suspended Ted, they rose up on their feet, stooped over, and each got a good hold on his collar with one hand. Then they lifted together with all their strength, but they might as well have lifted on a thrifty oak-tree for all they accomplished. Ted had settled down so far that his shoulders were half drawn under the cornice, and though he tried to wriggle about and help them as they lifted, his wriggling really consisted of nothing but thrashing his legs about in the air. "We can't do it, Tom," said Phil. Tom felt around on the front of the building, and replied: "'Fraid we can't. If there was only something for us to hold on to we could lift a good deal more; but there isn't." "Not a thing. And if we lift another pound we'll pull ourselves into the street and break our necks. What shall we do?" "Don--don't leave me," implored Teddy, with just a suspicion of a whimper in his voice. "Wish I'd never heard of the sign. It's my last sign if I ever get down." "We'll get you down some way, Ted," answered Tom. "Just you keep a stiff upper lip." "I--I am," returned Teddy. "But I can't hang much longer. Feel like I was going to die, or something." Just then distant footsteps were heard on the sidewalk. "Ssh!" said Phil. "Somebody's coming. Get in the doorway, you fellows down there." Joe and Fred obeyed, and the footsteps came nearer. "That's Billy's walk, for sure," whispered Tom. "Can't fool me on that. Lie down, Phil," and the two boys flattened out on the ledge. Poor Teddy could do nothing but hang, as if he were a sign put out in front of a store where small boys were kept for sale. Nearer and nearer came the footsteps, till they were almost in front of the building. Then there was a sudden stumble, a smothered ejaculation, and a man fell full length on the walk, while something which showed a little point of light went rolling along the walk. It was Billy, and he had fallen over the sign, and his dark-lantern had rolled away. The boys all had hard work to keep from laughing, except Teddy. "Geewhillikans!" howled Billy, as he scrambled to his feet and made a dive for his lantern. "What's all this?" The next second he flashed his bull's-eye on the walk, and began an investigation. "You may shoot me if it ain't old Parks's sign!" he went on, throwing the stream of light along the board. "More Halloween monkey business, I s'pose. I'd like to catch the scalawags! Wonder how they got it down?" He stepped back to the edge of the walk and turned the light upward. [Illustration: "WELL, WELL! IF THERE AIN'T A BOY, THEN I'M A GOAT!"] "Well, _well_! If there ain't a boy, then I'm a goat! Come down here, you young imp!" Teddy only swung his legs.