Addison was much disturbed. He gave Enoch his undershirt, and another boy endowed him with a pair of drawers. With these donations, they got him out of the bushes, and forming a close circle round him, escorted him barefoot and bareheaded to one of the village stores, where he was rigged up--on credit--so that he could go home. There was a great deal of joking, yet the prevalent feeling was one of indignation; and if the two tricksters had been caught that afternoon, they would have fared badly, and probably taken a ride on a rail. Altogether, it had been a bad day for Enoch; but for popular sympathy, he would not only have lost his "duster," but been obliged to scud home under bare poles. At sunset we bought crackers and cheese for our supper. Ned and the two Murch boys were now of our party, but Thomas and Catherine had gone home. We were but slightly repaid for waiting till evening, however; only six rockets, five Roman candles and two "pin-wheels" were burned in the way of fireworks. It was very soon over, although we had been obliged to wait until a quarter to nine for the exhibition to begin. Boy-like, however, we would not have missed it for a great deal. Then came the long ride homeward in the dark, for the night proved cloudy; but the events of the day furnished us a great deal to talk of, as old Sol plodded onward,--and there was more to follow. We had gone about half way home, and were passing a partly wooded tract on the upper or west side of the highway, when Willis suddenly said, "What's that thing, hanging down from that tree over the road?" "I don't see anything," replied Addison. "I tell you there is!" muttered Willis, excitedly. "Hold on, Ad. Stop." Addison pulled up. "Yes, there is something there," Ned said. I was sure, too, that I could see something different from the branches and leaves of the tree; there was a reflection as from white cloth, or human skin. "It looks like a man hanging there," whispered Willis. "Gracious! You don't suppose it is a man, hung, do ye?" Ned whispered. The idea startled us. "Pshaw!" said Addison. "I don't believe it is any such thing. May be something some one has lost in the road, and somebody else has found it and hung it up there, where it will be seen." "Perhaps," said Willis, doubtfully. "I'm going to drive along, anyway," continued Addison. "No, don't. Hold on, Ad. Don't," whispered Ned, for the thing did have a curious appearance. Addison persisted and slapped old Sol gently with the reins. The rest of us cringed down as low as we could, for we did not like the looks of the object, or the thought of passing close under it. But just as we had got under it, Addison said, "Whoa," and old Sol stopped short. "Drive on, Ad, drive on," whispered Ned, nervously. "No," said Addison. "I'm going to see what that is. Take the reins," and he gave them to me. "I can reach it by standing upon the seat."