it took history only half a second to realize that he was not dead yet, and he was so glad to be alive againas he thought of itthat he began to sniffle from pure joy. the crows were not long in leaping over the ledge and getting tug and history to their feet. then they took up the march again, staggering under their laughter and howling with barbarous glee. after half a mile more of hard travel, the prisoners were brought through a dense woods into a clearing, where their party was greeted by the voices of others. the sack over tugs head was unbound and snatched away, and he looked about him to see a dozen more black crows, with two other hapless prisoners, seated like an indian war-council about a blazing lire, and, like an indian war-council, pondering tortures for their unlucky captives. in the fire were two or three iron pokers glowing red-hot. the sight of this gave the final blow to any hope that might have remained of historys conducting himself with dignity. when he and tug were led in, there was such an hilarious celebration over the two lakerim captives as the indian powwow indulged in on seeing a scouting party bring in daniel boone a prisoner. as tug was the most important spoil of war, they took counsel, and decided that he should be given the position of honorand tortured last. then they went, enthusiastically to work making life miserable for the two captives brought in previously. the first was compelled to climb a tree, which he did with some little difficulty, seeing that, while half of them pretended to boost him, the other half amused themselves by grabbing his legs and pulling him back three inches for every one inch he climbed (like the frog and the well in the mathematical problem). he finally gained a point above their reach, however, and seated himself in the branches, looking about as happy as a lone wayfarer treed by a pack of wolves. then, they commanded him to bark at the moon, and threatened him with all sorts of penalties if he disobeyed. so he yelped and gnarled and bow-wowed till there was nothing left of his voice but a sickly wheeze. then they told him that the first course was over, and invited him to return to earth and rest up for the second. so he came sliddering down the rough bark with the speed of greased lightning. the second captive was a great fat boy who had been a promising candidate for center rush on the football team until sawed-off appeared on the scene. this behemoth was compelled to seat himself on a small inverted saucer and row for dear life with a pair of toothpicks. the crows howled with glee over the ludicrous antics of the fellow, and set him such a pace that he was soon a perfect waterfall of perspiration, and was crying for mercy. at length he caught a crab and went heels over head backward on the ground, and they left him to recover his breath and his temper. history had watched these proceedings with much amusement, but when he saw the hazers coming for him he lost sight of the fun of the situation immediately. the head crow now towered over the shivering little history, and said in his deepest chest-tones: these lakerim cattle are too fresh. they must be branded and salted a little. then he fastened a handkerchief over historys eyes, and growled: are those irons hot yet? red-hot, your majesty, came the answer from one of the other ravens, and history heard the clanking of the pokers as they were drawn from the fire. he had seen before that they were red-hot, and now they were brandished before his very nose, so close that he could see the red glow through the cloth over his eyes and could feel the heat in the air close to his cheek. where shall we brand the wretch, your honor? was the next question history heard. the poor pygmy was too much frightened to move, and he almost fainted when he heard the first crow answer gruffly: thrust the branding-iron right down the back of his neck, and give him a good long mark that shall last him the rest of his life. instantly history felt a bitter, stinging pain at the back of his neck, a pain that ran like fire down along his spine, and he gave a great shriek of terror and almost swooned away. tugs eyes were not blindfolded, and he had seen that, though the crows had waved a red-hot poker before historys nose, they had quickly substituted a very cold rod to thrust down his back. the effect on the nerves of the blindfolded boy, however, was the same as if it had been red-hot, and he had dropped to earth like a flash. tug, though he knew it would heighten his own tortures, could not avoid expressing his opinion of such treatment of the sensitive history. he did not know whether he was more disgusted and enraged at the actual pain the crows had given their captives or at the ridiculous plights they had put them in, but he did know that he regarded the whole proceeding as a terrible outrage, a disgrace to the academy; and ever after he used all his influence against the barbarous idea of hazing. but now he commanded as though he were master of the situation: throw some of that water on the boys face and bring him to, and while they hastened to follow out his suggestion he poured out the rage in his soul: shame on you, you big cowards, for torturing that poor little kid! youre a nice pack of heroes, you are! only twenty to one! but ill pay you back for this some day, and dont you forget it! and if youll untie my hands ill take you one at a time now. i guess i could just about do up _two_ of you at a time, you big bullies, you! and now one of the larger crows rushed up to tug, and drew off to strike him in the face. but tug only stared back into the fellows eyes with a fiercer glare in his own, and cried: hit me! my hands are tied now! its a good chance for you, and youll never get another, for ill remember the cut of that jaw and the mole on your cheek in spite of your mask, and youll wish you had never been born before i get through with you! tugs rash bravado infuriated the crows until they were ready for any violence, but the head crow interposed and pushed aside the one who still threatened tug. he said laughingly: let him alone, boys; we want him in prime condition for the grand final torture ceremonies. lets finish up the others. then they laughed and went back to the first two wretches, and made life miserable for them to the end of their short wits. they were afraid to try any more experiments on history, and left him lying by the fire, slowly recovering his nerves. all the while tug had remained so very quiet that the crows detailed to watch him had slightly relaxed their vigilance. he had been silently working at the cords with which his hands were tied behind his back, and by much straining and turning and torment of flesh he had at length worked his right hand almost out of the rope. soon he saw that the crows were about to begin on him. he thought the whole performance an outrage on the dignity of an american citizen, and he gave the cords one last fierce jerk that wrung his right hand loose, though it left not a little of the skin on the cords; and the first crow to lay a hand on his shoulder thought he must have touched a live wire, for tugs hand came flashing from behind his back, and struck home on the fellows nose. then tug warmed up to the scrimmage, and his right and left arms flew about like don quixotes windmill for a few minutes, until two of the two dozen crows lighted on his back and pinioned his arms down and bore him gradually to his knees. just as the rest were closing in to crush tug,into mincemeat, perhaps,history, who had been lying neglected on the ground near the fire, rose to the occasion for once. it seemed as if he had, as it were, sat down suddenly upon the spur of the moment. he rolled over swiftly, caught up the two pokers which had been restored to the fire after they had been used to frighten him, and, before he could be prevented, thrust the handle of one of them into tugs grasp, and rose to his feet, brandishing the other like a sword. tug lost no time in adapting himself to the new weapon. he simply waved it gently about and described a bright circle in the air over his head. and his enemies fell off his back and scattered like grasshoppers