"Lynch him! lynch him!" the cry still rose menacingly. The crowd was becoming impatient.
"Wait a minute;" shouted Frank, straightening himself to his full height and holding up his hand compellingly. "We're not going to lynch this man. We're going to punish him worse than that."
The German's face, which had grown hopeful at the beginning of Frank's speech, resumed its terrified expression and he sank back despairingly.
The shouts and cries of the crowd had settled down now to a muttering, murmuring, undertone so that Frank's voice rose clear and determined above it.
"First of all," he said, while the crowd surged forward in mingled disappointment and eagerness, "he's going to pick up the flags he has dared insult, dust them off carefully and restore them to their former position."
The crowd shouted its delight at the suggestion, while the German's face grew sullen and he looked stolidly at the ground.
"I vill not do it," he muttered.
"What's that?" queried Frank politely, while his knuckles dug deep into his captive's neck. "I'm afraid I didn't quite understand you. If you will repeat—"
"I said I vould not do it," cried the German, with a sudden flare up of his old rage and hatred. "Und vat I say I mean."
"But I'm sure you will change your mind," Frank answered still gently, while the crowd watched eagerly. "Within the next minute I am almost sure you are going to pick up the flags, dust them off neatly and put them back where you found them. If a little pressure is needed, why, I am always willing to oblige."