"Take off your coat, boy!" said Hayden, harshly.
Kit looked into the face of his persecutor, and decided that it would be prudent to obey. Otherwise he would have forcibly resisted.
He removed his coat and held it over his arm.
"Lay down the coat and take off your vest," was the next order.
This also Kit felt compelled to do.
Dick Hayden produced from the capacious side pocket of his coat a cord, which he proceeded to test by pulling. It was evidently very strong.
"Stubbs, tie him to yonder sapling!" said Dick.
Stubbs proceeded, nothing loth, to obey the directions of his leader. Kit was tied with his back exposed. Dick Hayden watched the preparations with evident enjoyment.
"This is the moment I have been longing for," he said.
From his other pocket he drew a cowhide, which he passed through the fingers of his left hand, while with cruel eyes he surveyed the shrinking form of his victim.