Willie and the mortage, showing how much may be accomplished b y a boy . for the purpose of enabling rob-bers to break open a lock, in order that they may get into a houseto commit a robbery, would be justly punished, if taken, as an ac-complice in the crime. Mrs. Joyn, however, was at length so far influenced by Williespersuasions, that she consented that he should go. Accordingly,at half past nine oclock, he set off for the pound. A pound is a small square inclosure surrounded by a strongfence or wall, which is used for the purpose of shutting up cattlethat are found going astray. The pound
Willie and the mortage, showing how much may be accomplished b y a boy . for the purpose of enabling rob-bers to break open a lock, in order that they may get into a houseto commit a robbery, would be justly punished, if taken, as an ac-complice in the crime. Mrs. Joyn, however, was at length so far influenced by Williespersuasions, that she consented that he should go. Accordingly,at half past nine oclock, he set off for the pound. A pound is a small square inclosure surrounded by a strongfence or wall, which is used for the purpose of shutting up cattlethat are found going astray. The pound in Jayne was situatedat the end of a back street, in a place that was Very retired, thoughit was not far from the heart of the village. As Willie approach-ed it, he saw a gleam of light shining over one corner of it as iffrom a fire inside. The gate was open, and Willie went in. THE PLOT. 135 Picture of the boys at their rendezvous in the pound. He saw several boys gathered together around a small fire in acorner of the pound. They were talking together in suppressed. voices. As they stood about the fire, their forms and faces wereilluminated by the glow of it, in such a manner as to present a verypicturesque and striking spectacle. 136 THE PLOT. Some account of the plot which the boys had formed. Here comes Willie, said Bolster. I told you he wouldcome. The boys turned toward Willie, and stopped talking till hereached the place where they were standing. Willie knew someof them. Others he did not know. One of them had a dark lan-tern in his hand, and on a flat stone near the fire Willie saw twoaugers lying, one crossing the other.* The plan which the boys had formed for boring out old Tommsrum, as they called it, was to wait in the pound till about tenoclock, when they supposed that the store would be shut up andall would be still, and then they were to go into the yard behindthe store with their lanterns and their augers. There was no cel-lar under the part of the store where
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidwilliemortag, bookyear1854
