All the outsiders were called in.

The sun shone serenely, the gentle breeze swept over the fertile prairie; not a sight was to be seen but what was peaceful, not a sound came from the forest but the songs of birds.
It was generally believed that the silly, cowardly boy had given a false alarm.

They cross-examined him.

He was so frightened that he could not tell a straight story.

The men, indignant at being thus a second time duped, as they supposed, actually tied the poor boy to the whipping-post and commenced whipping him.