That frightened Noaks, for you can see he's a regular coward, so he asked the others what they thought had better be done with me.
"'I know,' said Hogson.

'There's an old cow-shed in the field next to ours; let's shut him in and keep him there till after tea.

He'll get a jolly row for being late when he gets back, and he won't dare to say where he's been; because I know it's against their rules to come anywhere near us, and Locker's Lane is out of bounds.

If he does tell, we'll swear he was in the road chucking stones at the windows.' "Some one said there was only a staple on the door of the shed, but Noaks said he'd fetch the padlock off his play-box, and so he did.
"Well, they took me across their playing field, and over the hedge into the next, and shut me up in this beastly old hovel.

'It's no use your making a row,' said Hogson, 'because no one'll hear you; and if you do, summons or no summons we'll come down and give you a licking.' After that they left me, and went back to the house; and as soon as they'd gone, I began to try to find some way of escape, but it was so dark inside the shed I couldn't see anything.