A small mob of half-naked boys and girls came tearing out of the woods, scared and shrieking.
The eldest among them were not more than twelve or fourteen years old.

They implored help, but they were so beside themselves that we couldn't make out what the matter was.

However, we plunged into the wood, they skurrying in the lead, and the trouble was quickly revealed: they had hanged a little fellow with a bark rope, and he was kicking and struggling, in the process of choking to death.

We rescued him, and fetched him around.

It was some more human nature; the admiring little folk imitating their elders; they were playing mob, and had achieved a success which promised to be a good deal more serious than they had bargained for.
It was not a dull excursion for me.