he meant to treat her to green peas and ice-cream. But as they passed the
battery, a sudden desire swept through him to give an exhibition of his
strength and endurance to this girl, to force her admiration with the
vanity of a cock strutting before his hens.

He took hold of the brass handles, and watched the dial, like a
clock-face, that marked the intensity of the current. The muscles of his
face contracted into a rigid stare as the electric current ran through his
limbs. He had the face of one visiting the dentist, but he held on until
the pointer marked half-way. Then he nodded, and dropped the handles with
a sigh of relief as the current was turned off.

But as he looked to Pinkey for the applause that he had earned, Chook
stepped up to the machine and, with an impudent grin at Pinkey, grasped
the handles. The pointer moved slowly round, and passed Stinky's mark,
but Chook held on, determined to eclipse his rival. His muscles seemed to
be cracking with pain, the seconds lengthened into intolerable hours.
Suddenly, as the dial marked three-quarters, he dropped the handles with
a grin of triumph at Pinkey.

Stinky, smarting with defeat, instantly took up the challenge.

"That's no test of strength," he cried angrily. "Women can stand a lot
more than men."

"Orl right; choose yer own game, an' I'm after yer," said Chook.

Behind them a hammer fell with a tremendous thud, and a voice cried,
"Try yer strength--only a penny, only a penny."