Frank Hardy looked through the bars of the window and saw that the sun had risen.  There was a soft pinkness glowing through the trees.

“Look guys,” he said hopefully, “a new day!”

“But yer last!” rasped a voice from the other side of the jail door.  It was followed by an evil sounding cackle.

The door swung open and the prisons were soon tied with their hands behind their backs.  The five of them were led across the fort to a large gallows build in the very center, up on a high platform.

The three young boys were trembling as they watched the hangman test the trap doors under each noose. Even the Lone Ranger and Tonto gulped nervously.

“This might be the end, my friend,” the masked man said to Tonto.

“We’re gonna die!” Chet cried.

* * *

“You can do this, Joe,” Batman instructed the child.  “It will buy us the time we need to get over the walls with our bat ropes.”

Joe looked down at the can of super glue bat spray in his hands and nodded.  “Got it!”  He hurried back through the boards and disappeared inside the fort.

Batman and Robin sent their bat hooks over the wall and soon were climbing up the side of the fort, unnoticed.

“Gee, Batman,” Robin asked his partner, “Do you really think he’ll be able to pull it off?”

“Yes Robin,” the hooded hero replied.  “With his diminutive size, he’ll go unnoticed by those intently watching the hanging.  Joe’s also very fast, so the timing should be precise.”

As they cleared the wall and jumped to the ground behind a building, they

 heard the order called to hang the prisoners. 

* * *

Joe stayed behind the buildings, but moved as fast as his small legs would go toward the back of the gallows.  Exhausted, but determined, the child moved so that he was directly behind the platform. 

He looked around carefully.  Everyone was out in front, waiting for the hanging to take place.  The prisoners were being led up the stairs toward the gallows.  Joe knew there was no time to spare.

He scurried like a little mouse, as low to the ground as he could get.  He sighed with relief when he was secure, under the platform.  He looked up and saw the outline of five trap doors above him.

Joe pulled the can of super glue bat spray from his pocket.  He pointed the can toward the first trap door and pushed the button.  A shot of white foam came out of the nozzle, but it was about a foot short of the door.

“No!” Joe whispered.  He was too small to reach the trap doors!  Everyone would die because he couldn’t reach!

Just then, Joe spotted an old bucket lying near the edge of the platform.  He hurried, grabbed the bucket, ran back to the first door and using the bucket as a stool, he shot the sticky foam all around the edge of the trap door.

Working quickly, Joe had four of the five trap doors done, but when he tried to spray the fifth door, the can only sputtered. “No more super glue!” Joe said, looking up at the last trap door.

Just then, he heard a shout that sent chills up his spine! “Hang ‘em high!”

* * *

Frank Hardy couldn’t believe this was happening.  Both Chet and Tony were crying and Frank felt like crying himself, but something kept telling him it was all going to be okay.

When they put the black hood over his face and tightened the rope on his small neck, Frank gave in to the tears that had been threatening.  He was very afraid.

Frank heard a strange hissing sound, muted but close by.  It made the same sound as the whipped cream can does when you press the nozzle.  It seemed strange for someone to have whipped cream at a hanging.

Frank’s thoughts were interrupted as he heard the command given to ‘hang ‘em high!’  Suddenly, Frank felt nothing but air beneath his feet and a tightening around his neck.

* * *

Batman and Robin raced toward the gallows as soon as they heard the shout.  In seconds, they had leaped up on the platform and were fighting the members of the Rattlesnake Gang. 

Pow! Bam! Whack! Fists were flying and members of the gang were tumbling off the platform, unconscious.

Robin was able to pass a bat knife to the Lone Ranger, who quickly cut through his ropes, then cut Tonto loose too.  They joined in the fight.

The hangman, meanwhile, jumped off the platform to see why the trap doors hadn’t released like they were supposed to do.  He made his way under the platform and stared in disbelief at the sticky goo that was sealing each door shut.

Joe watched horrified as the hangman came under the platform.  The seven year old stood precariously on the wooden bucket, balancing his older brother on his shoulders.

Frank had come through the trap door with a whoosh, but his feet landed right on Joe’s small shoulders.  Joe had yelled for help as soon as he’d heard the caped crusaders arrive, but no one heard him above the ruckus on the platform.

Now he was in big trouble.  If the hangman saw him, he’d grab him and Frank would be hanged.  If Joe tried to hide, he’d have to leave Frank and again, his brother would die. 

“Frank!” Joe whispered as loud as he dare.  “The hangman’s down here! What should I do?”

Frank could hear the panic in his brother’s voice and he knew if Joe moved at all, he’d fall and the noose would choke him to death.  There had to be another way!

“Joe! Try to untie my hands!”

Joe carefully reached up as Frank crouched down as low as he could without losing his balance.  Joe felt the knots and began working on them, praying that the hangman didn’t come under the platform any further.