Re: Driving the other boys together

"Marius Hancu" <NOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:geuld8$lfc$1@xxxxxxxx
Hello:

This
"by driving the other boys together"
seems a bit rare.

Does it mean "assembling them, making them come together?"

--------
Tom found himself writing "BECKY" in the sand with his big toe; he
scratched it out, and was angry with himself for his weakness. But he
wrote it again, nevertheless; he could not help it. He erased it once
more and then took himself out of temptation by driving the other boys
together and joining them.

Twain, Mark - Tom Sawyer, p. 109
http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Mark_Twain/Tom_Sawyer/CHAPTER_XVI_p1.html
--------

Where were the other boys? Scattered or hanging around looking for trouble as a gang? Tom was quite a leader, and is showing some discipline in organizing the "lost boys" in activities that will keep himself from dwelling on non-productive thoughts. "Wool-gathering, lolly-gagging, day-dreaming" and other such un-manly things.

So, herding or gathering a bunch of guys together to organize them would equal "driving them", not with a whip, but just by force of personality and selection of inviting activities.

.

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