Maycomb starts to settle down and even Bob Ewell obtains a job, but this progress is short-lived as he loses it within days for being lazy. Of course he blames Atticus for the loss of his job.
Tom Robinson's old boss Link Deas decides to give Helen a job, but Bob Ewell stalks her shouting abuse at her, causing Link Deas to step in and put a stop to it. Another incident causing Ewell more anger.
Bob Ewell now turns his attention to Judge Taylor, trying to break into his house.
The ladies of Maycomb decide to organize a Halloween Pageant and Scout is assigned the part of a ham. She has a big costume constructed out of chicken wire to wear, but she needs help in getting out of it. Atticus and Aunt Alexandra are tired and they persuade Jem to accompany Scout to the Pageant and bring her home. Aunt Alexandra has reservations about allowing the children to go on their own, but she relents in the end. .
It is a pitch-black night and on their way to the Pageant, Cecil Jacobs jumps out at Jem and Scout and frightens them. .
Scout is tired and falls asleep inside her costume waiting for her cue, which she, of course, misses. When she does awake, she leaps onto the stage right at the end of the Pageant causing the audience to laugh at her silliness. To save her embarrassment she decides that she wishes to stay inside her costume until she gets home.
As they walk home, Jem hears something unusual and tells Scout to be very quiet. He thinks someone is following them. Then a scuffle occurs and Scout hears Jem scream. She can see very little from her costume and she trips and falls over. Suddenly she feels a vice-like grip around her as someone crushes her inside her costume. Something tears at the metal mesh and she hears struggling behind her. Then Jem breaks free and drags her to the road before their assailant pulls him back. Scout hears a crunching sound and then Jem screams. Suddenly she is attacked again, but her attacker is pulled away and she realizes that someone else has joined the affray.