Mortified and puzzled at this development, the colonel decided to march immediately. As soon as this was realised, a crash of timber was heard, and it became known that the Leaguers were tearing down the hoarding that enclosed the foundations of an extension of the Land Registry buildings close at hand. The levelled hoarding at once exposed to view great balks of timber, ladders, and stacks of pickaxes and shovels. It was an unexpected armoury, ready to hand, and the Leaguers immediately availed themselves of its resources. Several heavy pieces of timber and ladders were now dragged towards the Lincoln’s Inn archway, triumphant and excited cries bursting from the mob. The next moment these improvised battering-rams were brought to bear with terrific violence upon the gates and brickwork. The unarmed contingent that had scrambled into the gardens urged on their comrades with wild applause, and hurled defiance at the humiliated battalion. “Rats! Rats in a trap! Down with the lawyers!” burst hoarsely from a thousand throats. The colonel turned pale as death, and his horse, terrified by the uproar, plunged dangerously in proximity to his men. Above the din, the order, “Open the gates!” was shouted. But, before it could be obeyed one of them came crashing to the ground. The other was torn aside, and the Leaguers and the “Devil’s Own” stood face to face. There was a pause. Then, hurtling through the air, came a pavior’s rammer, followed by a stonecutter’s mallet, and two privates with anguished faces limped out of the ranks of the volunteers. At the same instant the growing force of Leaguers on the flank made a determined effort to tear up the iron railings bordering the grass. “Fix bayonets!” roared the colonel angrily. A howl of rage went up from the Leaguers; then, suddenly, as if at the crack of doom, every voice was silenced, every face was blanched. The thunder of a great explosion filled the air, followed by crash on crash, and multitudinous reverberations. CHAPTER XXII THE BOMB BRIGADE