Illustrations of political economy, Volume 1 (of 9)Martineau, Harriet
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Illustrations of political economy, Volume 1 (of 9)
Martineau, Harriet
Didactic fiction, English; Political fiction, English; Social problems -- Fiction
Paul was among the most active of the defenders. Seeing that as many
hands as could assist were engaged at the fire, he bethought himself of
a building where there was a great deal of valuable machinery which was
likely to fall a sacrifice if undefended. He ran thither and found all
quiet. He locked himself in and began to barricade the windows. He had
not half done when the rioters arrived, and, finding the door fastened,
applied to the window. This was soon forced; but then Paul appeared with
a huge iron bar, with which he threatened to break the sculls of all who
came within reach. He stood at some height above them, so as to have
greatly the advantage over them, and there was a moment’s pause. Some
were for forcing the door, but they did not know how many iron bars
might be ready there to fall on the heads of those who first entered.
“Smoke them out!” was the cry at length, and half a dozen lighted
torches were presently thrown in. Paul stamped out as many as he could
reach with either foot; but while he was trying to do this with one
which had already caught some light wood beside it, three men took
advantage of his attention being divided to leap up to the window,
wrench his bar from him, and fling it down below. Paul lost not his
presence of mind for a moment. He snatched up a blazing torch in each
hand, and thrust them in the faces of his enemies, who, not much
relishing this kind of salute, jumped down again whence they came. “It
is my turn to smoke out,” cried he; but this was his last act of
defence. The three men had been long enough on the window to perceive
that Paul was the entire garrison of the place; and while they kept up a
show of attack at the window, the door was forced, and the building
filled without resistance. When it was about half gutted, Paul thought
he heard a welcome sound without above the crashing and cries within. It
was the galloping of horse; and the sabres of soldiers were soon seen
glittering in the red light from the fire. They rode up and surrounded
the building, making Paul, who was still astride on the window, their
first prisoner. He smiled at this, knowing he should soon be set free;
but he was presently touched by the earnestness with which some of the
guilty protested his innocence and begged his discharge. When one of the
masters came up and had him released, he had a painful duty to perform
in pointing out which of the people who remained cooped up in the place
had been the most guilty. He was, however, sufficiently aware of its
being a duty to do it without flinching; and he marked the men who had
first broken the window, thrown the first torches, and burst in the
door.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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