[_General flight. The entry-room is empty. A crowd of dirty, dusty rioters rush in, their faces scarlet with brandy, and excitement; tattered, untidy-looking, as if they had been up all night. With the shout:_ "Weavers, come out!" _they disperse themselves through the house. BECKER and several other young weavers, armed with cudgels and poles, come into OLD HILSE'S room. When they see the old man at his loom they start, and cool down a little._ BECKER Come, father Hilse, stop that. Leave your work to them as wants to work. There's no need now for you to be doin' yourself harm. You'll be well taken care of. FIRST YOUNG WEAVER You'll never need to go hungry to bed again. SECOND YOUNG WEAVER The weaver's goin' to have a roof over his head an' a shirt on his back once more. OLD HILSE An' what's the devil sendin' you to do now, with your poles an' axes? BECKER These are what we're goin' to break on Dittrich's back. SECOND YOUNG WEAVER We'll heat 'em red hot an' stick 'em down the manufacturers' throats, so as they'll feel for once what burnin' hunger tastes like. THIRD YOUNG WEAVER Come along, father Hilse! We'll give no quarter. SECOND YOUNG WEAVER No one had mercy on us--neither God nor man. Now we're standin' up for our rights ourselves. _OLD BAUMERT enters, somewhat shaky on the legs, a newly killed cock under his arm._ OLD BAUMERT [_Stretching out his arms._] My brothers--we're all brothers! Come to my arms, brothers! [_Laughter._ OLD HILSE And that's the state you're in, Willem? OLD BAUMERT Gustav, is it you? My poor starvin' friend. Come to my arms, Gustav! OLD HILSE [_Mutters._] Let me alone. OLD BAUMERT I'll tell you what, Gustav. It's nothin' but luck that's wanted. You look at me. What do I look like? Luck's what's wanted. Don't I look like a lord? [_Pats his stomach._] Guess what's in there! There's food fit for a prince in that belly. When luck's with him a man gets roast hare to eat an' champagne wine to drink.--I'll tell you all something: We've made a big mistake--we must help ourselves. ALL [_Speaking at once._] We must help ourselves, hurrah! OLD BAUMERT As soon as we gets the first good bite inside us we're different men. Damn it all! but you feels the power comin' into you till you're like an ox, an' that wild with strength that you hit out right an' left without as much as takin' time to look. Dash it, but it's grand! JAEGER [_At the door, armed with an old cavalry sword._] We've made one or two first-rate attacks. BECKER We knows how to set about it now. One, two, three, an' we're inside the house. Then, at it like lightnin'--bang, crack, shiver! till the sparks are flyin' as if it was a smithy. FIRST YOUNG WEAVER It wouldn't be half bad to light a bit o' fire. SECOND YOUNG WEAVER Let's march to Reichenbach an' burn the rich folks' houses over their heads! JAEGER