Through the Fray: A Tale of the Luddite RiotsHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
General
Through the Fray: A Tale of the Luddite Riots
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Luddites -- Juvenile fiction
“Oi asked what had becoom of the revenue men, and was told as a false
letter had been writ saying a landing was to be made fifteen mile away.
We went vorward to a place whar there war a break in the rocks, and
a sort of valley ran down to the sea. There war a lot of men standing
aboot, and just as we coom up thar war a movement and we hears as the
loights had been shown and the vessel war running in close. Down we goes
wi' the others, and soon a boat cooms ashore. As soon as she gets close
the men runs out to her; the sailors hands out barrels and each man
shoulders one and trudges off. We does the same and takes the kegs up to
t' top, whar carts and horses was waiting for 'em. Oi went oop and down
three toimes and began to think as there war moor hard work nor fun
aboot it. Oi war a-going to knock off when some one says as one more
trip would finish the cargo, so down oi goes again: Just when oi gets to
t' bottom there war a great shouting oop at top.
“'They're just too late,' a man says; 'the kegs be all safe away except
this lot,' for the horses and carts had gone off the instant as they
got their loads. 'Now we must run for it, for the revenue men will be as
savage as may be when they voinds as they be too late.' 'Where be us to
run?' says oi. 'Keep close to me, oi knows the place,' says he.
“So we runs down and voinds as they had tumbled the bar'ls into t' boat
again, and t' men war just pushing her off when there war a shout close
to us. 'Shove, shove!' shouted the men, and oi runs into t' water loike
t' rest and shooved. Then a lot o' men run up shouting, 'Stop! in the
king's name!' and began vor to fire pistols.
“Nateral oi wasn't a-going to be fired at for nowt, so oi clutches moi
stick and goes at 'em wi' the rest, keeping close to t' chap as told me
as he knew the coontry. There was a sharp foight vor a minute. Oi lays
aboot me hearty and gets a crack on my ear wi' a cootlas, as they calls
theer swords, as made me pretty wild.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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