The patient horse at last raised its head with a toss and a snort over the rabble, and then wheeled about to break away. With the instinct of his kind, Festus Clasby rushed to the animal's head and held him. As he did so the striped petticoats and the tossing shawls of the women flashed about the shafts and the body of the cart. The men raised a hoarse roar. A neighbour of Festus Clasby, driving up the street at this moment, was amazed to see the great man of lands and shops in the midst of the wrangling tinkers. He pulled up, marvelling, then went to him. "What is this, Festus?" he asked. "They have robbed me," cried Festus Clasby. "Robbed you?" "Ay, of money and of property." "Good God! How much money?" "I don't rightly know--I forget--some shillings, maybe." "Oh! And of property?" "No matter. It is only one article, but property." "Come home, Festus; in the name of God get out of this," advised the good neighbour. But Festus Clasby was strangely moved. He was behaving like a man who had drink taken. Something had happened wounding to his soul. "I will not go," he cried. "I must have back my money." The tinkers had now ceased disputing among themselves. They were grouped about the two men as if they were only spectators of an interesting dispute. "Back I must have my money!" cried Festus Clasby, his great hand going up in a mighty threat. The tinkers clicked their tongues on the roofs of their mouths in a sound of amazement, as much as to say, "What a terrible thing! What a wonderful and a mighty man!" "I advise you to come," persuaded his neighbour. "Never! God is my judge, never!" cried Festus Clasby. Again the tinkers clicked their tongues, looked at each other in wonder. "You will be thankful you brought your life out of this," said the neighbour. "Let it not be said of you on the countryside that you were seen wrangling with the tinkers in this town." "Shame! Shame! Shame!" broke out like a shocked murmur among the attentive tinkers. Festus Clasby faced his audience in all his splendid proportions. Never was he seen so moved. Never had such a great passion seized him. The soft tones of his eyes were no longer soft. They shone in fiery wroth. "I will at least have that which I bought twice over!" he cried. "I will have my tin can!"