window of the editorial room. He was appealing to the minions of Gripps as working men and lovers of freedom, in whose special interests the Star had been established; he enjoined them to be patient and respect the law. He was throwing back his loose coat, and running his fingers through his hair, and pouring out a volume of words that seemed to roll over each other and fall in showers upon the heads of those below.

Blackguards as they were, the hired mob who had been bellowing for admission into the printing office evidently did not like the work in which they were engaged, and they did not attempt to interrupt the eloquence of Mr. Windgate Williams.

"This is waste of time," said Gripps at length, flourishing his paper baton, "waste of time. I summon you to open these doors in the name of the law and of its powers which I now hold in my hand.” "If you will give me your word in writing that nothing shall be removed for one week you shall be admitted immediately," said Mr. Williams.

"I will do nothing of the sort, and you may think yourself fortunate if I do not give you into the hands of the police," replied Gripps, in a harsh, crackling voice.

Open the door, sir," demanded Gripps.

"Hear what he has to say," said Dr. Johnson, coming forward. "Aye, aye," said several voices. "Let's hear what he's gotten to say."

"The object of this attack is not fairly to satisfy a legal claim, but to ruin Mr. Martyn and destroy his paper."

"Mr. Martyn, who at this moment lies dangerously ill!" said Dr. Johnson, while Jacob held his head down in sorrow and humiliation. "What have we to do with that?" said a brutal fellow with a black eye. "What have we to do wi' illness or out else? law's law, and when a man wants his money, let it be paid; and if it can't, why let's have the traps--that's law !"

"You wretch!" exclaimed the editor.

"That is law," croaked Gripps, "and here is our authority. There are five shillings for each of you when the work is done. Now then, burst open those doors !"

"Wait! wait! wait a moment," exclaimed the doctor, facing half a dozen of the most brutal of the mob who were pressing forward to execute this command; "if it's a matter of money, I'll give you ten

shillings each to do nothing of the sort, and a trifle into the bargain if you'll throw this grasping lawyer into the mill-dam yonder.”

"Hurrah!" shouted the mob; "hurrah!" Several sticks and hats flew up into the air, and so fickle were the retainers of Gripps that had it not been for the arrival of two constables and the police superintendent there is no knowing what might have become of the besieging chief.

"Here's th' constables," said the brute with the black eye, them! ax them!"

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ax

Mr. Gripps stepped up to the superintendent and explained the case, finally asking if the document he held in his hand did not give him the power to force an entrance into the building and remove its

contents.

The superintendent said he believed it did, whereupon Mr. Gripps demanded the assistance of the police; but the superintendent explained that they had no power unless a breach of the peace should be committed; and being satisfied that such would be the case, and having more regard for his own neck and the safety of his men than anything else, the chief of police marched from the scene of the encounter, after giving the mob a general caution not to commit a breach of the peace, and requesting Mr. Gripps to do what he had to do lawfully.

"But you must stay, sir, you must stay," said Gripps.

"That is my business," said the superintendent; "I give my countenance to neither side, and my presence is best dispensed with. So men-attention! right about face! march !" and the police disappeared.

"Hurrah!" shouted the mob again.

"Now, my men," said Gripps, "bailiffs to the front, and especially those who wish to keep their situations."

"Aye, aye, that's it," said the scoundrel with the black eye, placing himself at the head of a few resolute-looking fellows who prepared to advance.

"One last word, one last word," shouted the editor from his high place, and by this time sundry other faces appeared at other windows. "Hear him, hear him," said some of the mob.

"All I have to say is this," began Mr. Williams, deliberately flinging back his coat, as if he were a barrister pleading at the bar, and then raising his right arm as if he were a warrior about to command a charge; "I give you fair warning, I caution you in the name of God and the law, not to enter here; for, by heavens! I swear that the first head which comes through yon doorway might as VOL. IX., N.S. 1872.

A A

well be on the block! Dante's Inferno has no more fanciful terrors than the reality shall be for the first man who crosses the portals of the offices of the Middleton Star!" with which threat Mr. Williams banged down the window, and the heads which had been seen in the composing-room simultaneously disappeared.

For a few minutes there was a dead silence.

Mr. Johnson looked at Jacob, who had gradually entered into the excitement of the moment and could not resist a cry of admiration and approval at the gallant bearing of the gentleman whom he had considered rather a bore on the previous night.

"He defies you, he defies you," said Gripps at length; "and here's a young puppy applauding him," turning to Jacob.

"Bridle that tongue," said Dr. Johnson to Gripps, "or I'll tear it from your throat, you pettifogging rascal."

Jacob felt his blood boiling.

"Hear that! hear that! a pretty set of cowards you are," said Gripps, turning his small eyes upon the motley crew; "bullied on both sides a sovereign for the first man who puts his foot through yon door."

The black-eyed villain leaped forward at the offer, followed by several others. Jacob's heart beat as though it would burst, when ringing knocks on the door rose above the clamour of discordant voices.

Then there was a crash and a cry, and the besieging host fell back, yelling, down the stone steps before a charge from above.

Windgate Williams had been as good as his word. Black-eye was bleeding from a wound in the head.

The door was again slammed to, and sounds were heard as if the printers were nailing it up.

Cæsar, hearing Tom's voice, grew terribly excited, barked, and rushed up the steps, and forced itself through the aperture which had been made by the first assault, that had proved so disastrous to Gripps's principal villain.

There was another pause, and if Mr. Windgate Williams had been discreet as well as brave he would not have interrupted it; but he had received an ugly blow on the nose, and the sight of his own blood overthrew all his self control.

"You infernal rascals! you scum of a black and ungrateful town! you cowardly miscreants!" he shouted, leaning half way out of the window, "I'll pound you like corn between mill-stones, if you don't disperse."

"Hear that, you cowards!" shouted Gripps; "he'll pound you

like flour; you, the scum of Middleton; infernal rascals he calls you!"

This was irresistible. Gripps knew how to influence a mob. A second charge was made, and there was a desperate fight-this time within the composing-room, which, by sheer force of numbers, the besiegers entered.

Mr. Johnson and Jacob followed, and succeeded in getting inside the room, where they found the printers, headed by Williams, contesting every step of ground, and using all manner of weapons.

Blood was flowing freely, cases of type were overturned, and in a few moments several persons were placed hors de combat.

At length the printers gave way. The fighting gradually became less furious, and then mutually ceased; whereupon Gripps, who had kept in the background, came to the front, and no sooner did he show himself than Mr. Williams leaped upon him. There was a shout of "Fair play," and "Let them fight it out," and the battle of the two hosts suddenly became an encounter between the two chiefs.

Williams and Gripps tugged at each other and rolled on the floor, and got up and fell down again, until Gripps refused to rise, and cried for mercy, whereupon the victorious editor, exclaiming, "Printers, give in! you are an honour to your country!" mingled among the throng, and disappeared.

Nobody seemed desirous of fighting any longer, and when peace was restored the police once more appeared.

Several persons were seriously hurt. One man's leg was severely lacerated by the bite of a dog. Black-eye had sought the infirmary, after the first attack. The compositor from an adjacent town, who had been under the pump an hour or two previously, was carried, insensible, to Dr. Smythe's. Three deputy-bailiffs were much bruised, and black eyes and bleeding noses were general. Tom Titsy was among the latter, and even Dr. Johnson had a contused eye.

The superintendent of police took a note of all this; but, as he said there seemed a legal quibble-a question whether Gripps was not a trespasser-he could not comply with the lawyer's request to apprehend several of Mr. Martyn's men; neither could he take any of the other side into custody. Those who chose to do so might apply for summonses or warrants to the magistrates. He would advise all those who wished for ulterior proceedings to see Squire Northcotes.

When he found his adversary gone, Gripps began to give orders for the removal of the type, directing his first attention to two pages of the paper which were ready for press.

"These first, these first, you rascal," he exclaimed to one of his leading men; "give a hand here, give a hand, and on to your heads with them."

"No! no! for goodness sake," said Jacob, who had some know"ledge of printing, "you will destroy them."

"Stand aside, young prater; I'm master here."

"Fair words, Gripps," said Jacob, clenching his teeth and his fist at the same time, "or I'll finish the work which Mr. Williams began."

Braggart! puppy! son of a bankrupt !" exclaimed Gripps in reply, anxious to have a clear case of assault in the presence of the police.

Jacob had suffered too much already to put up with this open insult. His eyes blazed with fury and indignation; his right arm struck out, followed by his left, with pugilistic vigour; and never was man more completely "floored" than Zebidee Gripps, who lay as quietly after it as if it were pleasant to be knocked down. A constable raised him up, and by signs and gasps Gripps endeavoured to impress everybody with the information that he was very badly hurt, as no doubt he was, taking into consideration all he had undergone during the morning. His first words were a request that the policeman would take Jacob into custody.

The officer said he was sorry to decline, but he must nevertheless -it was a case for a summons; at the same time, he advised Mr. Gripps not to call names.

Come, then, on to your heads with that stuff," said Gripps to the two men who had each raised a page of the Middleton Star which was to have been printed that afternoon. Jacob found that it was useless to remonstrate, and the two men putting their heads beneath the locked-up type, immediately had it all breaking and falling over their shoulders, leaving the iron frames round their necks. From that moment the Middleton Star was defunct.

CHAPTER XXI.

HOMELESS, HOPELESS, PENNILESS.

THE passing-bell swung to and fro in the church steeple. It was evening. The wind had gone down the river and had travelled miles and miles away out to sea. Middleton was calm and still. People paused at their suppers to ask who was dead. The bell knocked at Jacob Martyn's heart. He had only one consolation.