Part 2 (1/2)

The news had an extraordinary effect on Mr. Blackett. Ordering his coach, he drove in haste to his colliery, hoisted a big flag there, proclaimed a holiday on full pay, and sent for a copious supply of ale. His son Matthew, who had not gone back to school at York, amused himself and the men by firing unnumbered salvoes from a couple of small cannon he possessed.

”Now that Billy the Dutchman is out of the way,” Squire Blackett cried exultingly, ”Whiggery will soon be dead, and England will be ruled by its rightful sovereign, who will be a.s.sisted by lords and gentlemen of sound policy.”

A huge banner was hoisted, and the Squire and his son headed a procession to the neighbouring villages. The jubilant colliery owner and his merry men took care to pa.s.s the Fairburn pit, with frantic cheerings and hallooings.

”What does it all mean?” George, who was in charge in the absence of his father, inquired of the old overlooker of the colliery.

”It means beer, George,” the ancient replied, ”beer and froth, and nothing else.”

”Nothing else! I hope that is a true word, Saunders, that's all. I mislike the looks of some of those fellows.”

”Why, to judge from all the whispers we hear,” the overlooker commented, ”we are like enough to get our backs well hazelled before long.”

George gave a word of caution to the pitmen when they left work that afternoon.

”There are sure to be insults,” he said, ”but take no notice, and keep out of harm's way.”

But the fates were against George and his pit that day. Hardly had the little gang of Fairburn colliers turned the corner of the lane when they were met by an excited mob carrying a huge sheet on which was rudely printed in big characters, ”Down with all Whigs!”

”An insult to the gaffer, that's as plain as the nose on a man's face,” cried one of the Fairburn fellows, and without more ado, he dashed forward and made a grab at the offending canvas. He was forestalled, however, a man of the opposing party deftly tripping him up and sending him sprawling into the mud. Before the unlucky pitman could rise the whole mob had surged over him, amidst shrieks of laughter.

On this the Fairburn men threw all George's cautions to the winds, and charged the mob. Instantly a hot fight was going on around the big banner. Even old Saunders, the overlooker, caught one of the opposition gang by the collar, crying, ”Ye loons, what for are ye coming our way again? Ye ha' been once to-day, wi' your jibes and jeers; isn't that enough?”

”Jibes and jeers, old lad! Eh, there'll happen be mair than that afore bedtime.”

Meanwhile there was rough work around the banner. In spite of the efforts of the bearers and their friends to protect the canvas, one of the Fairburn men had got a grip of it, and in a second the thing had been torn from its supporting poles, amid mingled cheers and execrations. The canvas itself was pulled hither and thither by the opposing gangs, each striving to retain possession of it. Bit by bit the banner was torn to pieces, the men fighting savagely for even the smallest shred of it, each man pocketing his piece as a trophy, till at length there was nothing of the thing left visible.

Cries of, ”On to the pit wi' ye, lads!” were by this time plentiful, and with a dash the now much augmented mob surged in that direction.

Under old Saunders the Fairburn men disputed every yard of the way, but they were entirely outnumbered, and were slowly but surely forced back upon the works they had so recently left. All had happened in the course of a very few minutes.

George, on his way to his home, some half mile away, had made scarce half the distance when his ears were a.s.sailed by the noise of conflict somewhere behind him. He stopped and listened, the yells growing louder and fiercer every instant. Then he darted back towards the pit, reaching the spot just in time to see his men make a dash for the shelter of the sheds around the mouth, followed by a howling, threatening mob.

In a moment the youngster sprang through the entrance of the largest of the sheds, and closed the door, shooting home the two thick rough bars of wood that did duty for bolts, amid shouts from his men of ”The young gaffer! We'll all stick to him!” And in spite of his youth, George was at once installed as captain of the little Fairburn band.

He had always been highly popular with the men of the colliery; they liked his entire freedom from vain show and swagger, and his pleasant-spoken manner.

”What have we in the way of weapons, lads?” he asked, taking a hasty glance round the dimly-lit shed. Darkness was coming on apace even outside; within the shed the men had to grope their way about.

There was very little that would serve, except a number of pickaxes, a few shovels, and two or three hayforks belonging to the stables. These were served out, and then one man found the master's gun, with a powder-flask and a handful of sparrow shot.

”Better let me have that,” said George, quietly relieving the man of the weapon, the old overlooker approving with a ”Aye, that's right; you'll keep a cooler head than Tom there.”

The mob outside surged down on the door in force, and with loud yells.

The door stood the shock, and the major part of the attackers in a trice turned their attention to the smaller buildings dotted here and there about the pit's mouth. One by one these sheds were pulled to pieces, to the ever-increasing delight of the mob. George and his men were powerless to stop the destruction.

”We must not venture out,” the boy said, ”unless the scoundrels turn their attention to the windla.s.ses and the gear.”

So his men had to grind their teeth in rage and look on helplessly.