At that moment, when a second onset must have brought them intocollision with those who stood on the defensive within, in whichcase great loss of life and bloodshed would inevitably haveensued,--the hindmost portion of the crowd gave way, and the rumourspread from mouth to mouth that a messenger had been despatched bywater for the military, who were forming in the street. Fearful ofsustaining a charge in the narrow passages in which they were soclosely wedged together, the throng poured out as impetuously asthey had flocked in. As the whole stream turned at once, Barnabyand Hugh went with it: and so, fighting and struggling andtrampling on fallen men and being trampled on in turn themselves,they and the whole mass floated by degrees into the open street,where a large detachment of the Guards, both horse and foot, camehurrying up; clearing the ground before them so rapidly that thepeople seemed to melt away as they advanced.
The word of command to halt being given, the soldiers formed acrossthe street; the rioters, breathless and exhausted with their lateexertions, formed likewise, though in a very irregular anddisorderly manner. The commanding officer rode hastily into the open space between the two bodies, accompanied by a magistrate andan officer of the House of Commons, for whose accommodation acouple of troopers had hastily dismounted. The Riot Act was read,but not a man stirred.
In the first rank of the insurgents, Barnaby and Hugh stood side byside. Somebody had thrust into Barnaby"s hands when he came outinto the street, his precious flag; which, being now rolled up andtied round the pole, looked like a giant quarter-staff as hegrasped it firmly and stood upon his guard. If ever man believedwith his whole heart and soul that he was engaged in a just cause,and that he was bound to stand by his leader to the last, poorBarnaby believed it of himself and Lord George Gordon.
After an ineffectual attempt to make himself heard, the magistrategave the word and the Horse Guards came riding in among the crowd.
But, even then, he galloped here and there, exhorting the people todisperse; and, although heavy stones were thrown at the men, andsome were desperately cut and bruised, they had no orders but tomake prisoners of such of the rioters as were the most active, andto drive the people back with the flat of their sabres. As thehorses came in among them, the throng gave way at many points, andthe Guards, following up their advantage, were rapidly clearing the ground, when two or three of the foremost, who were in a manner cutoff from the rest by the people closing round them, made straighttowards Barnaby and Hugh, who had no doubt been pointed out as thetwo men who dropped into the lobby: laying about them now with someeffect, and inflicting on the more turbulent of their opponents, afew slight flesh wounds, under the influence of which a mandropped, here and there, into the arms of his fellows, amid muchgroaning and confusion.
At the sight of gashed and bloody faces, seen for a moment in thecrowd, then hidden by the press around them, Barnaby turned paleand sick. But he stood his ground, and grasping his pole morefirmly yet, kept his eye fixed upon the nearest soldier--noddinghis head meanwhile, as Hugh, with a scowling visage, whispered inhis ear.
The soldier came spurring on, ****** his horse rear as the peoplepressed about him, cutting at the hands of those who would havegrasped his rein and forced his charger back, and waving to hiscomrades to follow--and still Barnaby, without retreating an inch,waited for his coming. Some called to him to fly, and some were inthe very act of closing round him, to prevent his being taken, whenthe pole swept into the air above the people"s heads, and the man"s saddle was empty in an instant.
Then, he and Hugh turned and fled, the crowd opening to let thempass, and closing up again so quickly that there was no clue to thecourse they had taken. Panting for breath, hot, dusty, andexhausted with fatigue, they reached the riverside in safety, andgetting into a boat with all despatch were soon out of anyimmediate danger.
As they glided down the river, they plainly heard the peoplecheering; and supposing they might have forced the soldiers toretreat, lay upon their oars for a few minutes, uncertain whetherto return or not. But the crowd passing along Westminster Bridge,soon assured them that the populace were dispersing; and Hughrightly guessed from this, that they had cheered the magistrate foroffering to dismiss the military on condition of their immediatedeparture to their several homes, and that he and Barnaby werebetter where they were. He advised, therefore, that they shouldproceed to Blackfriars, and, going ashore at the bridge, make thebest of their way to The Boot; where there was not only goodentertainment and safe lodging, but where they would certainly bejoined by many of their late companions. Barnaby assenting, theydecided on this course of action, and pulled for Blackfriars accordingly.
They landed at a critical time, and fortunately for themselves atthe right moment. For, coming into Fleet Street, they found it inan unusual stir; and inquiring the cause, were told that a body ofHorse Guards had just galloped past, and that they were escortingsome rioters whom they had made prisoners, to Newgate for safety.
Not at all ill-pleased to have so narrowly escaped the cavalcade,they lost no more time in asking questions, but hurried to The Bootwith as much speed as Hugh considered it prudent to make, withoutappearing singular or attracting an inconvenient share of publicnotice.
