to be taken to his brother's house, which was near at hand. There were lots of people in the road, for it was market-day in Huddersfield, you know, and the folks were on their way home, so he was soon put in a cart and taken back to the Warren-house. It was found that both balls had struck him, one in the right side and one in the left thigh. I hear he is still alive this morninff, but cannot live out the day.'
' That is a bad business indeed,' Ned said.
' It is indeed. Horsfall was a fine generous high-spirited fellow, but he was specially obnoxious to the Luddites, whose doings he was always denouncing in the most violent way. Whose turn will it be next, I wonder? The success of this attempt is sure to encourage them, and we may expect to hear of some more bad doings. Of course there will be a reward offered for the apprehension of the murderers. A labourer saw them as they were hurrying away from the plantation, and says he should know them again if he saw them; but these fellows hang together so that I doubt if we shall ever find them out.'
After Mr. Cartwright had gone Ned told Luke what had happened. ' I hope, Luke, that none of the Varley people have had a hand in this business?'
' Oi hoape not,' Luke said slowly, ' but ther bain't no saying; oi hears little enough of what be going on. Oi was never much in the way of hearing, but now as I am head of the room, and all the hands here are known to be well contented, oi hears less nor ever. Still matters get talked over at the ' Cow.' Oi hears it said as many of the lads in the village has been wishing to leave King Lud since the work was put out, but they have had messages as how any man turning traitor would be put out of the way. It's been somewhat like that from the first, and more nor half of them as has joined has done so because they was afeard to stand out. They ain't tried to put the screw on us old hands, but most of the young uns has been forced into joining.
'Bill has had a hard toime of it to stand out. He has partly managed because of his saying as how he has been sich good friends with you that he could not join to take
part against the maisters; part, as oi hears, because his two brothers, who been in the thick of it from the first, has stuck up agin Bill being forced into it. Oi wish as we could get that blacksmith out of t' village; he be at the bottom of it all, and there's nowt would please me more than to hear as the constables had laid their hands on him. Oi hear as how he is more violent than ever at that meeting-house. Of course he never mentions names or says anything direct, but he holds forth agin traitors as falls away after putting their hands to the plough, and as forsakes the cause of their starving brethren because their own stomachs is full.'
'I wish we could stop him,' Ned said thoughtfully. 'I might get a constable sent up to be present at the meetings, but the constables here are too well known, and if you were to get one from another place the sight of a stranger there would be so unusual that it would put him on his guard at once. Besides, as you say, it would be very difficult to prove that his expressions applied to the Luddites, although every one may understand what he means. One must have clear evidence in such a case. However, I hope we shall catch him tripping one of these days. These are the fellows who ought to be punished, not the poor ignorant men who are led away by them.'
The feeling of gratitude and respect with which Ned was regarded by the workpeople of his district, owing to his action regarding the hand-frames, did something towards lightening the load caused by the suspicion which still rested upon him. Although he still avoided all intercourse with those of his own station, he no longer felt the pressure so acutely. The hard set expression of his face softened somewhat, and though he was still strangely-quiet and reserved in his manner towards those with whom his business necessarily brought him in contact, he no longer felt absolutely cut off from the rest of his kind.
Ned had continued his practice of occasionally walking up with Bill Swinton to Varley on his way to the mill. There was now little fear of an attempt upon his life by the hands in his neighbourhood; but since the failure on the mill he had incurred the special enmity of the men who had come from a distance on that occasion, and he knew that any night he might be waylaid and shot by them. It was therefore safer to go round by Varley than by the direct road. One evening when he bad been chatting rather later than usual at Luke Maimer's, Luke said:
' Oi think there's something i' t' wind. Oi heerd at t' Cow this evening that there are some straangers i' the village. They're at t' Dog. Oi thinks there's soom sort ov a council there. Oi heers as they be from Hudders-field, which be the headquarters o' General Lud in this part. However, Maister, oi doan't think as there's any fear of another attack on thy mill; they war too badly scaared t'other noight vor to try that again.'
When Ned got up to go Bill Swinton as usual put on his cap to accompany him, as he always walked across the moor with him until they came to the path leading down to the back of the mill, this being the road taken by the hands from Varley coming and going from work.
When they had started a minute or two George, who had been sitting by the fire listening to the talk, got up and stretched himself preparatory to going to bed, and said in his usual slow way:
' Oi wonders what they be adoing to-noight. Twice while ye ha' been a-talking oi ha' seen a chap a-looking in at t' window—'
'Thou hast!' Luke exclaimed, starting up. 'Dang thee, thou young fool! Why didn't say so afore? Oi will hoide thee when oi comes back rarely! Polly, do thou run into Gardiner's, and Hoskings', and Burt's; tell 'em to cotch up a stick and to roon for their loives across t' moor towards t' mill. And do thou, Jarge, roon into Sykes' and Wilmot's and tell 'em the same; and be quick if thou would save thy skin. Tell 'em t' maister be loike to be attacked.'
Catching up a heavy stick Luke hurried off, running into two cottages near and bringing on two more of the mill hands with him. He was nearly across the moor when they heard the sound of a shot. Luke, who was running at the top of his speed, gave a hoarse cry as of one who has received a mortal wound. Two shots followed in quick succession. A minute later Luke was dashing down the hollow through which the path ran down from the moor. Now he made out a group of moving figures and heard the sounds of conflict. His breath was coming in short gasps, his teeth were set; fast as he was running, he groaned that his limbs would carry him no faster. It was scarce two minutes from the time when the first shot was fired, but it seemed ages to him before he dashed into the group of men, knocking down two by the impetus of his rush. He was but just in time. A figure lay prostrate on the turf; another standing over him had just been beaten to his knee. But he sprang up again at Luke's onward rush. His assailants for a moment drew back.
'Thou'rt joost in tonne, Luke,' Bill panted out. 'Oi war well-nigh done.'
' Be t' maister shot?'
' No, nowt but a clip wi' a stick.'
As the words passed between them the assailants again rushed forward with curses and execrations upon those who stood between them and their victim.
'Moind, Luke, they ha' got knoives!' Bill exclaimed. 'Oi ha' got more nor one slash already.'
Luke and Bill fought vigorously, but they were overmatched. Anger and fear for Ned's safety nerved Luke's arm, the weight of the last twenty years seemed to drop off him, and he felt himself again the sturdy young cropper who could hold his own against any in the village. But he had not yet got back his breath, and was panting heavily. The assailants, six in number, were active and vigorous young men; and Bill, who was streaming with blood from several wounds, could only fight on the defensive. Luke then gave a short cry of relief as the two men who had started with him, but whom he had left behind from the speed which his intense eagerness had given him, ran up but a short minute after he
had himself arrived and ranged themselves by him. The assailants hesitated now.
' Ye'd best be off,' Luke said; ' there ull be a score more here in a minute.'
With oaths of disappointment and rage the assailants fell back and were about to make off when one of them exclaimed:
'Ye must carry Tom off wi' thee. It ull never do to let un lay here.'
The men gathered round a dark figure lying a few yards away. Four of them lifted it by the hands and feet, and then they hurried away across the moor. As they did so Bill Swinton with a sigh fell across Ned's body.
In two or three minutes four more men, accompanied by George and Polly, whose anxiety would not let her stay behind, hurried up. Luke and his companions had raised Ned and Bill into a sitting posture.
'Are they killed, feyther?' Polly cried as she ran up breathless to them.
' Noa,' lass; oi think as t' maister be only stunned, and Bill ha' fainted from loss o' blood. But oi doan't know how bad he be hurted yet. We had best carry 'em back to t' house; we can't see to do nowt here.'
' Best let them stay here, feyther, till we can stop the bleeding. Moving would set the wounds off worse.'
' Perhaps you are right, Polly. Jarge, do thou run back to t' house as hard as thou canst go. Loight t' lanterns and bring 'em alone; wi' a can o' cold water.'
