. They dragged him along with them until they reached
the town, and then, seeing the door of a large house open, Mr. Wesley
tried to get in. But one of the cruel men got him by the hair and pulled
him back into the middle of the mob; and then they dragged him from one
end of the town to the other.

"I talked all the time to those that were within hearing," said Mr.
Wesley, afterwards, "and I never felt the least pain or weariness."

At last he saw a shop door half open, and tried to get in, but the
gentleman to whom the shop belonged would not let him.

"Why, the people would pull my house down," he said, "if I let you in."

However, Mr. Wesley stood at the door and shouted to the people: "Are
you willing to hear me speak?"

"No, no; knock him down! Kill him at once!" cried hundreds of voices.

"Nay, let's hear him first," shouted others.

"What harm have I done any of you?" exclaimed the fearless preacher.
"Which of you have I wronged in word or deed?"

For a quarter of an hour he talked to them, then his voice suddenly gave
way, the strain had been too great.

Then the cruel mob cried out again: "Bring him away! Bring him away!"

But Mr. Wesley's strength had come back, and he began to pray aloud.

That prayer acted like magic; the man who had just before been the
leader of that brutal crowd, turning to Mr. Wesley, said: "Sir, I will
spend my life for you; follow me, and no one here shall touch a hair of
your head."

Two or three of his companions said almost the same, and surrounded Mr.
Wesley to protect him. Then four or five rough men set upon them, and
tried to drag Mr. Wesley away; but a butcher, who was a little further
off, shouted, "Shame! shame!" and pulled them back one after another.
Some one else shouted, "For shame! For shame! let the good man go!"

Then, just as if they had been struck by magic, all the people drew back
right and left, and Mr. Wesley was carried safely through.

[Illustration: "'Knock him down! Kill him at once!' cried hundreds of
voices."--_Page 114._]

But the danger was not quite over even yet. On the bridge which they had
to cross, the mob assembled again; but Mr. Wesley's protectors took him
across a mill-dam and then through some fields, and at last brought him
safe into Wednesbury, with no other damage than a torn coat and a little
skin scraped off one of his hands.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXVII.

Mr. Wesley's story of