said! That's the old stout
Barnaby, that I have climbed and leaped with, many and many a day--I
knew I was not mistaken in Barnaby.--Don't you see, man,' he added in
a whisper, as he slipped to the other side of Dennis, 'that the lad's a
natural, and can be got to do anything, if you take him the right way?
Letting alone the fun he is, he's worth a dozen men, in earnest, as
you'd find if you tried a fall with him. Leave him to me. You shall soon
see whether he's of use or not.'

Mr Dennis received these explanatory remarks with many nods and winks,
and softened his behaviour towards Barnaby from that moment. Hugh,
laying his finger on his nose, stepped back into his former place, and
they proceeded in silence.

It was between two and three o'clock in the afternoon when the three
great parties met at Westminster, and, uniting into one huge mass,
raised a tremendous shout. This was not only done in token of their
presence, but as a signal to those on whom the task devolved, that it
was time to take possession of the lobbies of both Houses, and of
the various avenues of approach, and of the gallery stairs. To the
last-named place, Hugh and Dennis, still with their pupil between them,
rushed straightway; Barnaby having given his flag into the hands of one
of their own party, who kept them at the outer door. Their followers
pressing on behind, they were borne as on a great wave to the very doors
of the gallery, whence it was impossible to retreat, even if they had
been so inclined, by reason of the throng which choked up the passages.
It is a familiar expression in describing a great crowd, that a person
might have walked upon the people's heads. In this case it was actually
done; for a boy who had by some means got among the concourse, and was
in imminent danger of suffocation, climbed to the shoulders of a man
beside him and walked upon the people's hats and heads into the open
street; traversing in his passage the whole length of two staircases and
a long gallery. Nor was the swarm without less dense; for a basket
which had been tossed into the crowd, was jerked from head to head,
and shoulder to shoulder, and went spinning and whirling on above them,
until it was lost to view, without ever once falling in among them or
coming near the ground.

Through this vast throng, sprinkled doubtless here and there with honest
zealots, but composed for the most part of the very scum and refuse
of London, whose growth was fostered