heavy bars were evidently
wielded by men of great strength, for one of the earliest thrusts
broke through a strong shutter, smashing a thick plate of glass
inside. By holes through the bottom of the shutters, the men, using
the bars as levers, wrenched the shutters out. There was a strong and
very massive iron shutter-guarding bar about half-way up. They pulled
at the shutters, jerking them against this bar until they broke them
in two across the middle. They then pulled them away and smashed the
whole front in, leaving us bare and completely open to the street.
This did not take place, however, without a struggle, for as often as
a hand or an arm came within reach, my doughty henchman with the sword
chopped at them with great energy and considerable success. Others
collected the metal weights of the shop and hurled them in the faces
of our assailants. I, myself, knocked one fellow senseless by a blow
from a four-pound weight, which I dashed full in his face. In return
we were assailed by a perfect shower of miscellaneous missiles,
including a great many large lumps of sugar, stolen from other
grocers' shops. Finding themselves baffled, a cry was raised of 'Fire
the ---- place'. One of the men then deliberately climbed lamp-post
opposite, and with one blow from a bar of iron knocked away the lamp
and its connections, upon which the gas from the broken pipe flared up
two or three feet high. From this flame they lighted a large number
of combustibles, which they hurled amongst us and through the upper
windows. I thought our time was come, but my men were very active, and
we kept our ground. The young man with the pistol came to me and asked
if he should fire. 'Certainly,' said I, 'and mind you take good aim.'
He tried two or three times, but the thing wouldn't go off; we found
afterwards that in his terror he had omitted to 'cock' it. Spite of
this disaster, we fought for about twenty minutes, when there came a
sudden lull, and we were left alone. Looking cautiously through the
broken window, I saw that the mob had complete possession of the shop
of Mr. Horton, a silversmith, next door, and were appropriating the
valuable contents. Men and women, laden with the spoil, were running
off as fast as possible. The women were the worst, and they folded up
their dresses like aprons, and carried off silver goods by laps-full.

"All at once there was a cry, a roar, and a sound of horses' hoofs. A
moment afterwards we saw a troop o