ave fits of fighting or desiring to fight with their poorer
brethren, just as children have the measles. But the shorter the
fit the better for the patient, for like the measles it is a
great mistake, and a most unsatisfactory complaint. If they can
escape it altogether so much the better. But instead of treating
the fit as a disease, "musclemen" professors are wont to
represent it as a state of health, and to let their disciples run
about in middle age with the measles on them as strong as ever.
Now although our hero had the measles on him at this particular
time, and the passage of arms which I am about shortly to
describe led to results of some importance in his history, and
cannot therefore be passed over, yet I wish at the same time to
disclaim, both in my sponsorial and individual character, all
sympathy with town and gown rows, and with all other class rows
and quarrels of every sort and kind, whether waged with sword,
pen, tongue, fist or otherwise. Also to say that in all such
rows, so far as I have seen or read, from the time when the Roman
plebs marched out to Mons Sacer, down to 1848, when the English
chartists met on Kennington Common, the upper classes are most to
blame. It may be that they are not the aggressors on any given
occasion; very possibly they may carry on the actual fighting
with more fairness (though this is by no means true as a rule);
nevertheless the state of feeling which makes such things
possible, especially in England, where men in general are only
too ready to be led and taught by their superiors in rank, may be
fairly laid at their door. Ever, in the case of strikes, which
just now will of course be at once thrown in my teeth, I say
fearlessly, let any man take the trouble to study the question
honestly, and he will come to the conviction that all
combinations of the men for the purpose of influencing the labor
market, whether in the much and unjustly abused Trades'
Societies, or in other forms, have been defensive organizations,
and that the masters might, as a body, over and over again have
taken the sting out of them if they had acted fairly, as many
individuals amongst them have done. Whether it may not be too
late now, is a tremendous question for England, but one which
time only can decide.

When Drysdale and Tom at last found the caravans, it was just
getting dark. Something of a crowd had collected outside, and
there was some hissing as they ascended the short flight of ste