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
morning, 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 laborer 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 afeared 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