objects of their
hatred had abandoned the house in the earlier part of the night, and
thus defrauded them of their vengeance? The thought was intolerable;
but that was a point which they would now be in a capacity soon to
ascertain.

Finding that the gate, as we said, was impregnable, unless with stronger
implements, they had sent to a smith's forge in the neighborhood, from
whence they obtained two or three sledge-hammers. By the aid of these
they soon shivered the gate to pieces, and, having accomplished this,
they--

Before we proceed further, it is necessary to state, that the light of
the burning cow-house fell upon them with the strength and clearness of
a summer noon; whilst, on the other hand, the proctor's family, from the
position of the house, were in complete obscurity.

The advantage was, consequently, all on one side; the Purcels, when the
gate was demolished, saw the crowd clearly and distinctly, but the crowd
could not at all see them. Feather-beds and other defenses had been
placed at the windows, in such a manner that the firing from the house
could be delivered with almost perfect impunity to the inmates, but
with dreadful and deadly effect upon the assailants. The latter, having
accomplished the destruction of the gate, were in the act of entering,
when, all at once, such a well-directed volley was poured among them as
caused every man of the front ranks to fall dead. Four blunderbusses had
been discharged among them--three by the proctor and his two sons, and
one by his eldest daughter Mary. The fatal effect with which this fire
was delivered caused a momentary pause, and the aggressive crowd
was forced to rush back in a kind of wavy motion, that resembled the
undulations of a retreating serpent. An immediate return, however, took
place; and, in about half a minute, those in front, however reluctant,
were forced forward by the pressure from without. Again did a
well-directed fire bring down those who were thrust forward, and the
consequence was that a back action took place, which enabled those in
front to retire for the present from what they clearly saw was certain
death.

So far the proctor's family were triumphant, and would have been so,
were it not for the conflagration of the offices, which every moment
threatened their own house with destruction. There was not now one among
the crowd hardy enough to attempt an entrance by the open gate-which
entrance they knew to be only another name fo