a boat from a
neighbouring station. He ordered Barrett to put the tubs in the boat
and then to lay a little distance from the shore. But after Barrett
had done this and was about thirty yards away, the lieutenant ordered
him to come ashore again, because the men on the beach were bringing
down Lieutenant Knight, who was groaning and in great pain.

What had happened to the latter must now be told. After the signals
mentioned had been observed, a man named Duke and Lieutenant Knight,
R.N., had also proceeded along the top of the cliff. It was a
beautiful starlight night, with scarcely any wind, perfectly still and
no moon visible. There was just the sea and the night and the cliffs.
But before they had gone far they encountered that mob we have just
spoken of at the top of the cliff. Whilst the four coastguards were
exchanging fire from below, Lieutenant Knight and Duke came upon the
crowd from their rear. Two men against fifty armed with great sticks 6
feet long could not do much. As the mob turned towards them,
Lieutenant Knight promised them that if they should make use of those
murderous-looking sticks they should have the contents of his pistol.

But the mob, without waiting, dealt the first blows, so Duke and his
officer defended themselves with their cutlasses. At first there were
only a dozen men against them, and these the two managed to beat off.
But other men then came up and formed a circle round Knight and Duke,
so the two stood back to back and faced the savage mob. The latter
made fierce blows at the men, which were warded off by the cutlasses
in the men's left hands, two pistols being in the right hand of each.
The naval men fired these, but it was of little good, though they
fought like true British sailors. Those 6-foot sticks could reach well
out, and both Knight and Duke were felled to the ground.

Then, like human panthers let loose on their prey, this brutal,
lawless mob with uncontrolled cruelty let loose the strings of their
pent-up passion. They kept these men on the ground and dealt with them
shamefully. Duke was being dragged along by his belt, and the crowd
beat him sorely as he heard his lieutenant exclaim, "Oh, you brutes!"
The next thing which Duke heard the fierce mob to say was, "Let's kill
the ---- and have him over the cliff." Now the cliff at that spot is
100 feet high. Four men then were preparing to carry out this
command--two were at his legs and two at his hands--when Duke
indi