y in number. What had they
done? Thrown a snowball at the sentinel; called him names; pointed
their fingers at him; dared him to fire. It was not this, however,
which had brought the guns to a level; but the drubbing the ropemakers
had given them, and the funeral of Christopher Snider. These were not
the beginning of the trouble, but rather the arrogance, greed,
selfishness, and intolerance of the repressive measures of a bigot
king, a servile ministry, and a venial Parliament.

Robert heard the clicking of gun-locks. He did not hear any order from
Captain Preston, but a gun flashed, and then the entire file fired. He
saw the negro, Samuel Gray, and several others reel to the ground,
their warm blood spurting upon the newly fallen snow. There was a
shriek from the fleeing apprentices. Robert, Mr. Knox, and several
others ran to those who had been shot, lifted them tenderly, and
carried them into a house. Doctor Warren, hearing the volley, came
running to learn the meaning of it. He examined the wounded. "Crispus
Attucks has been struck by two balls; either would have been fatal. He
died instantly," the doctor said.

By the side of the negro lay Samuel Gray, who had stood so calmly with
folded arms, the bayonets within a foot of his heart. In the bloom of
youth, Samuel Maverick, seventeen years old, who had come to find the
fire, was lying upon the ground, his heart's blood oozing upon the
snow. Patrick Carr and Samuel Caldwell, who also had come to put out a
fire, were dying, and six others were wounded. The soldiers were
reloading their guns, preparing for another volley. Robert heard the
rat-a-tat of a drum, and saw the Twenty-Ninth Regiment march into the
street from Pudding Lane, the front rank kneeling, the rear rank
standing, with guns loaded, bayonets fixed, and ready to fire.

"To arms! To arms!"

He could hear the cry along Cornhill, and down in Dock Square. All the
meetinghouse bells were clanging and people were gathering with guns,
swords, clubs, shovels, crowbars, and pitchforks.

Lieutenant-Governor Hutchinson came.[43]

[Footnote 43: Thomas Hutchinson was a native of Boston. He graduated
from Harvard College, 1727. He became a merchant, but was
unsuccessful; studied law and opened an office in Boston. He was sent
to London by the town as its agent, and upon his return was elected to
the legislature several years in succession. He held the office of
judge of probate, and was a councilor from 1749 to