Page:Dorothy's spy; a story of the first "fovrth of Jvly" celebration, New York, 1776.djvu/37

26 Again the statue swayed to and fro, and even as Dorothy was hoping that something would happen to prevent the people from doing so rash a thing, the leaden likeness of George III. toppled from its pedestal, tumbling head foremost on the ground amid a cloud of dust, accompanied by the frantic screaming of those who wished to show themselves foremost in the dangerous task of making the colonies free from the oppressive yoke of England's rule.

Surely Mistress Dean was not far wrong when she spoke of that which was to be done at Bowling Green as "an orgy," for during ten minutes or more after the statue had fallen it was as if the male members of the gathering had gone wild, the greater number with joy, and not a few with rage because such an indignity should have been offered to the king.

Then arose the cry of "Tory! Tory!" and in a twinkling those who were nearest a gentleman who had spoken very decidedly against what he was pleased to call "lawless proceedings," rushed forward with intent to do him bodily harm.

At the moment he was attacked, this friend of the king's stood not more than a dozen paces from the two girls, and, as can well be imagined, both they and their mothers were speedily in the midst of a shouting, yelling mob, every member of which panted with the desire to punish the