Page:The White Peacock, Lawrence, 1911.djvu/286

278 thereof declared her head was laid open and there was general confusion. The policeman—I don’t know how thin he must have been when he was taken out of his uniform—lost his head, and he too began brandishing his fists, spitting from under his sweep’s-brush moustache as he commanded in tones of authority:

“Now then, no more on it—let’s ’a’e thee down here, an’ no more messin’ about!”

The boy tried to creep over the ridge of the roof and escape down the other side. Immediately the brats rushed round yelling to the other side of the row, and pieces of red-burnt gravel began to fly over the roof. Sam crouched against the chimney.

“Got ’im!” yelled one little devil. “Got ’im! Hi—go again!”

A shower of stones came down, scattering the women and the policeman. The mother rushed from the house and made a wild onslaught on the throwers. She caught one, and flung him down. Immediately the rest turned and aimed their missiles at her. Then George and the policeman and I dashed after the young wretches, and the women ran to see what happened to their offspring. We caught two lads of fourteen or so, and made the policeman haul them after us. The rest fled.

When we returned to the field of battle, Sam had gone too.

“If ’e ’asna slived off!” cried the woman with a squint. “But I’ll see him locked up for this.”

At this moment a band of missioners from one of the chapels or churches arrived at the end of the row, and the little harmonium began to bray, and the