About noon of this day there was a great stir in Mowbray. It
was generally whispered about that the Liberator at the head
of the Hell-cats and all others who chose to accompany them
was going to pay a visit to Mr Trafford's settlement, in order
to avenge an insult which his envoys had experienced early in
the morning when, accompanied by a rabble of two or three
hundred persons, they had repaired to the Mowedale works in
order to signify the commands of the Liberator that labour
should stop, and if necessary to enforce those commands. The
injunctions were disregarded. and when the mob in pursuance
of their further instructions began to force the great gates
of the premises, in order that they might enter the building, drive the plugs out of the steam-boilers, and free the slaves enclosed, a masqued battery of powerful engines was suddenly opened upon them, and the whole band of patriots were deluged. It was impossible to resist a power which seemed inexhaustible, and wet to the skins and amid the laughter of their adversaries they fled. This ridiculous catastrophe had terribly excited the ire of the Liberator. He vowed vengeance, and as, like all great revolutionary characters and military leaders, the only foundation of his power was constant employment for his troops and constant excitement for the populace, he determined to place himself at the head of the chastising force, and make a great example which should establish his awful reputation and spread the terror of his name throughout the district.
Field the Chartist had soon discovered who were the rising
spirits of Mowbray, and Devilsdust and Dandy Mick were both
sworn on Monday morning of the council of the Liberator, and
took their seats at the board accordingly. Devilsdust, used
to public business and to the fulfilment of responsible
duties, was calm and grave, but equally ready and determined. Mick's head on the contrary was quite turned by the importance of his novel position. He was greatly excited, could devise nothing and would do anything, always followed Devilsdust in council, but when he executed their joint decrees and showed himself about the town, he strutted like a peacock, swore at the men and winked at the girls, and was the idol and admiration of every gaping or huzzaing younker.
There was a large crowd assembled in the Market Place, in
which were the Liberator's lodgings, many of them armed in
their rude fashion, and all anxious to march. Devilsdust was
with the great man and Field; Mick below was marshalling the
men, and swearing like a trooper at all who disobeyed or who
misunderstood.
"Come stupid," said he addressing Tummas, "what are you
staring about? Get your men in order or I'll be among you."
"Stupid!" said Tummas, staring at Mick with immense
astonishment. "And who are you who says 'Stupid?' A white-livered Handloom as I dare say, or a son of a gun of a factory slave. Stupid indeed! What next, when a Hell-cat is to be called stupid by such a thing as you?"
"I'll give you a piece of advice young man," said Master Nixon
taking his pipe out of his mouth and blowing an immense puff; "just you go down the shaft for a couple of months, and then you'll learn a little of life, which is wery useful."
The lively temperament of the Dandy would here probably have
involved him in an inconvenient embroilment had not some one
at this moment touched him on the shoulder, and looking round
he recognised Mr Morley. Notwithstanding the difference of
their political schools Mick had a profound respect for
Morley, though why he could not perhaps precisely express. But he had heard Devilsdust for years declare that Stephen Morley was the deepest head in Mowbray, and though he regretted the unfortunate weakness in favour of that imaginary abstraction called Moral Force for which the editor of the Phalanx was distinguished, still Devilsdust used to say that if ever the great revolution were to occur by which the rights of labour were to be recognised, though bolder spirits and brawnier arms might consummate the change, there was only one head among them that would be capable when they had gained their power to guide it for the public weal, and as Devilsdust used to add, "carry out the thing," and that was Morley.