"Ay!" said the other voice. "That"s all very well, but they won"tgive the needful authority. If the magistrate won"t give theword, what"s the officer to do?"
Not very well knowing, as it seemed, how to overcome thisdifficulty, the other man contented himself with damning themagistrates.
"With all my heart," said his friend.
"Where"s the use of a magistrate?" returned the other voice.
"What"s a magistrate in this case, but an impertinent, unnecessary,unconstitutional sort of interference? Here"s a proclamation.
Here"s a man referred to in that proclamation. Here"s proofagainst him, and a witness on the spot. Damme! Take him out andshoot him, sir. Who wants a magistrate?"
"When does he go before Sir John Fielding?" asked the man who hadspoken first.
"To-night at eight o"clock," returned the other. "Mark whatfollows. The magistrate commits him to Newgate. Our people takehim to Newgate. The rioters pelt our people. Our people retirebefore the rioters. Stones are thrown, insults are offered, not ashot"s fired. Why? Because of the magistrates. Damn themagistrates!"
When he had in some degree relieved his mind by cursing themagistrates in various other forms of speech, the man was silent,save for a low growling, still having reference to thoseauthorities, which from time to time escaped him.
Barnaby, who had wit enough to know that this conversationconcerned, and very nearly concerned, himself, remained perfectlyquiet until they ceased to speak, when he groped his way to thedoor, and peeping through the air-holes, tried to make out whatkind of men they were, to whom he had been listening.
The one who condemned the civil power in such strong terms, was aserjeant--engaged just then, as the streaming ribands in his capannounced, on the recruiting service. He stood leaning sidewaysagainst a pillar nearly opposite the door, and as he growled tohimself, drew figures on the pavement with his cane. The otherman had his back towards the dungeon, and Barnaby could only seehis form. To judge from that, he was a gallant, manly, handsomefellow, but he had lost his left arm. It had been taken offbetween the elbow and the shoulder, and his empty coat-sleeve hungacross his breast.
It was probably this circumstance which gave him an interest beyondany that his companion could boast of, and attracted Barnaby"sattention. There was something soldierly in his bearing, and hewore a jaunty cap and jacket. Perhaps he had been in the serviceat one time or other. If he had, it could not have been very longago, for he was but a young fellow now.
"Well, well," he said thoughtfully; "let the fault be where it may,it makes a man sorrowful to come back to old England, and see herin this condition."
"I suppose the pigs will join "em next," said the serjeant, with animprecation on the rioters, "now that the birds have set "em theexample."
"The birds!" repeated Tom Green.
"Ah--birds," said the serjeant testily; "that"s English, an"t it?"
"I don"t know what you mean."
"Go to the guard-house, and see. You"ll find a bird there, that"sgot their cry as pat as any of "em, and bawls "No Popery," like aman--or like a devil, as he says he is. I shouldn"t wonder. Thedevil"s loose in London somewhere. Damme if I wouldn"t twist hisneck round, on the chance, if I had MY way."
The young man had taken two or three steps away, as if to go andsee this creature, when he was arrested by the voice of Barnaby.
"It"s mine," he called out, half laughing and half weeping--"mypet, my friend Grip. Ha ha ha! Don"t hurt him, he has done noharm. I taught him; it"s my fault. Let me have him, if youplease. He"s the only friend I have left now. He"ll not dance, ortalk, or whistle for you, I know; but he will for me, because heknows me and loves me--though you wouldn"t think it--very well.
You wouldn"t hurt a bird, I"m sure. You"re a brave soldier, sir,and wouldn"t harm a woman or a child--no, no, nor a poor bird, I"mcertain."
This latter adjuration was addressed to the serjeant, whom Barnabyjudged from his red coat to be high in office, and able to sealGrip"s destiny by a word. But that gentleman, in reply, surlilydamned him for a thief and rebel as he was, and with manydisinterested imprecations on his own eyes, liver, blood, and body,assured him that if it rested with him to decide, he would put afinal stopper on the bird, and his master too.