194 THE LAST OF THE PIG-TAILS. 



one or the other, seemed, in his mind, to carry with it so much 

 importance, that he could not resist. Arrived at the polling place, 

 he found the numbers equal — 'twas a tie — no one remained to vote 

 but himself; he had to give the casting vote. As soon as he 

 approached the polling table, the uproar from eaeh party demanding 

 his vote for their friend, with threats of punishment from each if he 

 voted contrary to their wishes, almost stunned him, and, inwardly, he 

 contemplated making his retreat without recording his vote ; but his 

 mind called up the fact, that one of the candidates had struggled 

 with him for superiority in a rival tail ; that he had stood next in 

 order to the hated joiner, and, that moreover, when defeated, he had 

 had the audacity, more than once, when an opportunity offered, on dark 

 evenings, to seize Richard's pig-tail, and pull it most unmercifully. 

 This indignity roused up all his angry feelings, and as he had his 

 rival completely in his power, he was determined to crush him, if 

 possible, for ever. He gave his vote against him ; the tie was 

 loosoned, his old dtitagonist was rejected by him in the face of the 

 whole town. Little did Richard think that that vote would so soon 

 cause his own death. His old competitor, the joiner, was on the 

 side of the defeated candidate, and soon communicated the result of 

 his vote to his friends outside the polling place. He determined on 

 satiating his revenge on Richard, that very day, by cutting off his 

 pig-tail. When Richard showed his face outside, he saw prepara- 

 tions were making by his opponents to handle him roughly ; their 

 very countenances shewed they were ripe for mischief; he wanted to 

 retreat— no escape was there for him, his foes closed around him, 

 and hurried him on into the midst of the crowd. His friends seeing 

 his distress, made a desperate effort to rescue him ; a rush was made 

 by them to secure him, which for a time was effectual ; but the 

 multitude of opponents soon bore down all his friends, and there was 

 he, at last, in the midst, and at the mercy of his enemies. There 

 was one man, who while the struggle was desperate, looked coolly 

 and calmly on, and quietly opening his clasp knife, and giving the 

 crown of his hat a hard rap, to fix it firmly on his head, walked 

 deliberately up to the contending parties, and watching his oppor- 

 tunity, seized hold of the hated pig-tail, which had made him appear 

 so insignificant. Richard felt the tug, and turning round his head 

 as much as he could to see the rude assailant, his eye fell upon the 



