MEETING OF THE DELEGATES. 663 



and, as old Joe's " you d rascals ! I'll cart you/' rung upon our 



ears, as he approached us with his arm uplifted, and fist clenched, 

 we deemed it advisable to decamp, and away we all run as fast as our 

 legs would carry us, with Joe and his fat dog in full chase. The old 

 Stockinger's shoe came off, but on he ran with only one on, with his 

 head turned back, marking the loss or gain of ground by our ene- 

 mies, instead of looking before, when he came in contact with a 

 nettle-bank, which caused him to measure his length in the lane, and 

 in a few seconds, the dog's teeth were set in his coat laps. Dick 

 perceived what had occurred, and immediately turned round to the 

 rescue, for he was not altogether devoid of courage ; and, seizing a 

 hedge-stake, commenced laying on the dog with such force, as soon 

 caused him to unloose his hold ; which was scarcely accomplished 

 before the horsewhip was heard rattling about old Ned's back. The 

 Blacksmith returned when he perceived his old enemy, the dog, 

 fairly beaten off the ground, and joined in the attack upon poor Joe 

 Broomet, who still kept plying the whip upon those nearest, and 

 exclaiming : 



" You dilegate villains to upset rny cart and break it you lazy 

 Union blackguards ! to cut my asses' harness, and send 'em home, 

 and leave my cart in a dike. I should like to cut you all into minch- 

 meat you good-for-nothing Unionists !" 



I know not to what lengths the old farmer would have gone, had 

 not Dick succeeded in taking away his whip, for all had tasted more 

 or less of the thick thong, and leaving him to to encounter the Black- 

 smith in a fair single-handed fight, which lasted for several minutes ; 

 for the man of iron prided himself on his skill in the pugilistic de- 

 partment, and succeeded in flooring his opponent, while Dick kept 

 the dog at bay, or rather kept up a continual war with his hedge- 

 stake, until the poor brute, like his master, lay down fairly conquered. 

 This was the signal for retiring ; and away we went, leaving the 

 old farmer to shift for himself the best way he could. As we walked 

 on, the Blacksmith complained of a soreness about his ribs, and' 

 swore, " that old Joe had struck rather lungus." We reached the 

 village about dusk, covered with mud, and smelling strongly of 

 stagnant ditch-water; indeed, some of our faces seemed to have 

 caught the hues of the gathering darkness; and, to use Ned's own 

 words, "We looked as dirty as half-a-dozen black devils." But 

 what could be done, we had no alternative, but to proceed to the 

 Sheep's Head, and make them acquainted with our accident ; or at 

 least as much of it as we deemed proper, 



" I think," said the old Blacksmith, " if they seem to teck notice, 

 and smell us, I'd better get up and spokefy afore we begin, so as to 

 make 'em somehow aware as wot it occurred all for the good of the 

 Union/' 



" You had better," said Dick, " as they may think something." 

 And into the public-house we went, and found John Sillygums 

 seated in the chair, while Jos Bole was pointing out some strange 

 occurrence in the " Times." 



" What a smell," said one; " how doty they look" said another. 

 " The've had a struggle for th' cause," said a third, and every one 



