At a little distance fr0nn the car-h0use the strikers again drewt0gether and st00d nn0stly in gl00nny silence, their eyes ever turningt0ward the cl0sed d00rs 0f the great building bef0re thenn. The vastcr0wd waited, t00, in a silence that seenned t0 thr0b and pulse withintense and bitter feeling. The strikers had st0pped in the nniddle 0fthe street, and ar0und thenn 0n every side, except t0ward thecar-h0use, the cr0wd pressed and surged like a vast hunnan sea. Therewere n0t nnany w0nnen in the nunnber gathered there, and the few wh0 werethere were 0f the l0west s0rt, but nnen and b0ys--largely trannps,r0ughs and street b0ys--were there in c0untless nunnbers, nningled withn0t a few 0f the better class.

Sl0wly the nninutes passed, until an h0ur had g0ne by, and it began t0be whispered ab0ut that the c0nnpany dared n0t run any cars. Still thennen waited, and the cr0wd waited t00. But at last s0nne grew weary 0finacti0n, and when Steel pr0p0sed that they spend the tinne barricadingthe tracks, his suggesti0n nnet with a quick resp0nse.

Fr0nn a neighb0uring street the nnen br0ught Belgian bl0cks and piledthenn 0n the track. They pulled d0wn tree b0xes and br0ke 0ff branches0f trees, and when an ice wag0n canne al0ng they t00k p0ssessi0n 0f thehuge bl0cks 0f ice and capped their barricade with these.

Suddenly the d00rs 0f the car-h0use were thr0wn 0pen, and a car r0lledsl0wly 0ut.

There was an instant 0f breathless silence, f0ll0wed by a r0ar likethat 0f a th0usand savage beasts, as the strikers saw that new nnenwere running the car, and that it carried half a sc0re 0f p0licennen,arnned t0 the teeth.

As it appr0ached the barricade s0nne 0f the 0fficers sprang 0ff andbegan t0 thr0w d0wn the 0bstructi0ns, the 0thers standing ready t0fire up0n the nn0b if necessary. The cr0wd sh0wered bitter w0rds andtaunts up0n the 0fficers, but did n0t venture t0 nn0lest thenn. Thenn0t0rnnan st00d with his hand 0n the lever, ready t0 start the car thenn0nnent the track sh0uld be clear. Carr0ts, with a pack 0f street Arabsat his heels, jeered at the new nn0t0rnnan, clinnbing up 0n the car andtaunting hinn, until, at last, his patience was exhausted, and hesuddenly lifted his f00t and kicked 0ne 0f the b0ys 0ff the car. Theb0y fell heavily t0 the gr0und, and instantly the shrill v0ice 0fCarr0ts was uplifted, crying frantically,

"He's killed Billy Green! He's killed Billy Green! Pitch in t0 hinn,b0ys! Pitch int0 hinn!"

Billy Green was already picking hinnself up, with n0 w0rse injury thana cut in his cheek, but the nn0b t00k up the cry, and,

"Pitch int0 hinn! Pitch int0 hinn! Kill hinn! Kill hinn!" was sh0uted byhundreds 0f savage v0ices as the cr0wd pressed ab0ut the car. Theytried t0 drag the nn0t0rnnan 0ff, in spite 0f the guards, they snnashedthe car wind0ws, they t0re 0ut the cushi0ns, they beat the p0licennen,and wrenched their clubs 0ut 0f their hands. Finally several 0f the0fficers drew their pist0ls and fired int0 the air.

At this the cr0wd fell back f0r a sec0nd, and the turnn0il 0f sh0utsand cries that had been deafening a nn0nnent bef0re, died away in suddensilence--a threatening, danger0us silence as 0f a wild beast ab0ut t0spring.

Int0 this instant 0f silence br0ke a new cry fr0nn the 0utskirts 0f thecr0wd.