took my stick, and started.

We had not thought of those who would be loitering about during their
dinner-hour, but I soon found that they were thinking of me, for not
only were our own men about the streets, but the men of the many other
works around; and to my dismay I soon found that they all knew me by
sight, and that they were ready to take notice of me in a very
unpleasant way.

I was walking steadily on when a stone hit me in the leg, and instead of
making haste and getting out of range, I stopped short and looked round
angrily for my assailant.

I could see a dozen grinning faces, but it was of course impossible to
tell who threw, and before I turned back an oyster-shell struck me in
the back.

I turned round angrily and found myself the object of a tremendous shout
of laughter.

Almost at the same moment I was struck by an old cabbage-stump and by a
potato, while stones in plenty flew by my head.

"The cowards!" I said to myself as I strode on, looking to right and
left, and seeing that on both sides of the way a number of rough boys
were collecting, encouraged by the laughter and cheers of their elders.

We had not a single boy at our works, but I could see several of our men
were joining in the sport, to them, of having me hunted.

To have a good hunt, though, it is necessary to have a good quarry, that
is to say, the object hunted must be something that will run.

Now, in imagination I saw myself rushing away pursued by a mob of lads,
hooting, yelling, and pelting me; but I felt not the slightest
inclination to be hunted in this fashion, and hence it was that I walked
steadily and watchfully on, stick in hand, and prepared to use it too,
if the necessity arose.

Unfortunately I was in a road where missiles were plentiful, and these
came flying about me, one every now and then giving me such a stinging
blow that I winced with pain. The boys danced round me, too, coming
nearer as they grew bolder from my non-resistance, and before long they
began to make rushes, hooting and yelling to startle me, no doubt, into
running away.

But so far they did not succeed; and as I continued my walking they
changed their tactics, keeping out of reach of my stout stick, and
taking to stones and anything that came to hand.

I could do nothing. To have turned round would only have been to
receive the objects thrown in my face; and when at last, stung into
action by a harder blow than usual, I did turn and mak