er in question supported his foreman and refused to take the
couple back. Thereupon the union threatened to call out all their
members if they were not reinstated. This led to a pitched battle
between the operatives and the employers. The masters naturally
supported their own class, while the operatives, feeling that their
position was endangered, stood to their guns. As a consequence,
therefore, the trade of the whole town was in a state of stagnation.
The employers declared that they refused to be dictated to by the
people to whom they paid wages; and the operatives, feeling that their
liberties and rights were in danger, would concede nothing to them. As
is ordinary in such cases, a great deal of unruly behaviour was
witnessed, the public-houses reaped a rich harvest, and acts of
violence became general. In this case, a number of youths, utterly
foolish and irresponsible, conceived a plot to "pay out," as they call
it, the employers, and, in order to carry it out, held secret meetings,
the purport of which, unknown to them, gradually leaked out. Into this
plot Paul found himself drawn, but instead of encouraging the youths in
their design, he did his best to dissuade them. This, as may be
imagined, did not please them. To those who have studied the history
of strikes in the northern manufacturing towns, it is well known that
nothing appeals to a certain element of the population more strongly
than acts of violence, and Paul found that his well-meant efforts met
with great disfavour. Still, a kind of loyalty held him to them, even
while he refused to participate in what they proposed to do. One night
a number of these lads found their way to a certain mill, with the
intention of destroying some new machinery that Mr. Wilson, who has
already been mentioned, had lately bought at great cost. When Paul
heard of it he also hastened thither, in order to do his best to put an
end to the mischief. As I have said, the designs of these lads had
leaked out, and, as a consequence, the owner of the mill was prepared.
A number of policemen had ambushed themselves, together with some of
the foremen. The result was that when the lads were making their way
towards this machinery they were stopped, and an endeavour was made to
make them prisoners. This led to a pitched battle between the youths
on one side and the representatives of the employers on the other, and
Paul, in spite of himself, was found on the side of the you