ths. In the
struggle which followed two policemen and one of the foremen were badly
injured, while several of the lads bore marks which they would carry to
their graves.

That same night Paul found himself, with nearly all the others, in
Brunford police-station, in order to await his trial. The case was
regarded so seriously that bail was not allowed; and therefore Paul,
with the others, had to remain in durance vile until the case could be
publicly tried.

During the time he lay in prison he felt himself deeply humiliated and
vastly ashamed. He called himself a fool for having been led into such
a false position. While sympathising with the attitude which the
operatives, as a whole, had taken, he utterly disapproved of the
foolish plot into which he had been drawn, and yet here he was, not
only regarded as equally culpable with the rest, but as a kind of
leader; he, who had always prided himself upon his respectability, and
upon appealing to the intelligence of the people instead of to brute
force, was guilty of mixing himself up in this vulgar squabble which
had led to such an ignominious end. The disgrace of it, too, was hard
to bear; keenly sensitive as he was, and with an abhorrence of anything
like brawls of any sort, he felt as though he was dragged through mire.
Of course the unions took up their case and promised to defend them.
They had a large amount of money at their disposal in the union funds,
and they promised that the best legal advice obtainable should be
employed in their behalf. As I have said, feeling ran very high in the
town, and the magistrates before whom the case was brought in the first
instance, being in the main manufacturers, and therefore strongly
prejudiced in favour of their class, were not likely to regard the
action of Paul and of others from a favourable standpoint. They
accordingly committed the accused for trial at the Quarter Sessions in
Manchester. The secretary of one of the unions visited Paul before the
trial.

"It's a serious business, Stepaside," he said, "and I am afraid it will
go hard with you!"

"But no one was seriously hurt," said Paul.

"I doan't know so much about that," replied the secretary. "One of th'
bobbies has been i' bed ever since. Wilson's tackler is said to be i'
queer street. His head was bashed in, and one of his arms broken. I
tell thee, it was a bad thing for us all. You see it's turned public
opinion agin us, and we weavers are lost