, and what was most serious was that everybody seemed
to come out to their doors to stare at us. Supposing there were no way
through, and we had to turn back, it would be no joke, thought I, to
face all these disreputable-looking loungers who already were making
themselves offensive as we passed, by words and gesture.

I could tell by the way Smith strode on that he felt no more comfortable
than I did.

"You're sure there's a way through?" I said.

"Almost sure," he answered.

At the same moment a stone struck me on the cheek. It was not a hard
blow, and the blood which mounted to my face was quite as much brought
there by anger as by pain.

"Come on!" said Smith, who had seen what happened.

Coming on meant threading our way through a knot of young roughs, who
evidently considered our appearance in the court an intrusion and were
disposed to resent it. One of them put out his foot as Smith came up
with a view to trip him, but Jack saw the manoeuvre in time and walked
round. Another hustled me as I brushed past and sent me knocking up
against Jack, who, if he hadn't stood steady, would have knocked up
against some one else, and so pretty certainly have provoked an assault.
How we ever got past these fellows I can't imagine; but we did, and for
a yard or two ahead the passage was clear.

"Shall we make a rush for it?" I asked of Jack.

"Better not," said he. "If there is a way through, we must be nearly
out now."

He spoke so doubtfully that my heart sunk quite as much as if he had
said there was no way through and we must turn back.

However, what lay immediately before us was obscured by a suddenly
collected crowd of inhabitants, shouting and yelling with more than
ordinary clamour. This time the centre of attraction was not ourselves,
but a drunken woman, who had got a little ragged boy by the collar, and
was beating him savagely on the head with her by no means puny fist.

"There!--take that, you young--! I'll do for you this time!"

And without doubt it looked as if we were to witness the accomplishment
of the threat. The little fellow, unable even to howl, reeled and
staggered under her brutal blows. His pale, squalid face was covered
with blood, and his little form crouching in her grip was convulsed with
terror and exhaustion. It was a sickening spectacle.

The crowd pressed round, and yelled and laughed and hooted. The woman,
savage enough as she was, seemed to derive fresh vehemence