ome little bay among the cliffs on the
eastern shore, and for the most part landed her bales and kegs in spite
of the vigilance of the coast guard. So there were plenty of places
scattered all over the moorland where tobacco could be bought cheap, and
where when the right signal was given a noggin of spirits could be had
from the keg which was lying concealed in the wood stack or rubbish
heap. What drunkenness there was on the moors profited his majesty's
excise but little.

The evenings at the "Cow" were not lively. The men smoked their long
pipes and sipped their beer slowly, and sometimes for half an hour no
one spoke; but it was as good as conversation, for every one knew what
the rest were thinking of--the bad times, but no one had anything new to
say about them. They were not brilliant, these sturdy Yorkshiremen. They
suffered patiently and uncomplainingly, because they did not see that
any effort of theirs could alter the state of things. They accepted
the fact that the high prices were due to the war, but why the war was
always going on was more than any of them knew. It gave them a vague
satisfaction when they heard that a British victory had been won; and
when money had been more plentiful, the occasion had been a good excuse
for an extra bout of drinking, for most of them were croppers, and had
in their time been as rough and as wild as the younger men were now; but
they had learned a certain amount of wisdom, and shook their heads over
the talk and doings of the younger men who met at the "Dog."

Here there was neither quiet nor resignation, but fiery talk and stern
determination; it was a settled thing here that the machines were
responsible for the bad times. The fact that such times prevailed over
the whole country in no way affected their opinion. It was not for them
to deny that there was a war, that food was dear, and taxation heavy.
These things might be; but the effect of the machinery came straight
home to them, and they were convinced that if they did but hold together
and wreck the machines prosperity would return to Varley.

The organization for resistance was extensive. There were branches in
every village in West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Nottingham, and Derby--all
acting with a common purpose. The members were bound by terrible oaths
upon joining the society to be true to its objects, to abstain on pain
of death from any word which might betray its secrets, and to carry into
execution its order