d a few with
guns and pistols.

As they approached the house, there seemed to be a sort of consultation
between the ringleaders, for soon after every light was extinguished, and
the deafening yells of "Kill the niggers!" "Down with the Abolitionists!"
were almost entirely stilled.

"I wonder what that means," said Mr. Walters, who had closed the shutter,
and was surveying, through an aperture that had been cut, the turbulent
mass below. "Look out for something soon."

He had scarcely finished speaking, when a voice in the street cried,
"One--two--three!" and immediately there followed a volley of missiles,
crushing in the windows of the chamber above, and rattling upon the
shutters of the room in which the party of defenders were gathered. A yell
then went up from the mob, followed by another shower of stones.

"It is now our turn," said Mr. Walters, coolly. "Four of you place
yourselves at the windows of the adjoining room; the rest remain here. When
you see a bright light reflected on the crowd below, throw open the
shutters, and hurl down stones as long as the light is shining. Now, take
your places, and as soon as you are prepared stamp upon the floor."

Each of the men now armed themselves with two or more of the largest stones
they could find, from the heap that had been provided for the occasion; and
in a few seconds a loud stamping upon the floor informed Mr. Walters that
all was ready. He now opened the aperture in the shutter, and placed
therein a powerful reflecting light which brought the shouting crowd below
clearly into view, and in an instant a shower of heavy stones came crashing
down upon their upturned faces.

Yells of rage and agony ascended from the throng, who, not seeing any
previous signs of life in the house, had no anticipation of so prompt and
severe a response to their attack. For a time they swayed to and fro,
bewildered by the intense light and crushing shower of stones that had so
suddenly fallen upon them. Those in the rear, however, pressing forward,
did not permit the most exposed to retire out of reach of missiles from the
house; on perceiving which, Mr. Walters again turned the light upon them,
and immediately another stony shower came rattling down, which caused a
precipitate retreat.

"The house is full of niggers!--the house is full of niggers!" cried
several voices--"Shoot them! kill them!" and immediately several shots were
fired at the window by the mob below.

"Don't fi