The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-07-24
work in hand.

work in hand.
AS the men-at-arms who formed st
the rear of the royal procession rode
out over the drawbridge, a daring spirit
contrived, at the risk of being trampled
under the hoofs of the horses, to slip
past and gain the archway of the inner
gate. Little was thought of it by the
warders. 1t looked like mad freak.
The insurgents were to be conciliated;
it seemed harsh in the hurry of the
moment, to thrust the madcap under
the horses feet; little good-humored
rough remonstrance and the hilarious
ruffian was allowed to shelter himself
in the porter's door within the arch
way. Another and another, lodging
cimbly and warily past the horses, fol-
lowed this daring lead, and as they
passed into the porter's door they were
allowed to pass up the stairs leading to
the upper chamber from which the
drawbridge was worked.
Little was thought of it in the hurry
OF the moment. A crowd is always
ready for such freaks. But the freak
assumed more serious aspect when the
last man-at-arms was out and the order
was given to raise the bridge.
The drawbridge could not be raised.
The rowdies had thrust the porter aside
and were in possession of the machin-
cry. The entrance to the Tower was
open. In a twinkling the situation was
realized by the mob. With frantic
yells, only half serious as yet, they
rushed at the gate and poured in.
Conspicuous in the Tower Hill crowd
from early morning had been a burly
ruffian in the glaring costume of the
Herod of the Mystery Plays. These
plays had not been intermitted upon
Corpus Christi day, any more than the
solemn procession. The crowds, excit-
ed as they were, would have been loath
to forego this popular entertainment,
and it was not every Corpus Christi
day that the horny-handed players had
the chance of such an audience. Some
of the players, and notably this Herod
and the Devil and his Imps-great
serio-comic characteristic not lay
aside their dresses when the play was
over; and Herod in especial had made
himself prominent in the crowd by the
violence OF his language and his gest-
ures, and the amazing power of his
lungs. He was fellow of gigantic
depth and breadth OF chest, with
huge black curly head, and, taking his
stand opposite the Tower, he staggered
with his wooden sword, beat his breast
like a chimpanzee, and yelled out an
endless stream of menaces and impre-
cations.
When this noisy ribald saw the crowd
rushing through the gates, he dashed
forward to join the stream, doubling
the ferocity of his cries. "Now for
the tiaitors." he yelled. "Bring them
before me, that l may chop off their
heads and make footballs of theml
Out with the traitors! Seek them out!
The chancellor The treasurer! Where
are the traitors? Let me account to
them, The chancellor The treas
urer Bring them FORTH"
His cries were taken up by the mob,
and what was uttered at first in coarse
sport was soon repeated in savage earn
est. The devilish suggestion quickly
matured itself in heated brains, always
apter for evil than for good, and the
appetite of the human tiger was reused.
1t passed through the crowd like some
sort of contagious madness. Hundreds
who had rushed for the open gates on a
mad frolic impulse found themselves as
they pushed annd jostled along, gnash-
ing their teeth and bowling for the
chancellor, like pack of hungry
wolves. Wolves in full cry-but there
was one thing that made their united
voices more horrible to the ear than
any sound of infuriated beasts, the
leaven of savage laughter that ran
through it and filed up the lulls in the
volume of their more british bowling.
The officers of the garrison were
taken by surprise. No one dared to
take responsibility. The cry was rased
by the rioters that they came in the
kings name, that the king had given
them the traitors to deal with at their
pleasure. There was no time to DELHI
crate, no time to consult superior auth
ority. The outer gate was mastered
with rush, and the mob poured along
by the south wall and around and
through the entrance in the bloody
Tower while the warders of the great
portcullis were still hearkening in be-
wildered doubt to the clamor of the
sudden irruption. Their first sure
knowledge that the mob had broken in.
to the fortress came from agile ruffians
who leaped up the stairs with the cry
that they came in the kings name, and
who brought with them the unques-