The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-05-29
CHAPTER WI.

Ralph would have informed the mer-
chant of the appearance of Docket, and
inquired whether he were there as a
friend or as IA spy, but he had no OPP
portunity. The merchant vanished
from his side Immediately after point
ing out John Ball to him, and hurried
off to give notice to the other chiefs of
the gathering.
The news of the priests coming
spread rapidly through the meeting,
and soon every point from which a
view of the approaching figure could be
obtained was crowded. The more eager
spirits rushed down the slope to meet
him, and escorted him in triumph to
the camp.
The agitator was not at all imposing
to look at as he sat upon his pony.
which he halted about the middle of
the enclosure. He was rather over the
middle height, OF spare, sinewy figure,
the face also lean. He was not of i'm
posing bulk, and yet when he began to
speak he at once conveyed an impress
sion of indomitable force. Fiery en-
ergy beamed from the eyes, and there
was a suggestion OF strength in the firm
muscles OF the lower part of the face
and the square, angular head. The
hair grew thick round the forehead
and the tonsure was obviously artificial
He did not dismount to- address the
meeting: this pony had often served
him as a movable platform on such oc-
casions.
The popular effect of speech de-
ponds far more upon the character of
the speaker than upon the words used
There was not a man in the crowd as
sembled at Wandlebury that had not
heard OF John Ball; many had heard
him: and all, with the exception of
Docket and his friend the canon. were
prepared to applaud whatever fell from
his lips. He had character for hu-
NOR, too, and homely illustrations that
would have fallen fiat from an unknown
orator seemed irresistibly droll as they
came from him. The canon was heard
AFTERWARDS To express a poor opinion of
Balls oratory, and our readers might
| utSNt Will tit II We WIZ W IT,
port his words; but they fulfilled one
important requisite of oratory-they
moved the audience.
! lie had the art, among others, of sur
prising his hearers. The assembled
commons expected tn be RECALLED with
bitter attacks on the rich. To their as
constituent they found themselves lis
tening, after the preliminary "God
save you all.' to a pithy moral lecture
on the virtue of moderation. Man,
! they were told, was the only animal
! that did not know when he had enough
and this point was enforced with sew
eral entertaining examples, and some
which went too closely home to be en-
| tertaining.
: They were more at their ease when
he illustrated excess from the ways OF
the mroe fortunate sons of Adam, who
had, he said-and this provoked an APP
proving laugh-more abundant occa-
sions for going to excess. He drew a
picture of their luxurious WAYS of life,
their gorgeous houses, their rare and
delicate foods, their costly drinks,
their horses and retinues.
The poor people listened with open
mouths, feeling afresh the hardness
and baroness of their own bleak lives
and hungering out of their wilderness,
after the far off abundance. And they
cheered vociferously when the speaker
declared that all this superiority wa.
meant by God for the sustenance of hi,
Ia htar craat,nn