The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-12-19

what he proposed to do when be got
there. but the possibilities Of the ex-
petition were great. 1t was a pictur-
esque procession. for every man car
ried a safety lamp in one hand and a
missile in the other. II was prob
ably owing to the multiplicity of the
twinkling points Of light thus produced
that no one observed the pickering
halo Of a solitary bicycle lamp, as a
machine which bore it slipped out
from the side door of the pit Offices and
silently stole away through the dark
ness, carrying a frightened messenger
over the hill to Bolton hall.
1t may here be noted that Mr.. Tom
Winch, having dispatched his ~avenging
host upon its way. remained behind at
Observation-Disclosures to superintend
the subsequent operations with that
degree of perspective With is SO
necessary to a good general.
Mr.. Killick. IN old acquaintance of
ours, supported by his friend. Mr..
Brash. Jed the procession.
"supposin' the lodge gates Is locked
-wnat then? inquired Mr. Brash--
even a better critic than creator of al
enterprise-as they trudged along the
muddy road.
I'VE shall trample them down." re-
piled Mr.. KiIick, ever contemptuous
of irritating detail.
But the lodge gates stood Hospitality
open. The lodge itself was shattered
and silent, and the procession, pausing
momentarily to deliver a hilarious and
Irregular yolley of small coal, pro-
ceeded on its way. A I
Up the long avenue they tramped-
There were electric lamps ut Intervals,
intended for the guidance of strange
coachmen on dinner party nights. These
were all ablaze. Evidently Juggernaut
was expecting friends. Five minutes
later our glorious company Of apostles
rounded the last turn in the avenue.
and the broad E~lizabethan facade OF
Bolton hall doomed up before them.
Every window was alight.
A tagged and balustraded terrace ran
along the whole frontage Of the hall.
In the middle of the balnstrade was a
gap where a broad flight of shallow
stone steps led down TO a velyety lawn
800 years old. Most of the crowd
knew that lawn and terrace we'll. The
grounds at Bolton were constantly and
freely granted for miners fetes, pOlit-
ical demonstrations and the like. On
these occasions a band was nearly al
ways playing upon the terrace, and not
infrequently postprandial orations were
o%utpoured from the rostrum formed by
the stone steps upon the heads OF a
gorged and tolerant audience On the
grass below.
Tonight no band was playing. but at
the head of the steps-motionless. up
right, infiexible-stood a solitary figure.
! 1t was the master of the house, waiting
to receive his guests. one against four
hundred.
But, to one who knew, the odds were
not Overwhelmingly fact, provided
that the crowd possessed no resolute
leader. the chances were slightly in IA
vor of the figure on the steps. One
maj with his wits about him has two
great advantages over a crowd. In the
first place, he knows exactly what he
is going TO do, and, in the second. he
knows exactly what the crowd is going
to do. The crowd knows neither. 1T
is impossible to foretell how a single
individual will behave upon emergency.
The human temperament varies too
widely. But there is nothing In the
world so normal or conventional as a
crowd. Mankind in the lump is a
mere puppet in the hands of the law
of averages. Given, as noted above, a
resolute leader, and the conditions are
changed. The leader imbues the crowd
with a portion of his own spirit and
creates IN instinct of unanimity. Then
the odds are once more in favor of the
crowd, for now it is a resolute will, all
alone, pitted against a resolute will
with force behind it.
Sir John Carr knew all this. He
had studied men all his life, and as he
stood silent and observant, surveying
the surging multitude at his feet-it
had flowed TO the very base of the
steps now-he noted that there was no
leader in particular. The crowd was
acting under the influence of blind i'm
pulse and If properly handled could be
swayed about and sent home.
Presently the hubbub ceased, and the
men stood gazing upward. lingering
humps Of coal and waiting for some
one to fire the first shot.
Good evening, ladies and gentle
men," observed J~uggernaut. CThe Ia
dies. be it noted, constituted the front
row of the asseInblage. their cavaliers
having modestly retired a few PAGES
under their employers p~assionless
scrutiny IF you have come to sere-
made me | shall have pleasure present
ly in sending you out some refresh
ments. If you have merely come to
burn the house down ! strongly adj
wise you to go home and think twice
about IT,"