the ragged trousered philanthropists-第125章

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The　leaflet　which　had　given　rise　to　all　this　fury　read　as　follows：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WHAT　IS　SOCIALISM？

　　　　At　present　the　workers；　with　hand　and　brain　produce　continually　　　　　food；　clothing　and　all　useful　and　beautiful　things　in　great　　　　　abundance。

　　　　BUT　THEY　LABOUR　IN　VAIN　…　for　they　are　mostly　poor　and　often　in　　　　　want。　　They　find　it　a　hard　struggle　to　live。　　Their　women　and　　　　　children　suffer；　and　their　old　age　is　branded　with　pauperism。

　　　　Socialism　is　a　plan　by　which　poverty　will　be　abolished；　and　　　　　everyone　enabled　to　live　in　plenty　and　comfort；　with　leisure　and　　　　　opportunity　for　ampler　life。

　　　　If　you　wish　to　hear　more　of　this　plan；　come　to　the　field　at　the　　　　　Cross　Roads　on　the　hill　at　Windley；　on　Tuesday　evening　next　at　8　　　　　P。M。　and

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　LOOK　OUT　FOR　THE　SOCIALIST　VAN

The　cyclists　rode　away　amid　showers　of　stones　without　sustaining　much　damage。　　One　had　his　hand　cut　and　another；　who　happened　to　look　round；　was　struck　on　the　forehead；　but　these　were　the　only　casualties。

On　the　following　Tuesday　evening；　long　before　the　appointed　time；　there　was　a　large　crowd　assembled　at　the　cross　roads　or　the　hill　at　Windley；　waiting　for　the　appearance　of　the　van；　and　they　were　evidently　prepared　to　give　the　Socialists　a　warm　reception。　　There　was　only　one　policeman　in　uniform　there　but　there　were　several　in　plain　clothes　amongst　the　crowd。

Crass；　Dick　Wantley；　the　Semi…drunk；　Sawkins；　Bill　Bates　and　several　other　frequenters　of　the　Cricketers　were　amongst　the　crowd；　and　there　were　also　a　sprinkling　of　tradespeople；　including　the　Old　Dear　and　Mr　Smallman；　the　grocer；　and　a　few　ladies　and　gentlemen　…　wealthy　visitors　…　but　the　bulk　of　the　crowd　were　working　men；　labourers；　mechanics　and　boys。

As　it　was　quite　evident　that　the　crowd　meant　mischief　…　many　of　them　had　their　pockets　filled　with　stones　and　were　armed　with　sticks　…　several　of　the　Socialists　were　in　favour　of　going　to　meet　the　van　to　endeavour　to　persuade　those　in　charge　from　coming；　and　with　that　object　they　withdrew　from　the　crowd；　which　was　already　regarding　them　with　menacing　looks；　and　went　down　the　road　in　the　direction　from　which　the　van　was　expected　to　come。　　They　had　not　gone　very　far；　however；　before　the　people；　divining　what　they　were　going　to　do；　began　to　follow　them　and　while　they　were　hesitating　what　course　to　pursue；　the　Socialist　van；　escorted　by　five　or　six　men　on　bicycles；　appeared　round　the　corner　at　the　bottom　of　the　hill。

As　soon　as　the　crowd　saw　it；　they　gave　an　exultant　cheer；　or；　rather；　yell；　and　began　running　down　the　hilt　to　meet　it；　and　in　a　few　minutes　it　was　surrounded　by　a　howling　mob。　　The　van　was　drawn　by　two　horses；　there　was　a　door　and　a　small　platform　at　the　back　and　over　this　was　a　sign　with　white　letters　on　a　red　ground：　‘Socialism；　the　only　hope　of　the　Workers。'

The　driver　pulled　up；　and　another　man　on　the　platform　at　the　rear　attempted　to　address　the　crowd；　but　his　voice　was　inaudible　in　the　din　of　howls；　catcalls；　hooting　and　obscene　curses。　　After　about　an　hour　of　this；　as　the　crowd　began　pushing　against　the　van　and　trying　to　overturn　it；　the　terrified　horses　commenced　to　get　restive　and　uncontrollable；　and　the　man　on　the　box　attempted　to　drive　up　the　hill。　This　seemed　to　still　further　infuriate　the　horde　of　savages　who　surrounded　the　van。　　Numbers　of　them　clutched　the　wheels　and　turned　them　the　reverse　way；　screaming　that　it　must　go　back　to　where　it　came　from；　several　of　them　accordingly　seized　the　horses'　heads　and；　amid　cheers；　turned　them　round。

The　man　on　the　platform　was　still　trying　to　make　himself　heard；　but　without　success。　　The　strangers　who　had　come　with　the　van　and　the　little　group　of　local　Socialists；　who　had　forced　their　way　through　the　crowd　and　gathered　together　close　to　the　platform　in　front　of　the　would…be　speaker；　only　increased　the　din　by　their　shouts　of　appeal　to　the　crowd　to　‘give　the　man　a　fair　chance'。　　This　little　bodyguard　closed　round　the　van　as　it　began　to　move　slowly　downhill；　but　they　were　not　sufficiently　numerous　to　protect　it　from　the　crowd；　which；　not　being　satisfied　with　the　rate　at　which　the　van　was　proceeding；　began　to　shout　to　each　other　to　‘Run　it　away！'　‘Take　the　brake　off！'　and　several　savage　rushes　were　made　with　the　intention　of　putting　these　suggestions　into　execution。

Some　of　the　defenders　were　hampered　with　their　bicycles；　but　they　resisted　as　well　as　they　were　able；　and　succeeded　in　keeping　the　crowd　off　until　the　foot　of　the　hill　was　reached；　and　then　someone　threw　the　first　stone；　which　by　a　strange　chance　happened　to　strike　one　of　the　cyclists　whose　head　was　already　bandaged　…　it　was　the　same　man　who　had　been　hit　on　the　Sunday。　　This　stone　was　soon　followed　by　others；　and　the　man　on　the　platform　was　the　next　to　be　struck。　　He　got　it　right　on　the　mouth；　and　as　he　put　up　his　handkerchief　to　staunch　the　blood　another　struck　him　on　the　forehead　just　above　the　temple；　and　he　dropped　forward　on　his　face　on　to　the　platform　as　if　he　had　been　shot。

As　the　speed　of　the　vehicle　increased；　a　regular　hail　of　stones　fell　upon　the　roof　and　against　the　sides　of　the　van　and　whizzed　past　the　retreating　cyclists；　while　the　crowd　followed　close　behind；　cheering；　shrieking　out　volleys　of　obscene　curses；　and　howling　like　wolves。

‘We'll　give　the　brs　Socialism！'　shouted　Crass；　who　was　literally　foaming　at　the　mouth。

‘We'll　teach　'em　to　come　'ere　trying　to　undermined　our　bloody　morality；'　howled　Dick　Wantley　as　he　hurled　a　lump　of　granite　that　he　had　torn　up　from　the　macadamized　road　at　one　of　the　cyclists。

They　ran　on　after　the　van　until　it　was　out　of　range；　and　then　they　bethought　themselves　of　the　local　Socialists；　but　they　were　nowhere　to　be　seen；　they　had　prudently　withdrawn　as　soon　as　the　van　had　got　fairly　under　way；　and　the　victory　being　complete；　the　upholders　of　the　present　system　returned　to　the　piece　of　waste　ground　on　the　top　of　the　hill；　where　a　gentleman　in　a　silk　hat　and　frockcoat　stood　up　on　a　little　hillock　and　made　a　speech。　　He　said　nothing　about　the　Distress　Committee　or　the　Soup　Kitchen　or　the　children　who　went　to　school　without　proper　clothes　or　food；　and　made　no　reference　to　what　was　to　be　done　next　winter；　when　nearly　everybody　would　be　out　of　work。　These　were　matters　he　and　they　were　evidently　not　at　all　interested　in。　　But　he　said　a　good　deal　about　the　Glorious　Empire！　and　the　Flag！　and　the　Royal　Family。　　The　things　he　said　were　received　with　rapturous　applause；　and　at　the　conclusion　of　his　address；　the　crowd　sang　the　National　Anthem　with　great　enthusiasm　and　dispersed；　congratulating　themselves　that　they　had　shown　to　the　best　of　their　ability　what　Mugsborough　thought　of　Socialism　and　the　general　opinion　of　the　crowd　was　that　they　would　hear　nothing　more　from　the　Socialist　van。

But　in　this　they　were　mistaken；　for　the　very　next　Sunday　evening　a　crowd　of　Socialists　suddenly　materialized　at　the　Cross　Roads。　　Some　of　them　had　come　by　train；　others　had　walked　from　different　places　and　some　had　cycled。

A　crowd　gathered　and　the　Socialists　held　a　meeting；　two　speeches　being　delivered　before　the　crowd　recovered　from　their　surprise　at　the　temerity　of　these　other　Britishers　who　apparently　had　not　sense　enough　to　understand　that　they　had　been　finally　defeated　and　obliterated　last　Tuesday　evening：　and　when　the　cyclist　with　the　bandaged　head　got　up　on　the　hillock　some　of　the　crowd　actually　joined　in　the　hand…clapping　with　which　the　Socialists　greeted　him。

In　the　course　of　his　speech　he　informed　them　that　the　man　who　had　come　with　the　van　and　who　had　been　felled　whilst　attempting　to　speak　from　the　platform　was　now　in　hospital。　　For　some　time　it　had　been　probable　that　he　would　not　recover；　but　he　was　now　out　of　danger；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　well　enough　there　was　no　doubt　that　he　would　come　there　again。

Upon　this　Crass　shouted　out　that　if　ever　the　Vanners　did　return；　they　would　finish　what　they　had　begun　last　Tuesday。　　He　would　not　get　off　so　easy　next　time。　　But　when　he　said　this；　Crass　…　not　being　able　to　see　into　the　future　…　did　not　know　what　the　reader　will　learn　in　due　time；　that　the　man　was　to　return　to　that　place　under　different　circumstances。

When　they　had　finished　their　speech…making　one　of