“No, no,” said the big countryman, “I like to make a good rush and drive all afore us; you know what ye have to do then, and you do it, ye know.”

“If you can.”

“Ay, to be sure, if we can, as you say; but can’t we? that’s what I want to know.”

“To be sure we can.”

“Then we’ll do it, mate—­that’s my mind; we’ll do it.  Come on, and let’s have another look at the street-door.”

The big countryman left the main body, and resolutely walked up to the main avenue, and approached the door, accompanied by about a dozen or less of the mob.  When they came to the door, they commenced knocking and kicking most violently, and assailing it with all kinds of things they could lay their hands upon.

They continued at this violent exercise for some time—­perhaps for five minutes, when the little square hole in the door was again opened, and a voice was heard to say,—­

“You had better cease that kind of annoyance.”

“We want to get in.”

“It will cost you more lives to do so than you can afford to spare.  We are well armed, and are prepared to resist any effort you can make.”

“Oh! it’s all very well; but, an you won’t open, why we’ll make you; that’s all about it.”

This was said as the big countryman and his companions were leaving the avenue towards the rest of the body.

“Then, take this, as an earnest of what is to follow,” said the man, and he discharged the contents of a blunderbuss through the small opening, and its report sounded to the rest of the mob like the report of a field-piece.

Fortunately for the party retiring the man couldn’t take any aim, else it is questionable how many of the party would have got off unwounded.  As it was, several of them found stray slugs were lodged in various parts of their persons, and accelerated their retreat from the house of the vampyre.

“What luck?” inquired one of the mob to the others, as they came back; “I’m afraid you had all the honour.”

“Ay, ay, we have, and all the lead too,” replied a man, as he placed his hand upon a sore part of his person, which bled in consequence of a wound.

“Well, what’s to be done?”

“Danged if I know,” said one.

“Give it up,” said another.

“No, no; have him out.  I’ll never give in while I can use a stick.  They are in earnest, and so are we.  Don’t let us be frightened because they have a gun or two—­they can’t have many; and besides, if they have, we are too many for them.  Besides, we shall all die in our beds.”

“Hurrah! down with the vampyre!”

“So say I, lads.  I don’t want to be sucked to death when I’m a-bed.  Better die like a man than such a dog’s death as that, and you have no revenge then.”

“No, no; he has the better of us then.  We’ll have him out—­we’ll burn him—­that’s the way we’ll do it.”

“Ay, so we will; only let us get in.”