“Captain G——­s,” said the latter, “don’t be afraid—­meek yourself aisy—­not a hair of your head, nor any of the police, will be touched; we only want the process-server; let him be given up, and you will be safe.”

“Sooner than give him up to you,” he replied, “we will, every man of us, part with our lives.  Sacrifice us you may, but we will never surrender our charge.”

Instead, however, of following the sound advice of one of his own men, the chief constable, credulous to infatuation, allowed the infuriated body, by which he and his men were surrounded, still to press in upon him, without taking those precautions which common sense, coolness, and the insecurity of his position, should have dictated.

By the time they had passed the place called Tennison’s Gate, a large body had collected in their front, blocking up the road they had to pass, and which would have conducted, them in a different direction, but not one so peculiarly perilous.  From this they made a turn to the left into a lane that would have led them back again to a little village, through which they had already passed, the bell of which was already sounding their death-knell.  The constabulary, by turning into the narrow lane at the left, unconsciously approached the very ambush into which the people, or rather their more disciplined leaders, had intended to decoy them.  This lane was enclosed by walls, and on one side the ground was considerably elevated and covered with stones, thus affording to their assailants every possible opportunity of completing their destruction.  The unfortunate men were pressed by a crowd on their right, composed of those who occupied the elevation; another crowd pressed upon their rear; whilst a third body obstructed them in front, thus keeping them pent up, and at the mercy of the crowds on every side.

It is quite obvious that the person in command of the constabulary was not only unfit for his duty, but ignorant of anything like military discipline or manoeuvring.  He must have completely lost his presence of mind, otherwise his easiness of belief and simplicity are utterly unaccountable.  As it was, in two or three minutes after the hollow assurances of good-will uttered by those whom he saw bristling at the same time with vengeance about him, an effort was made by a man to drag the unfortunate process-server out of the lines.  He was immediately pulled back by a policeman, but was scarcely restored to his place, When he was struck on the side of the head with a wattle.  The blow caused him to stagger, and would have caused him to fall, but that he was seized and kept upon his legs by the policeman.  He had not time, however, to recover his steadiness, when he was felled to the ground by a blow from a stone, which sent him to the ground a corpse.  A general assault with every description of rude and formidable weapons, now commenced upon the unfortunate constabulary.  Their imbecile and uncautious officer fired his pistol and in a moment afterwards was knocked from his horse and instantly put to death.  The crowd now rushed on them from all sides, and so sharp, short, and decisive was the massacre, that in about the space of two minutes, twelve men lay butchered on the spot.