Here, as before, the
attack was begun by a rain of missiles gathered from the streets; less
fatal, doubtless, than more civilized arms, but frightful in the ghastly
wounds and injuries they inflicted. Of this no notice was taken by those
who were stationed within; it was repeated. At last, finding they were
treated with contemptuous silence, and that no sign of surrender was
offered, the crowd swayed back,--then forward,--in a combined attempt to
force the wide entrance-doors. Heavy hammers and sledges, which had been
brought from forges and workshops, caught up hastily as they gathered
the mechanics into their ranks, were used with frightful violence to
beat them in,--at last successfully. The foremost assailants began to
climb the stairs, but were checked, and for the moment driven back by
the fire of the officers, who at last had been commanded to resort to
their revolvers. A half-score fell wounded; and one, who had been acting
in some sort as their leader,--a big, brutal, Irish ruffian,--dropped
dead.
The pause was but for an instant. As the smoke cleared away there was a
general and ferocious onslaught upon the armory; curses, oaths,
revilings, hideous and obscene blasphemy, with terrible yells and cries,
filled the air in every accent of the English tongue save that spoken by
a native American. Such were there mingled with the sea of sound, but
they were so few and weak as to be unnoticeable in the roar of voices.
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