fighting for no principle, true or false, only for bare life. They
would have bartered their very souls for a mouthful of bread.

"You must promise to be peaceable," said John again, very resolutely,
as soon as he could obtain a hearing. "You are Norton Bury folk, I
know you. I could get every one of you hanged, even though Abel
Fletcher is a Quaker. Mind, you'll be peaceable?"

"Ay--ay! Some'at to eat; give us some'at to eat."

John Halifax called out to Jael; bade her bring all the food of every
kind that there was in the house, and give it to him out of the
parlour-window. She obeyed--I marvel now to think of it--but she
implicitly obeyed. Only I heard her fix the bar to the closed front
door, and go back, with a strange, sharp sob, to her station at the
hall-window.

"Now, my lads, come in!" and he unlocked the gate.

They came thronging up the steps, not more than two score, I
imagined, in spite of the noise they had made. But two score of such
famished, desperate men, God grant I may never again see!

John divided the food as well as he could among them; they fell to it
like wild beasts. Meat, cooked or raw, loaves, vegetables, meal; all
came alike, and were clutched, gnawed, and scrambled for, in the
fierce selfishness of hunger. Afterwards there was a call for drink.

"Water, Jael; bring them water."