下载辰思小说免费APP
“Areyouinneedofhelp，Chief？“heaskedquietly。
“Allthegoodmenwecanget，“saidtheChiefcurtly。“ButfirstwemustgettheMayorhere。Sergeant，gethimonthephone。“
“Yougoforhim，Vic，“saidJack。
“Righto！“criedVic。“Butcountmeinonthis。“
InfifteenminutesVicwasbackwiththeMayor，helplesswithnervousexcitement。
“Getyourmenout，Chief！“heshouted，ashesprangfromthecar。
“Getthemoutquick，arrestthosedevilsandlock’emup！We’llshowthemathingortwo！Hurryup！Whatareyouwaitingfor？“
“Mr。Mayor，“Jack’sclear，firm，coolvoicearrestedtheMayor’sattention。“MayIsuggestthatyouswearinsomespecialconstables？TheChiefwillneedhelpandsomeofusherewouldbegladtoassist。“
“Yes！Yes！ForGod’ssake，hurryup！Here’stheclerk。Howdoyouswearthemin，clerk？“
“TheChiefofPolicehasallthenecessaryauthority。“
“Allright，Chief。Swearthem！Swearthem！Forheaven’ssake，swearthem！Here，you，Maitland——andyou，Maynard——andStillwell——“
Withcool，swiftefficiencybornofhisexperienceinthewar，theChiefwentonwithhisarrangements。Inhishandstheprocessofswearinginanumberofspecialconstableswasspeedilyaccomplished。
MeantimemanycarsandaconsiderablenumberofmenhadgatheredaboutthePoliceHeadquarters。
“Whatisthatlight？“criedtheMayorsuddenly，pointinginthedirectionofthefoundry。“It’safire！MyGod，Chief，doyouseethatfire？Hurryup！Whydon’tyouhurryup？Theywillburnthetowndown。“
“Allright，Mr。Mayor，“saidtheChief。“Weshallbethereinafewminutesnow。CaptainMaitland，“saidtheChief，“IwilltakethemenIhavewithme。Willyouswearinallyoucangetwithinthenextfifteenortwentyminutes，andreporttomeatthefoundry？Sergeant，youcomealongwithme！I’moff！“Sosaying，theChiefcommandeeredasmanycarsaswerenecessary，packedthemwiththemembersofhispoliceforceavailableandwiththespecialshehadsecured，andhurriedaway。
AftertheChiefhadretired，Jackstoodupinhiscar。“Anyofyouchapswanttogetintothis？“hesaid，addressingthecrowd。Hisvoicewascheeryandcool。Atonceadozenvoicesresponded。
“Righto！““Hereyouare！““Putmedown！“Inlessthanfifteenminutes，hehadsecuredbetweenfortyandfiftymen。
“Iwantallthesecars，“hesaid。“Getin，men。Holdon！“heshoutedatadriverwhohadthrowninhisclutch。“Letnomanmovewithoutorders！Anymandisobeyingorderswillbearrestedatonce！Rememberthatnogunsaretobeused，nomatterwhatprovocationmaybegiven。Evenifyouarefiredon，don’tfireinreturn！Doesanymanknowwherewecangetanythingintheshapeofclubs？“
“Hundredsofaxehandlesinourstore，“saidRupert。
“Rightyouare！Drivers，fallinline。Keepcloseup。Now，Mr。
Mayor，ifyouplease。“
ArmedwithaxehandlesfromStillwell&Son’sstore，theysetoffforthesceneofaction。Arrivedatthefoundrytheyfoundthemaddest，wildestconfusionragingalongthestreetinfrontofthefoundry，andinthefoundryyardwhichwascrowdedwithmen。Theboardfencealongthefrontofthegroundshadbeentorndownandusedasfagotstofirethefoundry，whichwasblazingmerrilyinadozenplaces。Everywhereabouttheblazingbuildingpartiesofmenlikehoundsonthetrailwerehuntingdownstrike-breakersand，onfindingthem，werebrutallybatteringthemintoinsensibility。
Drivinghiscarthroughthecrowd，MaitlandfoundhiswaytotheChief。Inafewshort，sharpsentences，theChiefexplainedhisplanofoperations。“Clearthestreetinfront，andholditso！
Thencomeandassistmeinclearingthisyard。“
“Allright，sir！“repliedMaitland，touchinghishatastoasuperiorofficer，and，wheelinghiscar，heledhismenbacktothethrongingstreet。
Meantime，theFireDepartmenthadarriveduponthescenewithacoupleofengines，ahosereelandotherfire-fightingapparatus，thefiremengreatlyhamperedintheiroperations。
Swinginghiscarbackthroughthecrowd，Maitlandmadehiswaytothestreet，andsettowork
