"Yes, catch him first," said one, "and then we can dispose of him
afterwards, I say, neighbours, don't you think it would be as well to
catch him first?" "Haven't we come on purpose?" "Yes, but do it." "Ain't we trying it?" "You will presently, when we come to get into the house." "Well, what's to be done?" said one; "here we are in a fix, I think, and
I can't see our way out very clearly." [Illustration]

"I wish we could get in." "But how is a question I don't very well see," said a large specimen of
humanity. "The best thing that can be done will be to go round and look over the
whole house, and then we may come upon some part where it is far easier
to get in at than by the front door." "But it won't do for us all to go round that way," said one; "a small
party only should go, else they will have all their people stationed at
one point, and if we can divide them, we shall beat them because they
have not enough to defend more than one point at a time; now we are
numerous enough to make several attacks." "Oh! that's the way to bother them all round; they'll give in, and then
the place is our own." "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." At that moment a chosen party returned who had been round the house to
make a reconnaissance. "Well, well," inquired the mob, "what can be done now--where can we get
in?" "In several places." "All right; come along then; the place is our own." "Stop a minute; they are armed at all points, and we must make an attack
on all points, else we may fail. A party must go round to the
front-door, and attempt to beat it in; there are plenty of poles and
things that could be used for such a purpose." "There is, besides, a garden-door, that opens into the house--a kind of
parlour; a kitchen-door; a window in the flower-garden, and an entrance
into a store-room; this place appears strong, and is therefore
unguarded." "The very point to make an attack." "Not quite." "Why not?" "Because it can easily be defended, and rendered useless to us. We must
make an attack upon all places but that, and, while they are being at
those points, we can then enter at that place, and then you will find
them desert the other places when they see us inside." "Hurrah! down with the vampyre!" said the mob, as they listened to this
advice, and appreciated the plan. "Down with the vampyre!" "Now, then, lads, divide, and make the attack; never mind their guns,
they have but very few, and if you rush in upon them, you will soon have
the guns yourselves." "Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the mob. The mob now moved away in different bodies, each strong enough to carry
the house. They seized upon a variety of poles and stones, and then made
for the various doors and windows that were pointed out by those who had
made the discovery. Each one of those who had formed the party of
observation, formed a leader to the others, and at once proceeded to the
post assigned him. The attack was so sudden and so simultaneous that the servants were
unprepared; and though they ran to the doors, and fired away, still they
did but little good, for the doors were soon forced open by the enraged
rioters, who proceeded in a much more systematic operation, using long
heavy pieces of timber which were carried on the shoulders of several
men, and driven with the force of battering-rams--which, in fact, they
were--against the door. Bang went the battering-ram, crash went the door, and the whole party
rushed headlong in, carried forward by their own momentum and fell
prostrate, engine and all, into the passage. "Now, then, we have them," exclaimed the servants, who began to belabour
the whole party with blows, with every weapon they could secure. Loudly did the fallen men shout for assistance, and but for their
fellows who came rushing in behind, they would have had but a sorry time
of it. "Hurrah!" shouted the mob; "the house is our own." "Not yet," shouted the servants. "We'll try," said the mob; and they rushed forward to drive the servants
back, but they met with a stout resistance, and as some of them had
choppers and swords, there were a few wounds given, and presently bang
went the blunderbuss. Two or three of the mob reeled and fell.