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Enraged at the indignity which had been offered them, they
solicited a reinforcement of their friends, and, with Tom Pipes at
their head, marched back to the field of battle. Their adversary,
seeing them approach, called his apprentice, who worked at the other
end of the ground, to his assistance, armed him with a mattock,
while he himself wielded a hoe, bolted his door on the inside, and,
flanked with his man and mastiff, waited the attack without flinching.
He had not remained three minutes in this posture of defence, when
Pipes, who acted as the enemy's forlorn hope, advanced to the gate
with great intrepidity, and, clapping his foot to the door, which
was none of the stoutest, with the execution and despatch of a
petard, split it into a thousand pieces. This sudden execution had
an immediate effect upon the apprentice, who retreated with great
precipitation, and escaped at a postern; but the master placed
himself, like another Hercules, in the breach; and when Pipes,
brandishing his cudgel, stepped forward to engage him, leveled his
weapon.


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