Through the Fray

Through the Fray

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Title: Through the Fray A Tale of the Luddite Riots
Author: G. A. Henty
Release Date: August, 2005 [EBook #8732] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on August 5,
2003]
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THROUGH
THE FRAY ***

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THROUGH THE FRAY
A TALE OF THE LUDDITE RIOTS
BY G. A. HENTY

PREFACE
My Dear Lads:
The beginning of the present century, glorious as it was for British
arms abroad, was a dark time to those who lived by their daily labor at
home. The heavy taxation entailed by the war, the injury to trade, and
the enormous prices of food, all pressed heavily upon the working
classes. The invention of improved machinery, vast as has been the
increase of trade which it has brought about, at first pressed heavily
upon the hand workers, who assigned all their distress to the new
inventions. Hence a movement arose, which did much damage and for
a time threatened to be extremely formidable. It had its ramifications
through all the manufacturing districts of England, the object being the
destruction of the machinery, and a return to the old methods of work.
The troubles which occurred in various parts of the country were
known as the Luddite Riots, and the secret body which organized them
was called King or General Lud. In the present story I have endeavored
to give you an idea of the state of things which prevailed in Yorkshire,
where, among the croppers and others employed in the woolen
manufactures, was one of the most formidable branches of the secret
association. The incidents of the murder of Mr. Horsfall and the attack
upon Mr. Cartwright's mill are strictly accurate in all their details.
In this story I have left the historical battlefields, across so many of
which I have taken you, and have endeavored to show that there are

peaceful battles to be fought and victories to be won every jot as
arduous and as difficult as those contested under arms. In "Facing
Death" my hero won such a battle. He had to fight against external
circumstances, and step by step, by perseverance, pluck, and
determination, made his way in life. In the present tale my hero's
enemy was within, and although his victory was at last achieved the
victor was well nigh worsted in the fray. We have all such battles to
fight, dear lads; may we all come unscathed and victorious through the
fray!
Yours sincerely,
G. A. Henty

CHAPTER I
: A FISHING EXPEDITION
It has just struck one, and the boys are streaming out from the
schoolroom of Mr. Hathorn's academy in the little town of Marsden in
Yorkshire. Their appearance would create some astonishment in the
minds of lads of the present generation, for it was the year 1807, and
their attire differed somewhat materially from that now worn. They
were for the most part dressed in breeches tight at the knee, and
buttoning up outside the close fitting jacket nearly under the arms, so
that they seemed almost devoid of waist. At the present moment they
were bareheaded; but when they went beyond the precincts of the
school they wore stiff caps, flat and very large at the top, and with far
projecting peaks.
They were not altogether a happy looking set of boys, and many of
their cheeks were stained with tears and begrimed with dirt from the
knuckles which had been used to wipe them away; for there was in the
year 1807 but one known method of instilling instruction into the
youthful mind, namely, the cane, and one of the chief qualifications of
a schoolmaster was to be able to