The reputable old gentleman had gone thus far, when a hulking creature of a rough struck him from behind with a sandbag. I sprang forward, and fended away a second blow with my left arm. As I did so, I struck the rough on the jaw with such vengeful force that, not only did he drop like some pole-axed ox, but my right hand was fairly wrecked thereby. Without pausing to discover my own condition or that of the sandbag-wielding ruffian, I picked up the reputable old gentleman and bore him out of the crowd.
The reputable old gentleman had come by no serious harm; he was stunned a trifle, and his hat broken. With me to hold him up, he could stand on his feet, though still dazed and addled from the dull power of the blow. I beckoned a carriage which Big Kennedy had employed to bring the old and infirm to the polling place. It came at my signal, and I placed the reputable old gentleman inside, and told the driver to take him to his home. The reputable old gentleman was murmuring and shaking his head as he drove away. As I closed the carriage door, he muttered: “This is barbarous! That citizens and taxpayers should receive such treatment———” The balance was lost in the gride of the wheels.
The hurly-burly had now ceased; all was as calm and equal as a goose pond.
“So you saved the old gentleman,” said Big Kennedy, as he came towards me. “Gratitude, I s'pose, because he stood pal to you ag'inst Sheeny Joe that time. Gratitude! You'll get over that in time,” and Big Kennedy wore a pitying look as one who dwells upon another's weakness. “That was Jimmy the Blacksmith you smashed. You'd better look out for him after this.” My dander was still on end, and I intimated a readiness to look out for Jimmy the Blacksmith at once.
“Mind your back now!” cautioned Big Kennedy, “and don't take to gettin' it up. Let things go as they lay. Never fight till you have to, d'ye see! an' never fight for fun. Don't go lookin' for th' Blacksmith until you hear he's out lookin' for you.” Then, as shifting the subject: “It's been a great day, an' everything to run off as smooth an' true as sayin' mass. Now let's go back and watch'em count the votes.”
“Did we beat them?” I asked.
“Snowed'em under!” said Big Kennedy.