Eloping with the Fire-Engine.
The appearance of authority, coupled with energy and decision, will
usually control a crowd. The firemen, completely taken in by Lawless's
manner, reiterated his orders; the post-boys applied both whip and spur
vigorously--the horses dashed forward, and, amidst the enthusiastic
cheering of the mob, the engine disappeared like a flash of lightning.
"Well, I give the Honourable George credit for that," exclaimed Coleman,
as soon as we had a little recovered from our surprise at Lawless's
elopement with the fire-engine; "it was a good idea, and he worked it
out most artistically; the air with which he waved his hat to cheer them
forward was quite melodramatic. I've seen the thing not half so well
done by several of the greatest generals who ever lived--gallant
commanders, whom their men would have followed through any amount of the
reddest possible fire during the whole of Astley's campaigns, that is,
if the commissariat department (consisting of the pot-boy stationed at
the side-scenes with the porter) did its duty efficiently."
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