Never, anywhere before, had I seen women of precisely this quality.
Fishwives and market women might show similar strength, but it was coarse
and heavy. These were merely athletic--light and powerful. College
professors, teachers, writers--many women showed similar intelligence but
often wore a strained nervous look, while these were as calm as cows,
for all their evident intellect.

We observed pretty closely just then, for all of us felt that it
was a crucial moment.

The leader gave some word of command and beckoned us on,
and the surrounding mass moved a step nearer.

"We've got to decide quick," said Terry.

"I vote to go in," Jeff urged. But we were two to one against
him and he loyally stood by us. We made one more effort to be
let go, urgent, but not imploring. In vain.

"Now for a rush, boys!" Terry said. "And if we can't break
'em, I'll shoot in the air."

Then we found ourselves much in the position of the suffragette
trying to get to the Parliament buildings through a triple cordon
of London police.

The solidity of those women was something amazing. Terry
soon found that it was useless, tore himself loose for a moment,
pulled his revolver, and fired upward. As they caught at it, he
fired again--we heard a cry--.