A few momentsof eager expectation, and colours were seen fluttering gaily in the air,arms glistened brightly in the sun, column after column poured on to theplain.
Such leading articles, and such spiritedattacks!--'Our worthless contemporary, the GAZETTE'--'That disgracefuland dastardly journal, the INDEPENDENT'--'That false and scurrilousprint, the INDEPENDENT'--'That vile and slanderous calumniator, theGAZETTE;' these, and other spirit-stirring denunciations, were strewnplentifully over the columns of each, in every number, and excitedfeelings of the most intense delight and indignation in the bosoms ofthe townspeople.
Here,Mr. Slurk laughed very heartily, and folding up the paper so as to getat a fresh column conveniently, said, that the blockhead really amusedhim.
Before anyone else had seen anything, when Hardcastle had barelyremembered with a jump that he had left the gem on the stone sill, Tommywas across the cloister with the leap of a cat and, leaning with hishead and shoulders out of the aperture between two columns, had criedout in a voice that rang down all the arches: "I've got him!"(Chesterton The secret of father Brown ) In that instant of time, just after they turned, and just before theyheard his triumphant cry, they had all seen it happen.
Round the cornerof one of the two columns, there had darted in and out again a brown orrather bronze-coloured hand, the colour of dead gold; such as they hadseen elsewhere.