We must, however, for a time, follow the fortunes of Caillaud and the
Major on that day. They were both astir at five o'clock, and joined
one another at the club. All the members were to assemble there at
seven. Never was the Major more despondent. As for organisation,
there was none, and every proposal he had made had been thwarted. He
saw well enough, as a soldier, that ten times the enthusiasm at his
command would never carry a hundred men to London in that cold
weather, and that if twenty thousand started, the number would be the
difficulty. The Yeomanry cavalry were under orders to oppose them,
and what could an undisciplined mob do against a semi-military force?
The end of it would be the prompt dispersion of the pilgrims and the
discredit of the cause. Nevertheless, both he and Caillaud had
determined not to desert it. The absence of all preparations on the
part of these poor Blanketeers was, in truth, very touching, as it
showed the innocent confidence which they had in the justice of their
contention. Their avowed object was to present a petition personally
to the Prince Regent, that they might "undeceive" him; as if such a
thing were possible, or, being possible, would be of the slightest
service.
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