as the stoning with brickbats which now took place. Eve] window in the little room was smashed, so that they were obliged to brick them up and use candles. Finding these attacks did not daunt the Coalheaver, but that he still persisted, they determined to force their way into the room, and, as they phrased it, "pull the fellow out of his hole," and so effectually frighten him. Huntington was informed of the meditated outrage, and when the evening came, heard the allies coming together to the peal of the church bells. As he listened to the increasing din, and heard the oaths and halloos without, his heart sank within him, and he began to think it would be prudent to stay at home. But he says: "This word soon put my cowardice to flight—'He that will save his life shall lose it, and he that will lose his life for my sake and the Gospel's shall find it.' I then left my habitation, and went through the confused ranks of this enraged host to our place of worship, with no other armour than half a grain of faith in my heart, and a little Bible in my pocket."
His courage was rewarded by his complete deliverance, and the ignominious overthrow of the leading spirit in the plot. This man was an upper servant in a great family in the neighbourhood, and had been unexpectedly despatched to London that very day. He had ridden back hard that he might save his oath and execute his promise. But ere he arrived his horse threw him; he was taken to a public-house, too much hurt to be removed for many days.
The whole six years Huntington preached to the people at Thames Ditton he did so without fee or reward, although he was constantly in dire poverty. At such times he would have recourse to his only source of daily help. When his children were suffering at home from hunger and cold, he would pass the dinner-hour, during which his fellow-workmen were in the public-house, in the barge-tilt or cabin, telling God how his little ones wanted bread. On one occasion he says—
"I was now a fortnight or more out of work, which sorely tried me indeed; for it so happened that we were forced to put out little ones to bed one night without a supper, and their dinner was a very scanty one. When they saw me look into the cupboard, and shut the door again without giving them anything.
