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"But in the third gathering the situation is quite different:

here the orator must catch his auditors by their belts-notice how

they are pulling away and turning aside their ears; notice how

this auditor bristles with wrath; he has raised his arms and is

threatening the orator and stopping his mouth; he has evidently

heard praise showered on his opponent. That other man has bent

down his brow like a bull; you might think him about to toss the

orator on his horns. This party are drawing their sabres, and

those others have started to flee.

"One gentleman stands silent and alone between the groups; he is

evidently a non-partisan and is timidly hesitating for whom to

give his vote! He does not know, and is at odds with himself; he

leaves it to chance-he has lifted up his hands and extended his

thumbs; with his eyes shut he aims nail against nail; evidently

he will trust his vote to fortune; if the thumbs meet, he will

cast an affirmative ballot, but if they miss he will deposit a

negative.