The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-10-23

steel of his own invention, through
which no bullet could penetrate, and it
was surmounted by a coming tower.
in which Billy himself sat and guided
the machine. On approaching a town
Billy would press button and the ma
chine would fire out acetylene bombs
that simply paralized the whole neigh
borhood. People thought a cyclone was
coming and took 70 the woods. Various
Intellectual attempts were made to stop
Billy in his breaking of the law, but he
went clear through to the north of Scot
land, shattering a few hills in the High
lands with his bombs, merely to let them
know he was in the neighborhood.
When Billy had gotten as far north as
the roads go he revictualed his machine,
turned it round and started for the
south again.
The telegraph, which was quicker
than an acetylene motor car, warned
the authorities of its approach, but
even though the yeomanry were called
out they could do absolutely nothing
to stop Billy McCabe on his mad career.
The papers were now full of accounts
of Billy day by day, and when he
reached London there was large and
enthusiastic crowd awaiting him. A
dete rmned attempt was made by the
London police to capture him, but Billy
kept everybody at a respectable dis
tance by playing mild variety OF
acetylene bombs all round the neigh
borhood. While the crowd and the po-
lice were being amused in this way
Billy seized the opportunity of collect
ing provisions for the return journey.
McCabe's detractors have since alleged
that he stole the necessities of life, but
this is not true. He had to have food,
and the bomb display caused the shop
keepers to be away from home at the
time Billy called to replenish his trav-
cling larder. So Billy started north
again amidst general acclaim.
The liberal papers were making il
hot for the government on Billy's ac-
count. They said he should be stopped
at all risks. The prestige of the British
empire was at stake. Here was wild
Highlander who set the law at defiance,
as doubtless his ancestors had done be-
fore him, and here was a supine gov
ernment with the largest majority of
the century, yet they were as helpless
as an infant in arms. The French pa
pers said gleefully that here at last was
an English revolution confronting q
powerless government. In this they
were partly right, but it was mechan-
ical revolution-80 miles an hour at
that.
The authorities in Lancashire tele-
graphed to the home secretary and asked
for instructions should Billy head for
the coal mine district. The home sec
retary replied that they were to read
the riot act to him, and then not hesi-
tate to shoot. But Billy himself did the
shooting. Before the sheriff, standing
on barrel beside the highway, got his
mouth in shape for saying the first
word of the justly-celebrated act Nc
Cabe shot by and was in the next coun-
ty before the troops had time to draw
breath, let alone a sword or a gun.
There is little practical use in reading
the riot act or even part of the latest
novel to a man going so miles an hour.
Between Penrith and Carlisle they
tried another plan, but it was equally
unsuccessful. They mounted thin po'
liceman on the Derby winner of that
year, kindly lent for the occasion, and
gave him the riot act to read as he ran,
but he lost sight of Billy in about ten
seconds, and did not have breath
enough left with the jolting to begin the
reading even.
Billy reached the far north once
more in safety, stocked up some more
| carbide of calcium, turned his ironciad
| toward the tropics again, and pushed
the motor button. Telegraph mes
sages announced that Billy was going
| TO pass through the broadest part of
| Yorkshire this trip, and that noble
county made most creditable attempt
| to read the riot act to him; an attempt
| that would probably have succeeded if
the county had been a bit wider. The
| sheriff placed line of policemen down
the road the motor car was to come
and gave each officer q printed slip
containing a few words of the riot act.
The furthest north policeman had the
| first slip, the second the second, the
third the third, the fourth the fourth,
and so on, to the boundary of the
southernmost part. Each policeman
was instructed to shout at the top of
his voice as the motor car went by,
his part of the riot act, which never
amounted to more than five words, but
although the policemen did their duty
and duly fired off their verbal feu de
joie, Billy dashed through Yorkshire
and so on to London again.
| Here Mr.. Chamberlain threw Off his
coat and said he would resign his po-
sition in the cabinet if this thing were
not stopped. He mentioned with some
feeling that old man Kruger had played
good deaf with him some time before,
but that this person McCabe was not to
take that as precedent and think that
any Transvaal nonsense was to be toll
Grated on the free land of England.
This move was received with great en-
thusiasm, and q cabinet meeting was
held at which 1t was determined to
capture McCabe at all costs. The min.
lister of war then called out the British
army, and by this time McCabe and his
motor car were speeding on his third
trip to Scotland. The British army
was drawn across the island just on
the London side of the Scottish border,
the island being somewhat narrow at
that point, and with fixed bayonets
they waited for McCabe and his ma
chine. 1t was about four o'clock i'll
the afternoon when McCabe's ironclad
motor appeared over the Scottish hills,
and here for the first time the young
| man oauUht SiObt of tho RritiSh arrnu