Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-16
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
Before the Battle.
During all that afternoon and night Eng
land. Scotland. Wales and Ireland uttered
its voice.
For the 5th-6th of September the usual
100000 letters and post cards delivered
by the post office leapt to 14,5c0.0Oo. This
meant that the whole nation had taken
busily to pen and ink, to paper and card
board. 1t meant that it was profoundly
stirred about something, that 1t wanted
something with its whole heart.
These extra millions Of letters were d.
rected to London. some to the government
Offices, the majority to the London daily
papers. Not a thousandth part of them
were ever opened. The circulation Office
Of the London postal service department
was kept in furry of business ali through
the night st. Martins in the morning got
postmen where it could; and the bags OF
the carriers buiged.
When any vast collection of animals acts
in this spontaneous way, all doing the same
thing. it is that they are stirred by some
instinct which is in unison with the soul
of the world. The universal voice is, IN
truth, the voice of God Democracy Is thus
a kind of Holy Scripture. Its Will Is the
DecalogNe.
The nation, having eagerly drunk the
news that John Hardy had suddenly reap
peared in England as mysteriously as ne
had disappeared from it. demanded ms
presence at the impending battte; II IN
sisted that no nonsense about formality OF
convention should deprive it of his posi-
bic help. Most of the people demanded his
appointment admiral of the fleet
And why? He had only been instru-
mental in winning single battle for Eng
land. If they had reasoned, their ardor OF
persuasion could not have been so intense.
But the fact is that their cry proceeded
from that divine instinct for truth which,
in hours of extremity often inspires ma
lions and sometimes individuals. That
Hardy was the right man, just then, just
there, they felt intuitively, and they dla
not mince matters in proclaiming It.
The only person in Europe TO Whom tne
coming battle his own possible share
in it, did not seem of direct momentous
Importance was Hardy.
For the, immediate motive OF the ailles
was to compel the withdrawal of the Brit
ish troops from the continent; but, sup
posing they effected a landing in England.
there impended an enemy upon them as
Hardy knew, far more terrible than all
the combined arnes of several Europes;
and this enemy would at once compel them
to do the very thing they sought to force
upon Britain.
And it was near-it was not far off AS
he stepped into the train at Worthing that
night, he bought q paper; and in small
type paragraph, unmarked perhaps but by
him, he saw this quaint item of news:
"A train containing 500 Chinese has ar
rived at st. Petersburg from Vladivostok.
They seem poor, and the object OF their
journey is unknown. 1t is the intention
of the Russian authorities to send them
back to their own country.
Hardy muttered to himself:
80 soon, Yen How?"
But in the eyes of England, of Britain.
of Europe, the coming battle, was the great
er Waterloo of world-hstOry; the final
shock of this annihlating war, the crown
ing Armageddon before probable thou
CO.., a Of
If Britain failed now, she failed: and if
Europe, then Europe failed, too There
could be little further struggle, for who
would be there to make it? There would
be no fight left in the limp nations.
Hardy reached London at IL pm. 1t was
partly expecting him, for as soon as the
two Worthlng reporters had got off their
news, Worthing had pricked its ears and
heard. Dixon's became the center of the
town, and moving crowd surveyed the
house for hours. Long before Hardy APP
peared, all his immediate plans were
known from Dixon; he was then cheered
by the full street; only those near enough
to see him well being mostly silent. i'm
pressed with something of that strangeness
OF expression which made the sailors at
hlao-G hau whisper: What a face"
London, therefore, expected him without
certainty as to the hour A considera BILE
crowd waited at Victoria; but when at last
II Sa" nm. made no sign. They looked for
very young man, with swift glance and
shoulders and gray In his long hair; and
decided that this was hardly he.
But one PAIR of eyes knew him under his
DISGUISE Old Bobbie Mason had been walt
ing all the evening al the station wonder
ing why his boy had forgotten him-had
sent him no line or word. When at last
ne saw. he started with horror; but he knew
his own.
cabs. Hardy saw a meager muster: and his
muslng eye noted the raw-boned look of
the horses. AS his carriage passed through
buckingham palace road, baked potato
apparatus stood before the palace and he
noted with pang the largeness OF the
crowd around 1t. The streets were almost
deserted. Even the policemen seemed few
err In a bye-street. near Oxford Circus. an
old woman walked, and behind her a ca Z
with little halts and runs, followed persist
emily, sending out piteous feeble cries to
the night
Old Bobbie sitting there by his side
waited for caress of the once affectionats
hand But no caress came. They drove
onward In absolute silence The only words
which John had spoken We're the two.
We'll. Bobbie," at the station platform.
The old mar was frightened
once only, as John wos moving off to bed.
the old butler broke out; and he cried. with
clasped hand:
Master n-what-what-hay thew
done to your'
And John answered:
They have tortured me to death Rob
bic, if you want to know"
And that was all. The rose-leaf Inns
We're pressed pretty tight now
Early In the morning the government
knew what 1t had to do If it meant to keen
it's place. In thousand startling WAYS Il
learned that the nations will this time
had got to be done.
But the thing was officially impossible
Hardy was nobody officially The shins'
crews were complete, and it was antici-
pated that the main portion of the feet
still at anchor would sail at noon. The
government could not exactly telegraph to
captain or vice admiral and say: .You
must give up your place to John Hardy
because he is a better man than Won
They were absolutely at their wits end
But the chief characteristic of the Rru-
ish race is its nimble way. 1t actually does
manage in the end. At o'clock Cant
Macleod, once of the Jupiter, now of the
Royal Sovereign, was seized by "a sudden
Illness" at half-past 0 Admiral Sir No
well Salmon, principal naval aid-de-camp
to the queen, was at lila CavendIsh SQUARE.
at 10 Lord Charles Beresford, upon whom
In the hour of peril, the supreme command
had been imposed. telegraphed to the COM
mittee of national safety. and also to the
admiralty, offering to Hardy a Joint com
mand of the squadron at half-past 10
Hardy was Fastening in special train to-
ward Portsmouth.
But he went under compulsion not know
Ing why. He had no theory of naval war.