Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-16
CHAPTER VI.

| Hardy.
| Invasion was the word which more
frequently than any other rose to the lips
| OF Englishmen.
The muster OF French, Russian and Ger
| man ships in the northern seas was eagerly
| criticised 1t was found that their weight
| OF metal was overpoweringIy great COM
pared with the small muster of the channel
| squadron Away out in the China seas the
| British fleet had been strengthened; Il was
| cruising in force in the Mediterranean; IL
| was at the Cape, at Australia, at North
America. at the West Indies. In the Pacific;
IT was not In the English channel.
Under these conditions the wsrlike ac-
| uvity In Britain itself went on with IN
| tensity. Even before the declarations OF
war the adtutant general had issued tele-
| calling out Of the first-ciass army reserve
| and the mobilization Of the militia and vol
! unteers With wondrous celebrity CONNER
| cial England turned herself into military
England. What CONSUMPTION did for for
eign countries. that the manly mood of the
| race did for us. The women of England,
| especially, exhibited a spirit warlike as
| the peril Of their country was immense: and
| baniShtng fears and tears. they put on the
sternly-proud brows of those heroic Roman
| matrons. who laughed when their sons were
| borne home dead with wounds in front.
Go along. boy. and give 1T 'em 'ot this
| time! said a Clerkenwell mother, handing
| his musket to her son. And don't be a.
| eparing O. thot sword o tholne, Jock" was
| the admonition of a Lancashire wife as her
| husband. In premature haste, set out. like
| many another. to flock to the regimental
center, before receiving the intimatton that
his presence was requisitioned. And you'll
give them good taste Of what old Devon
men are like, won't you, Steve?' the
exhortation OF Bideford lass. This was
the mood-heroic. nothing less Night and
Gay the regimental districts and all mill
| tary centers were hard at work, calling
rolls. drafting troops to their regiments, and
making all necessary preparations. A sound
| Of trumpets re-echoed through the land.
| On tho night Of the announcement an the
house OF commons, at about 10 o'clock
| suddenly. on the east balcony of BuckiDg-
ham palace. the queen appeared.
1t had been supposed that she was still
| at Windsor. and by what contrivance she
| came here without attra citing attention was
unknown; to the crowds, thrsting, as they
were. for some outward symbol of the might
Of England to which they could vent their
intolerable emotions OF love and loyalty,
she appeared like a god-send dropped from
heaven.
One involuntary far-reachlng shout Of
Joy, spreading by contagion far up Picca-
dtlly, far along Pail Mail and re-echoed in
thouSandfold acclamations, even by those
who could not see her. burst instantly forth
A strong lime-Nght or electric light ar
rangement had been contriyed, which TO-
cussed a powerful beam OF white concerl-
| trated luminosity around her. and shot in
Shimmering rays far out and down through
the night. Grouped around her was party
Prince Of Wales; on her left, Lord Sails
bury. In her hand she held aloft an OBJ
tect. the Significance of which the crowd
for moment failed to grasp. When It did,
the enthusiasm intensified beyond all
bounds. 1t was one of the faded and ragged
old flags brought that afternoon from st.
Paurs. which had served as ensigns IN
Wellington's peninsular Campaign.
scene similarly striking was being wit
messed on the esplanade at Southsea at the
same hour. where some seven thousand
bluejackets and the marines from Gosport
were on parade and were being reviewed
by the Princess May. Htther she had hur-
ried after Witnessing the scene in the house,
and by the side of her sailor husband, and
Sir Michael ne-Seymour. rode from end
to end of the improvised ranks Prince
George addressed the men with a message
of confidence from the queen. and limited
at the awful odds which they would prob
ably soon be called upon to face. He and
every one was conscious that he was talk
ing to doomed men,
The princess dismounted. She had bas-
ket, which she opened, and from It took a
strip of blue ribbon. A high flush of erdor
mantled her face as she attached II TO the
bosom of a staff captain near her. touch
of pathos was added to the ceremony
through which she now deftly went by the
fact that she wore a loose velvet mantle,
the reason for which could not be con-
cealed. To every officer, from fleet captain
and commodore TO sublieutenant and cadet
she attached the little symbol Of affection.
So solemn was the rite that even the crowd
was silent 1t was her salute to the dying.
But even during the progress of this
scene, one Of a number Of picket boats
which had been sent out from Portsmouth
during the day was steaming into the har-
Dor, fussy with news.
She and two companions, smart little
steam pinnaces which fitted through water
like fish, had, earlier IN the day, spied a
fleet Of cuirasses, csnnonnieres, croiseurs
and batiments de transport about s. by E.
from Newhaven, fifty miles out. They were
Jty EreT 1f-h
man also
The three boats at intervals OF few
minutes. came painting into Portsmouth har-
Dor like fiuttered birds. Each contained
five men, and the fifteen, almost at the
same time stood grouped round the COM
mander-in-chief on the Hard.
Gould you make out what ships they
were?' he asked.
1--WE were rather too far off for that sir,
answered sub, near him.
There was silence for half a minute.
1t was broken by q voice, which said:
THE Admiral Baudn is among them, sir.
the Hoche. the Massena, the Kaiser and
the Deutschland.
Sir Michael Culme-seymour turned; he
looked at the speaker; his eyebrows Ntteo
a little. He did not know him.
Then, after minutes deliberaton, the
admiral said:
How many ships all told?"
There are about seventeen battleshipst
SIR" answered a MILDLY eagerly, about
twenty to twenty-three cruisers and large
fleet of liners-Messageries Maritimes and
Norddeutscher Lloyd-with an indefinite
number OF gun and torpedo boats, tenders
and composite small craft. They are max
ing for Bognor Littlehampton, or perhaps
Worthing in a quadruple line of good
twenty or thirty cables interval"
There can hardly be seventeen battle
ships" said the admiral muslngly. DO you
confirm that?"
He turned suddenly to the unknown per-
son who had addressed him before-a mere
stripping with face highly flushed with ex-
element.
''Well-not quite, SIR" the young man re-
piled; II decided that there We're fourteen
battleships, twenty-four cruisers, thirty
eight troopshps and liners, and iiotina of
104 small fry"
you seem pretty certain Of your fig
ures?" the admiral said, with a smile
"Middlingly certain, sir.
May I ask-who are you.
MY name is John Hardy, sir.
And your ship?"
1.-THE Powerful, SIR"
"Then, what on earth are you doing
here?"
fThe Powerful was away out in the yell
low sea, whittier she had been commits
stoned since the previous year,
Looking about, sir, replied the young
man. dropping his light-blue eyes.
But why are you not in Gilman
al fall I'll inst my shin going to