Part 28 (1/2)

”Of course,” said Bob.

”That explains your position all right,” said Bland. ”But I don't quite understand the others. I should have thought--”

”The soldiers,” said Bob, ”have strict orders not to provoke a conflict. I met Henderson just now and he told me so. You remember Henderson, Lord Kilmore? The man I was talking to at the railway station. He'd only had two water biscuits to eat all day yesterday.

When I met him just now he told me he'd had nothing since breakfast to-day but one bit of b.u.t.terscotch. He said he wished we'd fight at once if we were going to fight and get it over.”

”But the police--” said Bland, still trying to get information. ”I should have thought the police--”

”They tried to arrest us,” I said. ”In fact they did arrest us but they let us go again.”

”I dare say they'd like to arrest us,” said Bob, ”but you see we've all got guns.”

”Ah,” said Bland, ”and the ordinary inhabitants of the city--?”

”They're in bed,” said Bob, ”and we've all agreed that they'd better stay there. n.o.body wants a riot.”

”Thanks,” said Bland. ”If I can get my wire through I'll let the world know the exact position of affairs.”

”If you are wiring,” said Bob, ”you might like to mention that there was jolly nearly being a fight at the gasworks. The military people got it into their heads that we intended to turn off the gas and plunge the town into darkness so as to be able to murder people without being caught. They took possession of the works and put a party of Royal Engineers in charge. Fairly silly idea! But some fool on our side--a fellow who's been dragging a quick-firing gun about the streets all day--”

”McConkey,” I said. ”I know him.”

”I didn't hear his name,” said Bob, ”but he got it into his head that the Royal Engineers were going to turn off the gas so that the soldiers could make short work of us. He wanted to wipe out those engineers with his gun. I don't suppose he'd have hit them, but he'd certainly have tried if some one hadn't run and fetched Conroy. He settled the matter at once.”

”How?” said Bland. ”This story will be a scoop for me. I don't expect any one else knows it.”

”He handed the gasworks over to the police,” said Bob.

”But did that satisfy any one?” I asked. ”I should have thought that both the original parties would have fallen upon the police.”

”Not at all,” said Bob. ”The police are so much the weakest party in the town that it's plainly to their interest to keep the gas burning.

Even the man with the machine gun saw that.”

I found Moyne waiting for me when I got back to the hotel. He was very depressed and took no more than a mere sip of the whisky and soda which I ordered for him. I made an effort to cheer him a little before I went to bed.

”I don't think,” I said, ”that there'll be a battle to-morrow.”

”I am sure there will. What's to stop it?”

”The fact is,” I said, ”that everybody will be too exhausted to fight.

McConkey, for instance, is still hauling that field gun of his about the streets. He simply won't have strength enough left to-morrow to shoot it off. All the soldiers and all the volunteers are marching up and down. They mean to keep it up all night. I should say that you and I and three or four other sensible people who have gone to bed will have the town entirely to ourselves to-morrow.”

Moyne smiled feebly.

”I wish it was all well over,” he said. ”I hope the Prime Minister won't be disagreeable to--. It would have been better, much better, if she'd gone to Castle Affey.”

”You needn't be a bit afraid of that,” I said.

This time I spoke with real a.s.surance. No man living could be disagreeable to Lady Moyne, if she smiled at him. When she left Belfast she was so much in earnest and so anxious, that she would certainly smile her very best at the Prime Minister.