Part 89 (1/2)

”It's rather rough on you, Stirling,” spoke up a man, ”to have it come while you are a nominee.”

Peter smiled, and pa.s.sed into the room beyond. ”Good-morning, General Canfield,” he said. ”I have taken the necessary steps to embody my regiment. Are there any further orders?”

”If we need you, we shall put you at the Central Station,” the officer replied; ”so, if you do not know the lay of the land, you had better familiarize yourself at once.”

”General Canfield,” said Peter, ”my regiment has probably more sympathizers with the strikers than has any other in the city. It could not be put in a worse place.”

”Are you objecting to orders?” said the man, in a sharp decisive voice.

”No,” replied Peter. ”I am stating a fact, in hopes that it may prevent trouble.”

The man and Peter looked each other in the eye.

”You have your orders,” said the man, but he didn't look pleased or proud.

Peter turned and left the room, looking very grave. He look his cab and went to his quarters. He ate a hurried breakfast, and then went down into the streets. They seemed peaceably active as he walked through them. A small boy was calling an extra, but it was in reference to the arrival of a much-expected racing-yacht. There was nothing to show that a great business depression rested with crus.h.i.+ng weight on the city, and especially on the poor; that anarchy was lifting its head, and from hungering for bread was coming to hunger for blood and blaze; that capital and labor were preparing to lock arms in a struggle which perhaps meant death and destruction.

The armory door was opened only wide enough to let a man squeeze through, and was guarded by a keeper. Peter pa.s.sed in, however, without question, and heard a hum of voices which showed that if anarchy was gathering, so too was order. Peter called his officers together, and gave a few orders. Then he turned and whispered for a moment with Dennis.

”They don't put us there, sir!” exclaimed Dennis.

”Yes.”

”Are they mad?”

”They've given us the worst job, not merely as a job, but especially for the regiment. Perhaps they won't mind if things do go wrong.”

”Yez mean?”

”What will people say of me on November fourth, if my regiment flunks on September thirtieth?”

”Arrah musha dillah!” cried Dennis. ”An' is that it?”

”I'm afraid so. Will the men stand by me?”

”Oi'll make them. Yez see,” shouted Dennis, ”Oi'll tell the b'ys they are tryin' to put yez in a hole, an' they'll stan' by yez, no matter what yez are told to do.”

As quickly as possible Peter put on his fatigue uniform. When he came out, it was to find that the rank and file had done the same, and were now standing in groups about the floor. A moment later they were lined up.

Peter stepped forward and said in a clear, ringing voice: ”Before the roll is called I wish to say a word. We may receive orders any moment to take possession of the buildings and switches at the Central Station, to protect the property and operators of that road. This will be hard to some of you, who believe the strikers are right. But we have nothing to do with that. We have taken our oath to preserve order and law, and we are interested in having it done, far more than is the capitalist, for he can buy protection, whether laws are enforced or not, while the laboring man cannot. But if any man here is not prepared to support the State in its duty to protect the life and property of all, by an enforcement of the laws, I wish to know it now.”

Peter stood a moment waiting, and then said, ”Thank you, men.”

The roll-call was made, and Peter sent off a line to headquarters, stating that his regiment, with only eighteen reported ”missing” was mustered and ready for further orders. Then the regiment broke ranks, and waited.

Just as two o'clock struck a despatch was handed Peter. A moment later came the rap of the drum, and the men rose from the floor and fell in. A few sharp, quick words were pa.s.sed from mouth to mouth. Guns rose to the shoulders with a click and a movement almost mechanical. The regiment swung from a long straight line into companies, the door rolled open, and without a sound, except the monotonous pound of the regular tread, the regiment pa.s.sed into the street. At the corner they turned sharply, and marched up a side street, so narrow that the ranks had to break their lines to get within the curbs. So without sound of drum or music they pa.s.sed through street after street. A regiment is thrilling when it parades to music: it is more so when it marches in silence.

Presently it pa.s.sed into a long tunnel, where the footfall echoed in a startling way. But as it neared the other end, a more startling sound could be heard. It was a low murmur, as of many voices, and of voices that were not pleasant. Peter's wisdom in availing himself of the protection and secrecy of the tunnel as an approach became obvious.

A moment later, as the regiment debouched from the tunnel's mouth, the scene broke upon them. A vast crowd filled Fourth Avenue and Forty-second Street. Filled even the cut of the entrance to the tunnel.