\"Yes,\"saidtheconsul;\"butaresignationisalwaysinorder。
Youneedn’tgoifyoudon’tlikeit。Yousee,youknowthelanguageandIdon’t,butIknowhowtoshoot,andyoudon’t。\"
\"That’sperfectlysatisfactory,\"saidStedman,handinghisguntooldBradley。\"IonlywantedtoknowwhyIwastobesacrificedinsteadofoneoftheBradleys。It’sbecauseI
knowthelanguage。Bradley,Sr。,youseetheevilresultsofahighereducation。Wishmeluck,please,\"hesaid,\"andforgoodness’sake,\"headdedimpressively,\"don’twastemuchtimeshootinggoats。\"
TheHillmenhadstoppedabouttwohundredyardsoff,andweredrawnupintwolines,shouting,anddancing,andhurlingtauntingremarksattheirfewadversaries。ThestolencattlewerebunchedtogetherbackoftheKing。AsStedmanwalkedsteadilyforwardwithhishandkerchieffluttering,andhowlingoutsomethingintheirowntongue,theystoppedandlistened。
Asheadvanced,histhreecompanionsfollowedhimataboutfiftyyardsintherear。HewasonehundredandfiftyyardsfromtheHillmenbeforetheymadeoutwhathesaid,andthenoneoftheyoungbraves,resentingitasaninsulttohischief,shotanarrowathim。Stedmandodgedthearrowandstoodhisgroundwithouteventakingastepbackward,onlyturningslightlytoputhishandstohismouth,andtoshoutsomethingwhichsoundedtohiscompanionslike,\"Abouttimetobeginonthegoats。\"Buttheinstanttheyoungmanhadfired,KingMessenwahswunghisclubandknockedhimdown,andnoneoftheothersmoved。ThenMessenwahadvancedbeforehismentomeetStedman,andonStedman’sopeningandshuttinghishandstoshowthathewasunarmed,theKingthrewdownhisclubandspears,andcameforwardasempty-handedashimself。
\"Ah,\"gaspedBradley,Jr。,withhisfingertremblingonhislever,\"letmetakeashotathimnow。\"Gordonstrucktheman’sgunup,andwalkedforwardinallthegloryofhisgoldandblueuniform;forbothheandStedmansawnowthatMessenwahwasmoreimpressedbytheirappearance,andinthefactthattheywerewhitemen,thanwithanythreatsofimmediatewar。SowhenhesalutedGordonhaughtily,thatyoungmangavehimahaughtynodinreturn,andbadeStedmantelltheKingthathewouldpermithimtositdown。TheKingdidnotquiteappeartolikethis,buthesatdown,nevertheless,andnoddedhisheadgravely。
\"Nowtellhim,\"saidGordon,\"thatIcomefromtherulerofthegreatestnationonearth,andthatIrecognizeOllypybusastheonlyKingofthisisland,andthatIcometothislittlethree-pennyKingwitheitherpeaceandpresents,orbulletsandwar。\"
\"HaveIgottotellhimhe’salittlethree-pennyKing?\"saidStedman,plaintively。
\"No;youneedn’tgivealiteraltranslation;itcanbeasfreeasyouplease。\"
\"Thanks,\"saidthesecretary,humbly。
\"Andtellhim,\"continuedGordon,\"thatwewillgivepresentstohimandhiswarriorsifhekeepsawayfromOllypybus,andagreestokeepawayalways。Ifhewon’tdothat,trytogethimtoagreetostayawayforthreemonthsatleast,andbythattimewecangetwordtoSanFrancisco,andhaveadozenmusketsoverhereintwomonths;andwhenourtimeofprobationisup,andheandhismerrymencomedancingdownthehillside,wewillblowthemupashighashismountains。
Butyouneedn’ttellhimthat,either。Andifheisproudandhaughty,andwouldratherfight,askhimtorestrainhimselfuntilweshowwhatwecandowithourweaponsattwohundredyards。\"
StedmanseatedhimselfinthelonggrassinfrontoftheKing,andwithmanyrevolvinggesturesofhisarms,andmuchpointingatGordon,andprofoundnodsandbows,retoldwhatGordonhaddictated。Whenhehadfinished,theKinglookedatthebundleofpresents,andattheguns,ofwhichStedmanhadgivenaverywonderfulaccount,butanswerednothing。
\"Iguess,\"saidStedman,withasigh,\"thatwewillhavetogivehimalittlepracticaldemonstrationtohelpmatters。I
amsorry,butIthinkoneofthosegoatshasgottodie。It’slikevivisection。Thelowerorderofanimalshavetosufferforthegoodofthehigher。\"
\"Oh,\"saidBradley,Jr。,cheerfully,\"I’djustassoonshootoneofthoseniggersasoneofthegoats。\"
SoStedmanbadetheKingtellhismentodriveagoattowardthem,andtheKingdidso,andoneofthemenstruckoneofthegoatswithhisspear,anditranclumsilyacrosstheplain。
\"Takeyourtime,Bradley,\"saidGordon。\"Aimlow,andifyouhitit,youcanhaveitforsupper。\"
\"Andifyoumissit,\"saidStedman,gloomily,\"Messenwahmayhaveusforsupper。\"
TheHillmenhadseatedthemselvesahundredyardsoff,whiletheleadersweredebating,andtheynowrosecuriouslyandwatchedBradley,ashesankupononeknee,andcoveredthegoatwithhisrifle。Whenitwasaboutonehundredandfiftyyardsoffhefired,andthegoatfelloverdead。
AndthenalltheHillmen,withtheKinghimself,brokeawayonarun,towardthedeadanimal,withmuchshouting。TheKingcamebackalone,leavinghispeoplestandingaboutandexaminingthegoat。Hewasmuchexcited,andtalkedandgesticulatedviolently。
\"Hesays——\"saidStedman;\"hesays————\"
\"What?yes,goon。\"
\"Hesays——goodnessme!——whatdoyouthinkhesays?\"
\"Well,whatdoeshesay?\"criedGordon,ingreatexcitement。
\"Don’tkeepitalltoyourself。\"
\"Hesays,\"saidStedman,\"thatwearedeceived;thatheisnolongerKingoftheIslandofOpeki;thatheisingreatfearofus,andthathehasgothimselfintonoendoftrouble。Hesaysheseesthatweareindeedmightymen,thattousheisashelplessasthewildboarbeforethejavelinofthehunter。\"
\"Well,he’sright,\"saidGordon。\"Goon。\"
\"Butthatwhichweaskisnolongerhistogive。Hehassoldhiskingshipandhisrighttothisislandtoanotherking,whocametohimtwodaysagoinagreatcanoe,andwhomadenoisesaswedo——withguns,Isupposehemeans——andtowhomhesoldtheislandforawatchthathehasinabagaroundhisneck。
Andthathesignedapaper,andmademarksonapieceofbark,toshowthathegaveuptheislandfreelyandforever。\"
\"Whatdoeshemean?\"saidGordon。\"Howcanhegiveuptheisland?Ollypybusisthekingofhalfofit,anyway,andheknowsit。\"
\"That’sjustit,\"saidStedman。\"That’swhatfrightenshim。
Hesaidhedidn’tcareaboutOllypybus,anddidn’tcounthiminwhenhemadethetreaty,becauseheissuchapeacefulchapthatheknewhecouldthrashhimintodoinganythinghewantedhimtodo。AndnowthatyouhaveturnedupandtakenOllypybus’spart,hewisheshehadn’tsoldtheisland,andwishestoknowifyouareangry。\"
\"Angry?ofcourseI’mangry,\"saidGordon,glaringasgrimlyatthefrightenedmonarchashethoughtwassafe。\"Whowouldn’tbeangry?Whodoyouthinkthesepeoplewerewhomadeafoolofhim,Stedman?Askhimtoletusseethiswatch。\"
Stedmandidso,andtheKingfumbledamonghisnecklacesuntilhehadbroughtoutaleatherbagtiedroundhisneckwithacord,andcontainingaplainstem-windingsilverwatchmarkedontheinside\"Munich。\"
\"Thatdoesn’ttellanything,\"saidGordon。\"Butit’splainenough。Someforeignshipofwarhassettledonthisplaceasacoaling-station,orhasannexeditforcolonization,andthey’vesentaboatashore,andthey’vemadeatreatywiththisoldchap,andforcedhimtosellhisbirthrightforamessofporridge。Now,that’sjustlikethosemonarchicalpirates,imposinguponapooroldblack。\"
OldBradleylookedathimimpudently。
\"Notatall,\"saidGordon;\"it’squitedifferentwithus;wedon’twanttorobhimorOllypybus,ortoannextheirland。
Allwewanttodoisto,improveit,andhavethefunofrunningitforthemandmeddlingintheiraffairsofstate。
Well,Stedman,\"hesaid,\"whatshallwedo?\"
StedmansaidthatthebestandonlythingtodowastothreatentotakethewatchawayfromMessenwah,buttogivehimarevolverinstead,whichwouldmakeafriendofhimforlife,andtokeephimsuppliedwithcartridgesonlyaslongashebehavedhimself,andthentomakehimunderstandthat,asOllypybushadnotgivenhisconsenttothelossoftheisland,Messenwah’sagreement,ortreaty,orwhateveritwas,didnotstand,andthathehadbettercomedownthenextday,earlyinthemorning,andjoininageneralconsultation。Thiswasdone,andMessenwahagreedwillinglytotheirproposition,andwasgivenhisrevolverandshownhowtoshootit,whiletheotherpresentsweredistributedamongtheothermen,whowereashappyoverthemasgirlswithafulldance-card。
\"Andnow,to-morrow,\"saidStedman,\"understand,youarealltocomedownunarmed,andsignatreatywithgreatOllypybus,inwhichhewillagreetokeeptoone-halfoftheislandifyoukeeptoyours,andtheremustbenomorewarsorgoat-stealing,orthisgentlemanonmyrightandIwillcomeupandputholesinyoujustasthegentlemanontheleftdidwiththegoat。\"
Messenwahandhiswarriorspromisedtocomeearly,andsalutedreverentlyasGordonandhisthreecompanionswalkeduptogetherveryproudlyandstiffly。
\"DoyouknowhowIfeel?\"saidGordon。
\"How?\"askedStedman。
\"IfeelasIusedtodointhecity,whentheboysinthestreetwerethrowingsnowballs,andIhadtogobywithahighhatonmyheadandpretendnottoknowtheywerebehindme。I
alwaysfeltacoldchilldownmyspinalcolumn,andIcouldfeelthatsnowball,whetheritcameornot,rightinthesmallofmyback。AndIcanfeeloneofthosemenpullinghisbownow,andthearrowstickingoutofmyrightshoulder。\"
\"Oh,no,youcan’t,\"saidStedman。\"Theyaretoomuchafraidofthoserifles。ButIdofeelsorryforanyofthosewarriorswhomoldmanMessenwahdoesn’tlike,nowthathehasthatrevolver。Heisn’tthesorttopractiseongoats。\"
TherewasgreatrejoicingwhenStedmanandGordontoldtheirstorytotheKing,andthepeoplelearnedthattheywerenottohavetheirhutsburnedandtheircattlestolen。ThearmedOpekiansformedaguardaroundtheambassadorsandescortedthemtotheirhomeswithcheersandshouts,andthewomenranattheirsideandtriedtokissGordon’shand。
\"I’msorryIcan’tspeakthelanguage,Stedman,\"saidGordon,\"orIwouldtellthemwhatabravemanyouare。Youaretoomodesttodoityourself,evenifIdictatedsomethingforyoutosay。Asforme,\"hesaid,pullingoffhisuniform,\"I
amthoroughlydisgustedanddisappointed。Itneveroccurredtomeuntilitwasalloverthatthiswasmychancetobeawar-correspondent。Itwouldn’thavebeenmuchofawar,butthenIwouldhavebeentheonlyoneonthespot,andthatcountsforagreatdeal。Still,mytimemaycome。\"
\"Wehaveagreatdealonhandforto-morrow,\"saidGordonthatevening,\"andwehadbetterturninearly。\"
Andsothepeoplewerestillsingingandrejoicingdowninthevillagewhenthetwoconspiratorsforthepeaceofthecountrywenttosleepforthenight。ItseemedtoGordonasthoughhehadhardlyturnedhispillowtwicetogetthecoolestsidewhensomeonetouchedhim,andhesaw,bythelightofthedozenglow-wormsinthetumblerbyhisbedside,atallfigureatitsfoot。
\"It’sme——Bradley,\"saidthefigure。
\"Yes,\"saidGordon,withthehasteofamantoshowthatsleephasnoholdonhim;\"exactly;whatisit?\"
\"Thereisashipofwarintheharbor,\"Bradleyansweredinawhisper。\"Iheardheranchorchainsrattlewhenshecameto,andthatwokeme。IcouldhearthatifIweredead。AndthenImadesurebyherlights;she’sagreatboat,sir,andIcanknowshe’sashipofwarbythechallengingwhentheychangethewatch。Ithoughtyou’dliketoknow,sir。\"
Gordonsatupandclutchedhiskneeswithhishands。\"Yes,ofcourse,\"hesaid;\"youarequiteright。Still,Idon’tseewhatthereistodo。\"
Hedidnotwishtoshowtoomuchyouthfulinterest,butthoughfreshfromcivilization,hehadlearnedhowfarfromithewas,andhewascurioustoseethissignofitthathadcomesomuchmorequicklythanhehadanticipated。
\"WakeMr。Stedman,willyou?\"saidhe,\"andwewillgoandtakealookather。\"
\"Youcanseenothingbutthelights,\"saidBradley,ashelefttheroom;\"it’sablacknight,sir。\"
Stedmanwasnotnewfromthesightofmenandshipsofwar,andcameinhalfdressedandeager。
\"Doyousupposeit’sthebigcanoeMessenwahspokeof?\"hesaid。
\"Ithoughtofthat,\"saidGordon。
Thethreemenfumbledtheirwaydowntheroadtotheplaza,andsaw,assoonastheyturnedintoit,thegreatoutlinesandthebrilliantlightsofanimmensevessel,stillmoreimmenseinthedarkness,andglowinglikeastrangemonsterofthesea,withjustasuggestionhereandthere,wherethelightsspread,ofhercabinsandbridges。Astheystoodontheshore,shiveringinthecoolnight-wind,theyheardthebellsstrikeoverthewater。
\"It’stwoo’clock,\"saidBradley,counting。
\"Well,wecandonothing,andtheycannotmeantodomuchto-night,\"Albertsaid。\"Wehadbettergetsomemoresleep,and,Bradley,youkeepwatchandtellusassoonasdaybreaks。\"
\"Aye,aye,sir,\"saidthesailor。
\"Ifthat’stheman-of-warthatmadethetreatywithMessenwah,andMessenwahturnsupto-morrow,itlooksasifourdaywouldbeprettywellfilledup,\"saidAlbert,astheyfelttheirwaybacktothedarkness。
\"Whatdoyouintendtodo?\"askedhissecretary,withavoiceofsomeconcern。
\"Idon’tknow,\"Albertansweredgravely,fromtheblacknessofthenight。\"Itlooksasifweweregettingaheadjustalittletoofast,doesn’tit?Well,\"headded,astheyreachedthehouse,\"let’strytokeepinstepwiththeprocession,evenifwecan’tbedrum-majorsandwalkinfrontofit。\"Andwiththischeeringtoneofconfidenceintheirears,thetwodiplomatswentsoundlyasleepagain。
Thelightoftherisingsunfilledtheroom,andtheparrotswerechatteringoutside,whenBradleywokehimagain。
\"Theyaresendingaboatashore,sir,\"hesaid,excitedly,andfilledwiththeimportanceoftheoccasion。\"She’saGermanman-of-war,andoneofthenewmodel。Abeautifulboat,sir;
forherlineswerelaidinGlasgow,andIcantellthat,nomatterwhatflagsheflies。Youhadbestbemovingtomeetthem:thevillageisn’tawakeyet。\"
Alberttookacoldbathanddressedleisurely;thenhemadeBradley,Jr。,whohadsleptthroughitall,getupbreakfast,andthetwoyoungmenateitanddranktheircoffeecomfortablyandwithanairofconfidencethatdeceivedtheirservants,ifitdidnotdeceivethemselves。Butwhentheycamedownthepath,smokingandswingingtheirsticks,andturnedintotheplaza,theircomposureleftthemlikeamask,andtheystoppedwheretheystood。Theplazawasenclosedbythenativesgatheredinwhisperinggroups,anddepressedbyfearandwonder。OnonesidewerecrowdedalltheMessenwahwarriors,unarmed,andassilentanddisturbedastheOpekians。Inthemiddleoftheplazasometwentysailorswerebusyrearingandbracingatallflag-staffthattheyhadshapedfromaroyalpalm,andtheydidthisasunconcernedlyandascontemptuously,andwithasmuchindifferencetothestrangegroupsoneithersideofthem,asthoughtheywereworkingonabarrencoast,withnothingbutthestartledsea-gullsaboutthem。AsAlbertandStedmancameuponthescene,theflag-polewasinplace,andthehalyardshungfromitwithalittlebundleofbuntingattheendofoneofthem。
\"WemustfindtheKingatonce,\"saidGordon。Hewasterriblyexcitedandangry。\"Itiseasyenoughtoseewhatthismeans。
TheyaregoingthroughtheformofannexingthisislandtotheotherlandsoftheGermanGovernment。TheyarerobbingoldOllypybusofwhatishis。Theyhavenotevengivenhimasilverwatchforit。\"
TheKingwasinhisbungalow,facingtheplaza。Messenwahwaswithhim,andanequalnumberofeachoftheircouncils。Thecommondangerhadmadethemliedowntogetherinpeace;buttheygaveamurmurofreliefasGordonstrodeintotheroomwithnoceremony,andgreetedthemwithacurtwaveofthehand。
\"Nowthen,Stedman,bequick,\"hesaid。\"Explaintothemwhatthismeans;tellthemthatIwillprotectthem;thatIamanxioustoseethatOllypybusisnotcheated;thatwewilldoallwecanforthem。\"
Outside,ontheshore,asecondboat’screwhadlandedagroupofofficersandafileofmarines。Theywalkedinallthedignityoffulldressacrosstheplazatotheflag-pole,andformedinlineonthethreesidesofit,withthemarinesfacingthesea。Theofficers,fromthecaptainwithaprayer-bookinhishand,totheyoungestmiddy,wereasindifferenttothefrightenednativesaboutthemastheothermenhadbeen。Thenatives,awedandafraid,crouchedbackamongtheirhuts,themarinesandthesailorskepttheireyesfront,andtheGermancaptainopenedhisprayer-book。Thedebateinthebungalowwasover。
\"Ifyouonlyhadyouruniform,sir,\"saidBradley,Sr。,miserably。
\"Thisisalittlebittooseriousforuniformsandbicyclemedals,\"saidGordon。\"Andthesemenareusedtogoldlace。\"
Hepushedhiswaythroughthenatives,andsteppedconfidentlyacrosstheplaza。Theyoungestmiddysawhimcoming,andnudgedtheonenexthimwithhiselbow,andhenudgedthenext,butnoneoftheofficersmoved,becausethecaptainhadbeguntoread。
\"Oneminute,please,\"calledGordon。
Hesteppedoutintothehollowsquareformedbythemarines,andraisedhishelmettothecaptain。
\"DoyouspeakEnglishorFrench?\"GordonsaidinFrench;\"IdonotunderstandGerman。\"
ThecaptainloweredthebookinhishandsandgazedreflectivelyatGordonthroughhisspectacles,andmadenoreply。
\"IfIunderstandthis,\"saidtheyoungerman,tryingtobeveryimpressiveandpolite,\"youarelayingclaimtothisland,inbehalfoftheGermanGovernment。\"
Thecaptaincontinuedtoobservehimthoughtfully,andthensaid,\"Thatissso,\"andthenasked,\"Whoareyou?\"
\"IrepresenttheKingofthisisland,Ollypybus,whosepeopleyouseearoundyou。IalsorepresenttheUnitedStatesGovernment,thatdoesnottolerateaforeignpowernearhercoast,sincethedaysofPresidentMonroeandbefore。ThetreatyyouhavemadewithMessenwahisanabsurdity。Thereisonlyonekingwithwhomtotreat,andhe————\"
Thecaptainturnedtooneofhisofficersandsaidsomething,andthen,aftergivinganothercuriousglanceatGordon,raisedhisbookandcontinuedreading,inadeep,unruffledmonotone。Theofficerwhisperedanorder,andtwoofthemarinessteppedoutofline,anddroppingthemuzzlesoftheirmuskets,pushedGordonbackoutoftheenclosure,andlefthimtherewithhislipswhite,andtremblingalloverwithindignation。Hewouldhavelikedtohaverushedbackintothelinesandbrokenthecaptain’sspectaclesoverhissun-tannednoseandcheeks,buthewasquitesurethiswouldonlyresultinhisgettingshot,orinhisbeingmaderidiculousbeforethenatives,whichwasalmostasbad;sohestoodstillforamoment,withhisbloodchokinghim,andthenturnedandwalkedbacktowheretheKingandStedmanwerewhisperingtogether。
Justasheturned,oneofthemenpulledthehalyards,theballofbuntingranupintotheair,bobbed,twitched,andturned,andbrokeintothefoldsoftheGermanflag。Atthesamemomentthemarinesraisedtheirmusketsandfiredavolley,andtheofficerssalutedandthesailorscheered。
\"Doyouseethat?\"criedStedman,catchingGordon’shumor,toOllypybus;\"thatmeansthatyouarenolongerking,thatstrangepeoplearecomingheretotakeyourland,andtoturnyourpeopleintoservants,andtodriveyoubackintothemountains。Areyougoingtosubmit?areyougoingtoletthatflagstaywhereitis?\"
MessenwahandOllypybusgazedatoneanotherwithfearful,helplesseyes。\"Weareafraid,\"Ollypybuscried;\"wedonotknowwhatweshoulddo。\"
\"Whatdotheysay?\"
\"Theysaytheydonotknowwhattodo。\"
\"IknowwhatI’ddo,\"criedGordon。\"IfIwerenotanAmericanconsul,I’dpulldowntheiroldflag,andputaholeintheirboatandsinkher。\"
\"Well,I’dwaituntiltheygetunderwaybeforeyoudoeitherofthosethings,\"saidStedman,soothingly。\"Thatcaptainseemstobeamanofmuchdeterminationofcharacter。\"
\"ButIwillpullitdown,\"criedGordon。\"Iwillresign,asTravisdid。Iamnolongerconsul。Youcanbeconsulifyouwantto。Ipromoteyou。Iamgoingupastephigher。Imeantobeking。Tellthosetwo,\"heranon,excitedly,\"thattheironlycourseandonlyhopeisinme;thattheymustmakemeruleroftheislanduntilthisthingisover;thatIwillresignagainassoonasitissettled,butthatsomeonemustactatonce,andiftheyareafraidto,Iamnot,onlytheymustgivemeauthoritytoactforthem。Theymustabdicateinmyfavor。\"
\"Areyouinearnest?\"gaspedStedman。
\"Don’tItalkasifIwere?\"demandedGordon,wipingtheperspirationfromhisforehead。
\"AndcanIbeconsul?\"saidStedman,cheerfully。
\"Ofcourse。TellthemwhatIproposetodo。\"
Stedmanturnedandspokerapidlytothetwokings。Thepeoplegatheredclosertohear。
Thetworivalmonarchslookedatoneanotherinsilenceforamoment,andthenbothbegantospeakatonce,theircounsellorsinterruptingthemandmumblingtheirgutturalcommentswithanxiousearnestness。Itdidnottakethemverylongtoseethat,theywereallofonemind,andthentheybothturnedtoGordonanddroppedononeknee,andplacedhishandsontheirforeheads,andStedmanraisedhiscap。
\"Theyagree,\"heexplained,foritwasbutpantomimetoAlbert。\"Theysaluteyouasaruler;theyarecallingyouTellaman,whichmeanspeacemaker。ThePeacemaker,thatisyourtitle。Ihopeyouwilldeserveit,butIthinktheymighthavechosenamoreappropriateone。\"
\"ThenI’mreallyKing?\"demandedAlbert,decidedly,\"andIcandowhatIplease?Theygivemefullpower。Quick,dothey?\"
\"Yes,butdon’tdoit,\"beggedStedman,\"andjustrememberI
amAmericanconsulnow,andthatisamuchsuperiorbeingtoacrownedmonarch;yousaidsoyourself。\"
Albertdidnotreplytothis,butranacrosstheplaza,followedbythetwoBradleys。Theboatshadgone。
\"Hoistthatflagbesidethebrasscannon,\"hecried,\"andstandreadytosaluteitwhenIdropthisone。\"
Bradley,Jr。,graspedthehalyardsoftheflag,whichhehadforgottentoraiseandsaluteinthemorninginalltheexcitementofthearrivaloftheman-of-war。Bradley,Sr。,stoodbythebrasscannon,blowinggentlyonhislightedfuse。
ThePeacemakertookthehalyardsoftheGermanflaginhistwohands,gaveaquick,sharptug,anddowncamethered,white,andblackpieceofbunting,andthenextmomentyoungBradleysenttheStarsandStripesupintheirplace。Asitrose,Bradley’sbrasscannonbarkedmerrilylikealittlebull-dog,andthePeacemakercheered。
\"Whydon’tyoucheer,Stedman?\"heshouted。\"Tellthosepeopletocheerforalltheyareworth。WhatsortofanAmericanconsulareyou?\"
Stedmanraisedhisarmhalf-heartedlytogivethetime,andopenedhismouth;buthisarmremainedfixedandhismouthopen,whilehiseyesstaredattheretreatingboatoftheGermanman-of-war。InthesternsheetsofthisboatthestoutGermancaptainwasstrugglingunsteadilytohisfeet;heraisedhisarmandwavedittosomeoneonthegreatman-of-war,asthoughgivinganorder。ThenativeslookedfromStedmantotheboat,andevenGordonstoppedinhischeering,andstoodmotionless,watching。Theyhadnotverylongtowait。Therewasapuffofwhitesmoke,andaflash,andthenaloudreport,andacrossthewatercameagreatblackballskippinglightlythroughandoverthewaves,aseasilyasaflatstonethrownbyaboy。Itseemedtocomeveryslowly。Atleastitcameslowlyenoughforeveryonetoseethatitwascomingdirectlytowardthebrasscannon。TheBradleyscertainlysawthis,fortheyranasfastastheycould,andkeptonrunning。Theballcaughtthecannonunderitsmouthandtosseditintheair,knockingtheflagpoleintoadozenpieces,andpassingonthroughtwoofthepalm-coveredhuts。
\"GreatHeavens,Gordon!\"criedStedman;\"theyarefiringonus。\"
ButGordon’sfacewasradiantandwild。
\"FiringonUS!\"hecried。\"Onus!Don’tyousee?Don’tyouunderstand?WhatdoWEamountto?TheyhavefiredontheAmericanflag!Don’tyouseewhatthatmeans?Itmeanswar。Agreatinternationalwar。AndIamawar-correspondentatlast!\"HeranuptoStedmanandseizedhimbythearmsotightlythatithurt。
\"Bythreeo’clock,\"hesaid,\"theywillknowintheofficewhathashappened。Thecountrywillknowitto-morrowwhenthepaperisonthestreet;peoplewillreaditallovertheworld。TheEmperorwillhearofitatbreakfast;thePresidentwillcableforfurtherparticulars。Hewillgetthem。Itisthechanceofalifetime,andweareonthespot!\"
Stedmandidnothearthis;hewaswatchingthebroadsideoftheshiptoseeanotherpuffofwhitesmoke,buttherecamenosuchsign。Thetworowboatswereraised,therewasacloudofblacksmokefromthefunnel,acreakingofchainssoundingfaintlyacrossthewater,andtheshipstartedathalf-speedandmovedoutoftheharbor。TheOpekiansandtheHillmenfellontheirknees,ortodancing,asbestsuitedtheirsenseofrelief,butGordonshookhishead。
\"Theyareonlygoingtolandthemarines,\"hesaid;\"perhapstheyaregoingtothespottheystoppedatbefore,ortotakeupanotherpositionfartheroutatsea。Theywilllandmenandthenshellthetown,andthelandforceswillmarchhereandco-operatewiththevessel,andeverybodywillbetakenprisonerorkilled。Wehavethecentreofthestage,andwearemakinghistory。\"
\"I’dratherreaditthanmakeit,\"saidStedman。\"You’vegotusinasenseless,sillyposition,Gordon,andamightyunpleasantone。AndfornoreasonthatIcansee,excepttomakecopyforyourpaper。\"
\"Tellthosepeopletogettheirthingstogether,\"saidGordon,\"andmarchbackoutofdangerintothewoods。TellOllypybusIamgoingtofixthingsallright;Idon’tknowjusthowyet,butIwill,andnowcomeaftermeasquicklyasyoucantothecableoffice。I’vegottotellthepaperallaboutit。\"
Itwasthreeo’clockbeforethe\"chapatOctavia\"answeredStedman’ssignalling。ThenStedmandeliveredGordon’smessage,andimmediatelyshutoffallconnection,beforetheOctaviaoperatorcouldquestionhim。Gordondictatedhismessageinthisway:——
\"Beginwiththedateline,`Opeki,June22。’
\"Atseveno’clockthismorning,thecaptainandofficersoftheGermanman-of-warKaiserwentthroughtheceremonyofannexingthisislandinthenameoftheGermanEmperor,basingtheirrighttodosoonanagreementmadewithaleaderofawanderingtribeknownastheHillmen。KingOllypybus,thepresentmonarchofOpeki,delegatedhisauthority,asalsodidtheleaderoftheHillmen,toKingTellaman,orthePeacemaker,whotoredowntheGermanflag,andraisedthatoftheUnitedStatesinitsplace。Atthesamemomenttheflagwassalutedbythebattery。Thissalute,beingmistakenforanattackontheKaiser,wasansweredbythatvessel。Herfirstshottookimmediateeffect,completelydestroyingtheentirebatteryoftheOpekians,cuttingdowntheAmericanflag,anddestroyingthehousesofthepeople————\"
\"Therewasonlyonebrasscannonandtwohuts,\"expostulatedStedman。
\"Well,thatwasthewholebattery,wasn’tit?\"askedGordon,\"andtwohutsisplural。Isaidhousesofthepeople。I
couldn’tsaytwohousesofthepeople。Justyousendthisasyougetit。YouarenotanAmericanconsulatthepresentmoment。Youareanunder-paidagentofacablecompany,andyousendmystuffasIwriteit。TheAmericanresidentshavetakenrefugeintheconsulate——that’sus,\"explainedGordon,\"andtheEnglishresidentshavesoughtrefugeinthewoods——that’stheBradleys。KingTellaman——that’sme——declareshisintentionoffightingagainsttheannexation。
TheforcesoftheOpekiansareunderthecommandofCaptainThomasBradley——IguessImightaswellmakehimacolonel——ofColonelThomasBradley,oftheEnglisharmy。
\"TheAmericanconsulsays——Now,whatdoyousay,Stedman?
Hurryup,please,\"askedGordon,\"andsaysomethinggoodandstrong。\"
\"Yougetmeallmixedup,\"complainedStedman,plaintively。
\"WhichamInow,acableoperatorortheAmericanconsul?\"
\"Consul,ofcourse。Saysomethingpatrioticandaboutyourdeterminationtoprotecttheinterestsofyourgovernment,andallthat。\"Gordonbittheendofhispencilimpatiently,andwaited。
\"Iwon’tdoanythingofthesort,Gordon,\"saidStedman;\"youaregettingmeintoanawfullotoftrouble,andyourselftoo。
Iwon’tsayaword。\"
\"TheAmericanconsul,\"readGordon,ashispencilwriggledacrossthepaper,\"refusestosayanythingforpublicationuntilhehascommunicatedwiththeauthoritiesatWashington,butfromallIcanlearnhesympathizesentirelywithTellaman。YourcorrespondenthasjustreturnedfromanaudiencewithKingTellaman,whoaskshimtoinformtheAmericanpeoplethattheMonroedoctrinewillbesustainedaslongasherulesthisisland。Iguessthat’senoughtobeginwith,\"
saidGordon。\"Nowsendthatoffquick,andthengetawayfromtheinstrumentbeforethemaninOctaviabeginstoaskquestions。Iamgoingouttoprecipitatematters。\"
Gordonfoundthetwokingssittingdejectedlysidebyside,andgazinggrimlyuponthedisorderofthevillage,fromwhichthepeopleweretakingtheirleaveasquicklyastheycouldgettheirfewbelongingspiledupontheox-carts。Gordonwalkedamongthem,helpingthemineverywayhecould,andtasting,intheirsubservienceandgratitude,thesweetsofsovereignty。WhenStedmanhadlockedupthecableofficeandrejoinedhim,hebadehimtellMessenwahtosendthreeofhisyoungestmenandfastestrunnersbacktothehillstowatchfortheGermanvesselandseewhereshewasattemptingtolandhermarines。
\"Thisisatremendouschancefordescriptivewriting,Stedman,\"saidGordon,enthusiastically;\"allthisconfusionandexcitement,andthepeopleleavingtheirhomes,andallthat。It’slikethepeoplegettingoutofBrusselsbeforeWaterloo,andthenthesceneatthefootofthemountains,whiletheyarecampingoutthere,untiltheGermansleave。I
neverhadachancelikethisbefore。\"
Itwasquitedarkbysixo’clock,andnoneofthethreemessengershadasyetreturned。Gordonwalkedupanddowntheemptyplazaandlookednowatthehorizonfortheman-of-war,andagaindowntheroadbackofthevillage。Butneitherthevesselnorthemessengersbearingwordofherappeared。Thenightpassedwithoutanyincident,andinthemorningGordon’simpatiencebecamesogreatthathewalkedouttowherethevillagerswereincampandpassedonhalfwayupthemountain,buthecouldseenosignoftheman-of-war。Hecamebackmorerestlessthanbefore,andkeenlydisappointed。
\"Ifsomethingdon’thappenbeforethreeo’clock,Stedman,\"hesaid,\"oursecondcablegramwillhavetoconsistofglitteringgeneralitiesAndalengthyinterviewwithKingTellaman,byhimself。\"
Nothingdidhappen。OllypybusandMessenwahbegantobreathemorefreely。TheybelievedthenewkinghadsucceededinfrighteningtheGermanvesselawayforever。ButthenewkingupsettheirhopesbytellingthemthattheGermanshadundoubtedlyalreadylanded,andhadprobablykilledthethreemessengers。
\"Nowthen,\"hesaid,withpleasedexpectation,asStedmanandheseatedthemselvesinthecableofficeatthreeo’clock,\"openitupandlet’sfindoutwhatsortofanimpressionwehavemade。\"
Stedman’sface,astheanswercameintohisfirstmessageofgreeting,wasoneofstrangelymarkeddisapproval。
\"Whatdoeshesay?\"demandedGordon,anxiously。
\"Hehasn’tdoneanythingbutswearyet,\"answeredStedman,grimly。
\"Whatisheswearingabout?\"
\"HewantstoknowwhyIleftthecableyesterday。Hesayshehasbeentryingtocallmeupforthelasttwenty-fourhours,eversinceIsentmymessageatthreeo’clock。Thehomeofficeisjumpingmad,andwantmedischarged。Theywon’tdothat,though,\"hesaid,inacheerfulaside,\"becausetheyhaven’tpaidmemysalaryforthelasteightmonths。Hesays——greatScott!thiswillpleaseyou,Gordon——hesaysthattherehavebeenovertwohundredqueriesformatterfrompapersallovertheUnitedStates,andfromEurope。Yourpaperbeatthemonthenews,andnowthehomeofficeispackedwithSanFranciscoreporters,andthetelegramsarecomingineveryminute,andtheyhavebeenabusinghimfornotansweringthem,andhesaysthatI’mafool。Hewantsasmuchasyoucansend,andallthedetails。Hesaysallthepaperswillhavetoput`ByYokohamaCableCompany’onthetopofeachmessagetheyprint,andthatthatisadvertisingthecompany,andissendingthestockup。Itrosefifteenpointson’changeinSanFranciscoto-day,andthepresidentandtheotherofficersarebuying————\"
\"Oh,Idon’twanttohearabouttheiroldcompany,\"snappedoutGordon,pacingupanddownindespair。\"WhatamItodo?
that’swhatIwanttoknow。HereIhavethewholecountrystirredupandbeggingfornews。Ontheirkneesforit,andacablealltomyself,andtheonlymanonthespot,andnothingtosay。I’djustliketoknowhowlongthatGermanidiotintendstowaitbeforehebeginsshellingthistownandkillingpeople。Hehasputmeinamostabsurdposition。\"
\"Here’samessageforyou,Gordon,\"saidStedman,withbusiness-likecalm。\"AlbertGordon,Correspondent,\"heread:
\"TryAmericanconsul。Firstmessage0。K。;beatthecountry;
cantakeallyousend。Givenamesofforeignresidentsmassacred,andfulleraccountblowinguppalace。Dodge。\"
TheexpressiononGordon’sfaceasthismessagewasslowlyreadofftohim,hadchangedfromoneofgratifiedpridetooneofpuzzledconsternation。
\"What’shemeanbyforeignresidentsmassacred,andblowingupofpalace?\"askedStedman,lookingoverhisshoulderanxiously。\"WhoisDodge?\"
\"Dodgeisthenighteditor,\"saidGordon,nervously。\"Theymusthavereadmymessagewrong。YousentjustwhatIgaveyou,didn’tyou?\"heasked。
\"OfcourseIdid,\"saidStedman,indignantly。\"Ididn’tsayanythingaboutthemassacreofanybody,didI?\"askedGordon。
\"Ihopetheyarenotimprovingonmyaccount。WhatAMItodo?Thisisgettingawful。I’llhavetogooutandkillafewpeoplemyself。Oh,whydon’tthatDutchcaptainbegintodosomething!Whatsortofafighterdoeshecallhimself?
Hewouldn’tshootataschoolofporpoises。He’snot————\"
\"HerecomesamessagetoLeonardT。Travis,Americanconsul,Opeki,\"readStedman。\"It’srainingmessagesto-day。`SendfulldetailsofmassacreofAmericancitizensbyGermansailors。’Secretaryof——greatScott!\"gaspedStedman,interruptinghimselfandgazingathisinstrumentwithhorrifiedfascination——\"theSecretaryofState。\"
\"Thatsettlesit,\"roaredGordon,pullingathishairandburyinghisfaceinhishands。\"IhaveGOTtokillsomeofthemnow。\"
\"AlbertGordon,Correspondent,\"readStedman,impressively,likethevoiceofFate。\"IsColonelThomasBradleycommandingnativeforcesatOpeki,ColonelSirThomasKent-BradleyofCrimeanwarfame?CorrespondentLondonTimes,SanFranciscoPressClub。\"
\"Goon,goon!\"saidGordon,desperately。\"I’mgettingusedtoitnow。Goon!\"
\"Americanconsul,Opeki,\"readStedman。\"HomeSecretarydesiresyoutofurnishlistofnamesEnglishresidentskilledduringshellingofOpekibyshipofwarKaiser,andestimateofamountpropertydestroyed。Stoughton,BritishEmbassy,Washington。\"
\"Stedman!\"criedGordon,jumpingtohisfeet,there’samistakeheresomewhere。Thesepeoplecannotallhavemademymessagereadlikethat。Someonehasalteredit,andnowI
havegottomakethesepeoplehereliveuptothatmessage,whethertheylikebeingmassacredandblownupornot。Don’tansweranyofthosemessagesexcepttheonefromDodge;tellhimthingshavequieteddownabit,andthatI’llsendfourthousandwordsontheflightofthenativesfromthevillage,andtheirencampmentatthefootofthemountains,andoftheexploringpartywehavesentouttolookfortheGermanvessel;andnowIamgoingouttomakesomethinghappen。\"
Gordonsaidthathewouldbegonefortwohoursatleast,andasStedmandidnotfeelcapableofreceivinganymorenerve-stirringmessages,hecutoffallconnectionwithOctaviabysaying,\"Good-byfortwohours,\"andrunningawayfromtheoffice。Hesatdownonarockonthebeach,andmoppedhisfacewithhishandkerchief。
\"AfteramanhastakennothingmoreexcitingthanweatherreportsfromOctaviaforayear,\"hesoliloquized,\"it’sabitdisturbingtohaveallthecrownedheadsofEuropeandtheirsecretariescallinguponyoufordetailsofamassacrethatnevercameoff。\"
AttheendoftwohoursGordonreturnedfromtheconsulatewithamassofmanuscriptinhishand。
\"Here’sthreethousandwords,\"hesaid,desperately。\"Ineverwrotemoreandsaidlessinmylife。Itwillmakethemweepattheoffice。Ihadtopretendthattheyknewallthathadhappenedsofar;theyapparentlydoknowmorethanwedo,andIhavefilleditfullofprophesiesofmoretroubleahead,andwithinterviewswithmyselfandthetwoex-Kings。Theonlynewselementinitis,thatthemessengershavereturnedtoreportthattheGermanvesselisnotinsight,andthatthereisnonews。Theythinkshehasgoneforgood。Supposeshehas,Stedman,\"hegroaned,lookingathimhelplessly,\"whatAMIgoingtodo?\"
\"Well,asforme,\"saidStedman,\"I’mafraidtogonearthatcable。It’slikeplayingwithalivewire。Mynervoussystemwon’tstandmanymoresuchshocksasthosetheygaveusthismorning。\"
Gordonthrewhimselfdowndejectedlyinachairintheoffice,andStedmanapproachedhisinstrumentgingerly,asthoughitmightexplode。
\"He’sswearingagain,\"heexplained,sadly,inanswertoGordon’slookofinquiry。\"HewantstoknowwhenIamgoingtostoprunningawayfromthewire。Hehasastackofmessagestosend,hesays,butIguesshe’dbetterwaitandtakeyourcopyfirst;don’tyouthinkso?\"
\"Yes,Ido,\"saidGordon。\"Idon’twantanymoremessagesthanI’vehad。That’sthebestIcando,\"hesaid,ashethrewhismanuscriptdownbesideStedman。\"Andtheycankeeponcablinguntilthewireburnsredhot,andtheywon’tgetanymore。\"
Therewassilenceintheofficeforsometime,whileStedmanlookedoverGordon’scopy,andGordonstareddejectedlyoutattheocean。
\"Thisisprettypoorstuff,Gordon,\"saidStedman。\"It’slikegivingpeoplemilkwhentheywantbrandy。\"
\"Don’tyousupposeIknowthat?\"growledGordon。\"It’sthebestIcando,isn’tit?It’snotmyfaultthatwearenotalldeadnow。Ican’tmassacreforeignresidentsiftherearenoforeignresidents,butIcancommitsuicide,though,andI’lldoitifsomethingdon’thappen。\"
Therewasalongpause,inwhichthesilenceoftheofficewasonlybrokenbythesoundofthewavesbeatingonthecoralreefsoutside。Stedmanraisedhisheadwearily。
\"He’sswearingagain,\"hesaid;\"hesaysthisstuffofyoursisallnonsense。HesaysstockintheY。C。C。hasgoneuptoonehundredandtwo,andthatownersareunloadingandmakingtheirfortunes,andthatthissortofdescriptivewritingisnotwhatthecompanywant。\"
\"What’shethinkI’mherefor?\"criedGordon。\"DoeshethinkIpulleddowntheGermanflagandriskedmyneckhalfadozentimesandhadmyselfmadeKingjusttoboomhisYokohamacablestock?Confoundhim!Youmightatleastswearback。Tellhimjustwhatthesituationisinafewwords。Here,stopthatrigmaroletothepaper,andexplaintoyourhomeofficethatweareawaitingdevelopments,andthat,inthemeanwhile,theymustputupwiththebestwecansendthem。Wait;sendthistoOctavia。\"
Gordonwroterapidly,andreadwhathewroteasrapidlyasitwaswritten。
\"Operator,Octavia。Youseemtohavemisunderstoodmyfirstmessage。Thefactsinthecasearethese。AGermanman-of-warraisedaflagonthisisland。ItwaspulleddownandtheAmericanflagraisedinitsplaceandsalutedbyabrasscannon。TheGermanman-of-warfiredonceattheflagandknockeditdown,andthensteamedawayandhasnotbeenseensince。Twohutswereupset,thatisallthedamagedone;
thebatteryconsistedoftheonebrasscannonbeforementioned。Noone,eithernativeorforeign,hasbeenmassacred。TheEnglishresidentsaretwosailors。TheAmericanresidentsaretheyoungmanwhoissendingyouthiscableandmyself。Ourfirstmessagewasquitetrueinsubstance,butperhapsmisleadingindetail。ImadeitsobecauseIfullyexpectedmuchmoretohappenimmediately。
Nothinghashappened,orseemslikelytohappen,andthatistheexactsituationuptodate。AlbertGordon。\"
\"Now,\"heasked,afterapause,\"whatdoeshesaytothat?\"
\"Hedoesn’tsayanything,\"saidStedman。
\"Iguesshehasfainted。Hereitcomes,\"headdedinthesamebreath。Hebenttowardhisinstrument,andGordonraisedhimselffromhischairandstoodbesidehimashereaditoff。
Thetwoyoungmenhardlybreathedintheintensityoftheirinterest。
\"DearStedman,\"heslowlyreadaloud。\"Youandyouryoungfriendareacoupleoffools。Ifyouhadallowedmetosendyouthemessagesawaitingtransmissionheretoyou,youwouldnothavesentmesuchaconfessionofguiltasyouhavejustdone。YouhadbetterleaveOpekiatonceorhideinthehills。IamafraidIhaveplacedyouinasomewhatcompromisingpositionwiththecompany,whichisunfortunate,especiallyas,ifIamnotmistaken,theyoweyousomebackpay。Youshouldhavebeenwiserinyourday,andboughtY。C。C。stockwhenitwasdowntofivecents,as`yourstruly’
did。Youarenot,Stedman,asbrightaboyassome。Andasforyourfriend,thewar-correspondent,hehasqueeredhimselfforlife。Yousee,mydearStedman,afterIhadsentoffyourfirstmessage,anddemandsforfurtherdetailscamepouringin,andIcouldnotgetyouatthewiretosupplythem,Itookthelibertyofsendingsomeonmyself。\"
\"GreatHeavensl\"gaspedGordon。
Stedmangrewverywhiteunderhistan,andtheperspirationrolledonhischeeks。
\"Yourmessagewassogeneralinitsnature,thatitallowedmyimaginationfullplay,andIsentonwhatIthoughtwouldpleasethepapers,and,whatwasmuchmoreimportanttome,wouldadvertisetheY。C。C。stock。ThisIhavebeendoingwhilewaitingformaterialfromyou。NothavingaclearideaofthedimensionsorpopulationofOpeki,itispossiblethatIhavedoneyouandyournewspaperfriendsomeinjustice。I
killedoffaboutahundredAmericanresidents,twohundredEnglish,becauseIdonotliketheEnglish,andahundredFrench。IblewupoldOllypybusandhispalacewithdynamite,andshelledthecity,destroyingsomehundredthousanddollars’worthofproperty,andthenIwaitedanxiouslyforyourfriendtosubstantiatewhatIhadsaid。Thishehasmostunkindlyfailedtodo。Iamverysorry,butmuchmoresoforhimthanformyself,forI,mydearfriend,havecabledontoamaninSanFrancisco,whoisoneofthedirectorsoftheY。C。C。,tosellallmystock,whichhehasdoneatonehundredandtwo,andheiskeepingthemoneyuntilIcome。AndI
leaveOctaviathisafternoontoreapmyjustreward。Iaminabouttwentythousanddollarsonyourlittlewar,andIfeelgrateful。SomuchsothatIwillinformyouthattheshipofwarKaiserhasarrivedatSanFrancisco,forwhichportshesaileddirectlyfromOpeki。Hercaptainhasexplainedtherealsituation,andofferedtomakeeveryamendfortheaccidentalindignityshowntoourflag。Hesaysheaimedatthecannon,whichwastrainedonhisvessel,andwhichhadfirstfiredonhim。Butyoumustknow,mydearStedman,thatbeforehisarrival,war-vesselsbelongingtotheseveralpowersmentionedinmyreviseddespatches,hadstartedforOpekiatfullspeed,torevengethebutcheryoftheforeignresidents。Aword,mydearyoungfriend,tothewiseissufficient。Iamindebtedtoyoutotheextentoftwentythousanddollars,andinreturnIgiveyouthiskindlyadvice。
LeaveOpeki。Ifthereisnootherway,swim。ButleaveOpeki。\"
Thesun,thatnight,asitsankbelowthelinewherethecloudsseemedtotouchthesea,mergedthembothintoablazing,blood-redcurtain,andcoloredthemostwonderfulspectaclethatthenativesofOpekihadeverseen。Sixgreatshipsofwar,stretchingoutoveraleagueofsea,stoodblacklyoutagainsttheredbackground,rollingandrising,andleapingforward,flingingbacksmokeandburningsparksupintotheairbehindthem,andthrobbingandpantinglikelivingcreaturesintheirraceforrevenge。Fromthesouthcameathree-deckedvessel,agreatislandoffloatingsteel,withaflagasredastheangryskybehindit,snappinginthewind。Tothesouthofitplungedtwolonglow-lyingtorpedo-boats,flyingtheFrenchtri-color,andstillfarthertothenorthtoweredthreemagnificenthullsoftheWhiteSquadron。Vengeancewaswrittenoneverycurveandline,oneachstrainingengine-rod,andoneachpolishedgun-muzzle。
Andinfrontofthese,aclumsyfishing-boatroseandfelloneachpassingwave。Twosailorssatinthestern,holdingtheropeandtiller,andinthebow,withtheirbacksturnedforevertowardOpeki,stoodtwoyoungboys,theirfaceslitbytheglowofthesettingsunandstirredbythesightofthegreatenginesofwarplungingpastthemontheirerrandofvengeance。
\"Stedman,\"saidtheelderboy,inanawe-struckwhisper,andwithawaveofhishand,\"wehavenotlivedinvain。\"