THE FINAL WAR 'TO ■ ^IV: iKtv r^^.^>^r!,^^ ===ii3 m ^SgLiij^y^B jflS iSjE^^^ P ^K .MA a^ — --^i ^^ ■^ fc.Vfc- fyxull Uttivmitg pitotg THE GIFT OF iWk ^.....-^widvvw^'.Ha. A.3L4r..Q.SL.3.5:.. SL9. 6896-2 Cornell University Library PS 3539.R122F4 The final war / 3 1924 021 710 722 The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021710722 THE FINAL WAR BY LOUIS TRACY ILLUSTRATED ro\. G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS ' NEW YORK I-O^DON .7 WEST TWENTY-THIKD STREET H BEDFORD STREET, STRAND %\t fnitkeibotka g«ss 1896 Copyright, T896 BY G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS Entered at Stationers' Hall, London This Book is Dedicated AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE AUTHOK's HIGH REGARD AND APPRECIATION TO PRIVATE THOMAS ATKINS PREFACE. A BOOK should not require explanation ; it should speak for itself. But to every rule there is an ex- ception, and I think that The Final War is a story of such peculiar attributes that it behooves me to offer a public apology for its appearance. For I have taken the whole world as my theme and its chief citizens are my characters. I can only hope that I have given no offence, as into the mouths of real personages I have placed the finest sentiments I could extract from a nature seared by journalism, whilst the people who get killed, or have other disagreeable things happen to them, are wholly fictitious. I have tried to write a story of adventure. It may interest and amuse the reader, but I shall have utterly failed in my task if he does not rise from its perusal feeling proud if the English language be his mother tongue, or sad if it be not. There is much I could explain, more that I would plead for, in the succeeding pages, but those two words just written, "The End," have a pathetic significance. If only you are as sorry as I am that the book is finished when you reach the last page, you will probably understand my feelings and my silence. I.. T. aoi PiccADrn,i,Y, W. September, i8g6. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. — The Ball at the Embassy II. — A Council of the Powers. III. — The Scene in the House . IV. — How Major Perkins Won the V. C, V. — What the Fleet Did VI. — The Prince and the People VII. — The Voyage of the "Hornet" VIII. — On the Boulevards IX. — Impregnable Gibraltar X.— An Ally and a Proclamation XI. — The Capture of Havre XII. — How Germany was Outwitted XIII. — The Divided States . XIV. — Russia to the Rescue XV. — The German Emperor XVI. — The German Emperor Gets a Lesson XVII. — The Unexpected Happens . XVIII. — Cheap Steam Coal XIX. — The Eagle Strangles the Bear XX. — England and the United States XXI. — The News the Spy Sent . XXII. — A Secret Mission XXIII. — The Crossing of the Helmund XXIV. — The Ride Through the Pass . XXV. — Another Agincourt . XXVI. — Mercier's Mistake XXVII. — Across America in Sixty Hours XXVIII.— In the Fatherland . vii PAGE I 12 l8 29 40 50 57 65 73 82 93 113 126 134 145 154 163 173 183 igi 201 211 220 229 243 254 264 273 viii Contents. CHAPTER PAGE XXIX. — The Rigour of the Game 284 XXX. — The Women of England 298 XXXI. — The Shadow of Doom 308 XXXII. — Rodney Becomes an Admiral 317 XXXIII.— '= A. Paris!" ... .... 329 XXXIV. — The End of the Romanoffs 342 XXXV.— A Sortie from Paris 354 XXXVI. — The German Emperor Pauses .... 365 XXXVII.— Dr. Jim's Second Raid 375 XXXVIII. — The Prince and the Emperor .... 388 XXXIX. — How the Parisians Danced 399 XL. — The Electric Rifle 406 XLI. — Paris Taken 417 XLII. — How England Received the News . . . 429 XLIII. — A Message of Everlasting Peace. . . 440 XLIV. — Mostly Matrimonial 451 XLV. — The Destiny of the Race 459 il^tUSTRATlONS, " In less than two minutes every ship was hotly engaged." Frontispiece, The Prince of Wales reviews the troops in Hyde Park . . 52 " Wild CROWDS RUSHED THROUGH THE streets " .... 68 " Give me a cup of tea, girls " 90 " I have spent THE NIGHT IN READING, SMOKING, AND THINKING " 112 " With A RINGING cheer THEY DASHED OVER THE DAM " . . 122 " Mahomed Khan ran the Russian through the heart" . . 228 " He WAS CAPTURED BY A DRAGOON " 252 "It was not THREE O'CLOCK WHEN HARINGTON DASHED UP TO headquarters" . . 256 " i guess you are open to a deal " 270 "Well, sir, how do you propose to carry my army across ? " . 318 " The EXCELLENT CAPTAIN GIVES YOU A FINAL CHANCE " . . 34O " As THE Tsar rode SLOWLY THROUGH THE CROWDED streets " . 344 " What IS THE officer's NAME ? " . . .... 362 " I FURTHER ASK YOUR ASSISTANCE AND ADVICE " . .' . . 372 "A BRILLIANT CEREMONY AT St. GeORGE'S, HANOVER SQUARE " . 456 THE FINAL WAR. CHAPTER I. THE BAtI, AT THE EMBASSY. THE month of May in Paris, if the elements be reason- ably propitious, is a perfectly delightful period, and May-day of 1898 heralded in the promise of a gracious summer. The French capital was more than ordinarily full of visitors, and hfe in the world of fashion was like the changeful scenes of a ballet divertissement. Americans were there ' ' from Chicago and New York, spending millions made in packing pork, ' ' Russian notabilities abounded, and Ger- mans, the male element vastly predominating, were in such numbers that the wonted supply of lager beer fell short in the cafes. A mad whirl of gaiety and light-heartedness filled the thoughts of every class of society. This social abandonment was, if possible, accentuated by a species of political electricity that permeated the air, and of which all men were dimly conscious. The new Ministry had taken up and developed the policy of colonial expansion given effect to by their predecessors, and a singular rapprochement with Germany was vaguely supposed to have contributed in a very remarkable way to the furtherance of French ambition. Both countries had been working amicably together for nearly a year, and already the result was felt in the most vulnerable portions of the British Empire. 2 The Final War. It is true that England had long ago secured all the best markets for her produce, that her ships carried five-sixths of the commerce of the world, and that her surplus population had the pick of many continents wherein to live and prosper. But a determined attempt was now being made by her great commercial rivals to take from her some, at least, of the advantages gained by centuries of enterprise backed up by daring perseverance. The Rhine dwindled into a stream of no political signifi- cance. Men openly said on the boulevards and in the brasseries of Paris and the beer gardens of Berlin that the star of England was beginning to wane. As a witty French- man put it: " The bones of Englishmen whiten the by-ways of the world: they make most excellent sign-posts for our future progress. ' ' But at the British Embassy, Lord and I,ady Eskdale and their beautiful daughter Irene, felt that, come what might in the future, it was their present duty to maintain in regal style the hospitable traditions of the Rue du Faubourg St. Honor^, and thus it came to pass that the first night in May was chosen for an official dinner, to be followed by a grand ball. Strange and disquieting rumours were afloat. Scarce formed into words, they hinted at a fatal blow to be struck at some predominant power. To Captain Edward Haring- ton — who not only filled the position of junior military attache at the Embassy, but was also the accepted lover of Lady Irene Vyne — ^the Home Government owed the first suspicion of a secret and hostile combination. He had pieced together some curious observations, made in his presence by certain high officials in France, and his conclusions Seemed no less accurate than alarming. Inquiries made amongst the London bankers, with whom nearly every foreign prince had large dealings, showed that there had been a steady and continual withdrawal for no accountable reason, of the securities they held. This was The Ball at the Embassy. 3 enough to put the Government on the alert. Harington's timely service was of considerable value, and he reaped the benefit, for the kindly interest of an exalted personage means much. In fact, a staff appointment at Aldershot, when the next vacancy occurred, was promised to him. His sister Ethel, a charming girl of Irene's age, was in Paris on a visit to the Eskdales, and it was one of those coincidences suggestive of arrangement that I^ieutenant Frank Rodney, of H.M.S. Magnificent, should have chosen gay Lutetia as the scene of a short leave of ten days. Har- ington and he were fast friends, and it was not unlikely that the tie of friendship might be strengthened, if the guards- man had not judged amiss the tendency of the pleasant- mannered sailor's thoughts. It was his ardent wish that Rodney might marry his sisler, and Ethel had even stronger views on the question than her brother, so for once the course of true love appeared to be running smoothly. The gathering in I^ady Eskdale's reception room before dinner was announced was very select indeed. The French President and his wife, the Russian Ambassador and the Grand Duchess, the German Ambassador, the French Min- isters of War and Marine, the Governor of Paris, and quite a number of other great people made the brilliant salon glitter with the magnificence of their diamond stars and ornaments, whilst the lovely dresses of the women toned down the gor- geous uniforms by their softer hues. The British Ambassador, of course, took in Madame la Presidente to dinner. His interested and urbane manner gave no indication of the troubled state of his thoughts, though in very truth there had that afternoon been much cause for perplexity. A cipher telegram, dispatched at mid- day to I/)ndon, was unaccountably interfered with en route, and a call from the Foreign Ofiice for a repetition resulted in even greater confusion. In the endeavour to put matters right he also discovered that the telephonic communication between the two countries had unaccountably broken down. 4 The Final War. Now, his message to I^ord Salisbury contained a very plain intimation that affairs were in an alarmingly unsettled condi- tion in France, whilst large sales of British securities on the Bourse had emanated from inspired quarters, and not from any public movement. These sales had been proceeding steadily for some days, and had seemingly culminated that morning. From this condition of affairs he argued the necessity for keen watchfulness on the part of the British Government. By an extraordinary blunder, this message, although in a cypher believed to be known only to three men in I^ondon and three in Paris, was metamorphosed into an absurd refer- ence to the weather, and the repetition brought about an inexplicable medley of meaningless nonsense. But I\sfiancie. " Oh, Teddy, how did you come ? " cried one. ' ' And when did you come ? ' ' said the other. " Do tell us why you 've come." " But we 're so glad you 're here." " We were just crying about your imaginary funeral." " And Irene said " " I 'm sure I did n't. You began about the Russians." Then both together : " Do sit down and tell us all about it." Major Harington, looking browner and thinner than when they had last met, did sit down, but promptly jumped up and kissed them both again. He- seemed inclined to repeat the process, but they seized him and held him in an easy chair, while Irene said : " If you don't tell us the news at once, you will get no tea." Thus coerced, he explained that I/ord Roberts had sent Cheap Steam Coat. l 75 General Massy back to see hurriedly to some final details concerning the forwarding of the third French expedition, and that he, Harington, had accompanied the General as his A.D.C. Great excitement and uncertainty prevailed at the War Office owing to the expected Russian attack. I,ord Wolseley had delayed the departure of the first detachment of the Third Army Corps until it was known whether or not their services would be required to repel an invasion. It was not certain that transports accompanied the Russian fleet — that remained to be seen. " As for me," concluded Harington, " I have exactly forty minutes' leave, and here I am." " You 're looking splendid," cried his sister. " I must tell my father and mother you are here," said Irene. " They will be delighted to see you. But before they come I want to give you something. ' ' She leaned over him, took his face between her hands, and kissed him. This action, simple enough though it was, yet had an ele- ment of strangeness in its manner. ' ' That is very nice of you, ' ' said Harington. ' ' But may I ask the reason of this special sign of favour ? ' ' " Because I am proud of you, Teddy. If you had been killed whilst taking those guns I should have worn a wed- ding-ring all my life as a lasting token of my faithfulness to the memory of the man who was to have been my hus- band. ' ' I^ady Irene Vyne was thoroughbred right through. On the morning of May 25th the early risers among the people of Cardiff were eating their breakfast and discussing the possible whereabouts of the Russian fleet, when a thrill of pleasurable excitement passed rapidly from the pierhead to the town at the news that a strong American flotilla of six battle-ships and eleven cruisers had anchored in the roads. 1 76 The Final War. Councillor Ramsdale was the Mayor for that year, and not- withstanding the anxieties and duties entailed by the war, he never forgot the hospitable traditions of his dignified position. He was soon astir and hastily convened a meeting of the General Purposes Committee to provide for the due enter- tainment of the officers of a friendly Power, as the hourly increasing sympathy of the United States had caused a keen sentiment of grateful kindliness to spring forth in all parts of the kingdom. As it happened, the committee, which met at ten o'clock, had a very different question for consideration. Admiral Manan at once sent the first lieutenant of the Farragui ashore to ascertain if there were any United States vessels in dock and preparing for a voyage. There were two, bound for New York and Philadelphia, and loading with tin-plates in the Roath Dock. ' ' When will you be ready for sea ? ' ' said the naval officer to the two captains, whom he found at the shipping office of the Board of Trade. " To-night's tide," said one. " Midday to-morrow," replied the other. " I guess you 'd better sail in company to-morrow," said the officer. " You 'd feel kinder lonesome otherwise. The United States want those tin-plates partictilar bad?" he went on. " Perticular," assented one captain. " It '11 be a cruel thing for Philadelphia if that white metal ain't delivered by June 6th," said his companion. "And I suppose that six-inch shells and shrapnel won't hurry up the loading ? ' ' " You can stand on me. Admiral; my ship won't take any more tin under them unfavourable conditions." " Commodore, there '11 be a scarcity of tin-plates in Phila- delphia for a con-siderable period." The lieutenant carefully noted the names of the vessels, Cheap Steam Coed. 177 the captains, and the owners, with the details of their charter- parties, and returned to the flagship. Meanwhile Cardiff, and in a brief space the rest of the country, became strangely convulsed by the arrival of suc- cessive telegrams and telephonic messages announcing the passing of an unknown fleet of warships — flying no colours, but believed to be Russian — ^by Lundy Island, by the Mum- bles lyighthouse, by Nash Point, and, finally, by Barry. At 10.30 a.m. the sound of cannon boomed over the sea. Twenty Russian ships — at last their ensigns were hoisted — were rapidly steaming between the Steep and Flat Holm Islands and Lavernock Point on the mainland, and the mis- erable little batteries at those places were feebly thundering forth defiance to the enemy. But the Russians knew that the weapons, mostly dating from the Crimean war, did not even cover the few interven- ing miles of the Channel, dropping their projectiles harm- lessly into the sea, and leaving a broad central passage untouched. They did not even trouble to reply. At eleven o'clock they hove to opposite the town, but somewhat to one side of, and farther away than, the Ameri- can ships. The Mayor and several members of the Corporation hur- ried to the pier office in order to learn the fate of the port at the earliest moment, and the local volunteers — such few as were left after the drafts for foreign service had been met — and some companies of the auxiliary army, formed up in the same locality. I/ord Wolseley telegraphed that Sir Richard Harrison and staff were travelUng by special train to Cardiff, and that 100,000 men with 200 guns, would be in the town by four o'clock. The Channel fleet, too, had started under forced draught from Portsmouth, where it had arrived from Havre. The Russians had barely halted before a steam launch rapidly left the Kronstadt, and, flying a flag of truce, throbbed its way up the entrance of the Channel, finally 1 78 The Final War. depositing a magnificent-looking oflScer and two juniors, attended by a small guard of marines, on the steps at the pierhead. The Russian delegate found himself confronted by the Harbour-Master when he reached the quay. " I would have the honour to see the Governor of the city, ' ' he smilingly exclaimed, recognising the official by his uniform. ' ' This way, ' ' was the stern answer, and the party marched into the pier offices, which were close at hand. The Mayor stepped forward at once to meet them. He was pale with emotion, but furious at the thought of the pending horrors for his town and people. ' ' Well, sir, ' ' he said, with all .the calmness he could mus- ter, ' ' what is your business ? ' ' The Russian still smiled, and explained, speaking care- fully, but most politely : ' ' The Grand Duke Michaelovitch, Admiral in command of the fleet of His Majesty the Tsar, being instructed of destroying your docks and railways, is about to give them the dynamite. Also will he sink all ships in the harbour of you. He desires no evil to unarmed people, and women, an the child, but if any resist he will cannonade the city. ' ' ' ' Tell him, sir, ' ' said the Mayor, ' ' that we fear neither him, nor his cannon, nor his master. Armed or unarmed, we defy him. And let me tell you, sir," he went on, with increasing vehemence, ' ' that if you land here again with your men, we will improve your English and add a lesson in Welsh!" The envoy understood sufficient of this forcible speech for his purpose. He bowed most ceremoniously, and was escorted back to his launch by the Harbour-Master, amid the dead silence of the onlookers. The Mayor was the first to break the spell cast upon the assembled leaders of the community by the dread presence of the enemy at the very threshold of the town. Cheap Steam Coal. i 79 Come ! " he cried. ' ' I^et us arm ourselves as best we may. We must, if need be, die in our streets to keep back the enemy until help is at hand. ' ' A German coal-shipper, naturalised by long residence in South Wales, who had joined the group round the Mayor, sneered at the folly of the proceedings. ' ' Steam coal vill be cheap to-morrow, ' ' he said. The Mayor heard him and turned fiercely upon him. ' ' Have you any to sell, sauerkraut, ' ' he inquired. The German was nettled at the nick-name. ' ' More dan you can buy, ' ' he snapped. " How much, and what 's your price ? " ' ' Ten tausend tons, at five shillings, ' ' cried the Teuton, who knew that in the event of bombardment the port would be rviined. " Here 's a cheque for ^2500," said the Mayor, seizing a pen and ink. ' ' Give me in return an undertaking to supply the coal or its market price, whichever you choose, to me or my heirs to-morrow at noon. ' ' The German did not hesitate, the documents were ex- changed, and next day at the appointed hour, the shipper, almost on his knees, besought the Mayor to take ;^500o, and let him ofi" his contract, as the market price of steam coal, f.o.b., was i6s. per ton. Admiral Manan had not been a disinterested spectator of the passage of the Russian launch up the fairway of the Channel, and its subsequent return. He forthwith dispatched to the Kronstadt the same officer who had landed at Cardiff in the earlier hours of the day. When the lyieutenant was brought before the Russian Commander-in-Chief he was laconic. ' ' Admiral Manan, of the United States Navy, ' ' he said, ' ' instructs me to ask your purpose in visiting British .shores. ' ' ' ' I am delighted to explain to such a distinguished officer, who so ably represents a friendly country, that my mission is i8o The Final War. to destroy this and other ports in Great Britain," was the Grand Duke's answer. " Russia having declared war against England ? " " Exactly." Michaelovitch, Grand Duke, urbane though he was, resented the interrogator's manner. ' ' Has notice been given to the United States of your atti- tude ? ' ' went on the lyieutenant, quite regardless of the change of tone in the superior person with whom he was conversing. ' ' I presume so. That is a matter of diplomatic detail to which I have paid no attention. ' ' ' ' There are two American ships in dock here, and they cannot complete loading until to-morrow. They could not arrange otherwise, having received no warning of the out- break of hostilities between England and Russia. Against a French or German fleet they take their own risk, of course, but in your case, and under the circumstances. Admiral Manan has directed me to ask you to delay your bombard- ment until these two vessels have loaded and sailed." The Grand Duke laughed with angry surprise. ' ' Prepos- terous ! " he shouted. ' ' Did anyone ever hear of such a childish request ? ' ' and he turned to his staff to volubly explain in Russian. Every man gufiFawed loudly, but the American sailor surveyed them stolidly, though a slight flush came to his face. ' ' I have the greatest respect for your famous commander, in whom, as a seaman, I recognise a master, but I fear I cannot extend the same regard for his opinions on inter- national law," said the Russian, who had now recovered his wonted complaisance. ' ' Admiral Manan did not send me to seek your opinion of his acquirements," was the calm answer. " I am here to state his unalterable wishes. ' ' ' ' Unalterable wishes ! ' ' growled the Grand Duke, again astounded at the language used to him. " You must have Cheap Steam Coal. i8i misunderstood your commander, sir. Have the goodness to return to him and ask him to send a more inteUigible rep- resentative — after I have finished my work. I am busy now. ' ' For the first time during the interview the American offi- cer smiled. "I am using my commander's exact words," he said. ' ' And if I refuse this mad demand, ' ' cried the Russian Prince, now thoroughly aroused, ' ' what is the alterna- tive?" ' ' You must first pass through the United States fleet, ' ' was the quiet and measured response. The officer spoke as though he were uttering the merest triviality, but his heart bounded tumultuously as he uttered the fateful words. ' ' Holy Nicholas ! This is too much, ' ' shouted Michaelo- vitch. " Quit my ship, sir, and tell your Admiral from me that I give your two ships half-an-hour to clear out of dock, and your fleet the same time to shift its moorings. In thirty minutes I open fire." The I^ieutenant saluted and tripped lightly down the gang- way to his launch. When Admiral Manan heard the result of the interview, his gleaming eyes alone showed the fire that flamed in his soul. He turned to his flag-lieutenant and said : ' ' Have all prep- arations been made according to my directions ? ' ' " AU, sir. Every ship has noted them and signified their completion." " Then signal ' Prepare for action.' Ships will follow the flagship at six cables' length and take station accordingly." The United States fleet moved slowly ofi" in the wake of the Farragut, and when they halted in line in the fairway of the Channel they were interposed between the town of Car- diff and the Russian armament. At one o'clock precisely the Russians deployed for the attack, and the Kronstadt signalled : " I am about to open fire." 1 82 The Filial IJ^ar. ' ' Better wait twenty -four hours, ' ' came the reply from the The answer to this was a shell, which whizzed through the centre of the American line of ships and finally destroyed the remnants of the low-water pier. Admiral Manan was equally punctilious. A six-inch shell was sent shrieking past the bows of the Kronstadt. Before it had dropped harmlessly into the sea far away towards the blue coast of Devon, so charmingly silhouetted against the bright summer sky, the two fleets were furiously engaged. Admiral Manan shouted to the captain of his ship, for an ordinary tone of voice would have been inaudible amidst the roar of the guns : " If I 've got to be hanged on my own quarter-deck I '11 have a jolly good fight here first." CHAPTER XIX. THE SAGLE STRANGLES THE BEAR. IT was no part of Admiral Manan's scheme to leave his ships as stationary targets to be battered by the superior gun-fire of his opponent. No sooner did the action commence than he promptly echeloned the fleet to the east, thus efifectully using his broadsides and compelling the enemy to change front in order to bring his full force into play. The manoeuvre had another and important effect. The tide was now rapidly moving down Channel, and the United States vessels in their new position had the benefit of a strong current for purposes of rapid movement and easier execution of tactics. Ship for ship and gun for gun the Grand Duke ought to have won the battle, and, indeed, he began the affair with a light heart as to its issue, though he bitterly denounced the American commander for so thor- oughly upsetting his plans. But in one respect out of many the Russian had seriously underrated his foe. He had heard of, but never seen, the dynamite gun — a fearful weapon to the development of which the United States had given particular attention. Their artillerists had succeeded in developing to perfection not only the propelling power of this well-known explosive, but also in utilising its eccentric qualities in bursting the missile itself. Gunpowder or gun-cotton has a direct and measurable effect in a specific locality when exploded by the impact of a shell upon the object aimed at. It also seeks the least 183 184 The Final War. resisting avenue of outlet. Dynamite, on the other hand, is a variable force, and most frequently attacks with the great- est fury the point of utmost resistance. The Russian ships soon bore witness of the demoniacal energy of this unexpected assailant. Whilst the blows of some of the American shells did little more damage than was effected by the first shock — the resultant explosion passing away harmlessly or wrenching off some obstacle many feet distant from the place struck — the majority of effective projectiles did enormous damage, crushing 9-inch plates as though they were bonnet-boxes, tearing whole sections out of a barbette, smashing big guns out of their carriages, and, at times, wrenching huge lumps from the body of a ship. Such terrific freaks of the giant explosive quickly de- moralised the Russian sailors, and the battle had not long progressed before Michaelovitch, Grand Duke, ordered all efforts to be concentrated upon torpedo and ram attack. But by this time the United States Admiral had received highly valuable professional assistance. When the fight began, David Jenkins, master of No. 51 Cardiff pilot-boat, was standing in the bows of his smart little craft near the entrance to Penarth Dock. He knew that in the then state of the tide both friend and foe were in immi- nent danger of stranding during the rapid and often careless course of a manoeuvre. Now, David Jenkins was not cast in particularly heroic mould. He was short and stout and sailor-like, with a small vocabulary of common words but a rich stock of expletives in two languages. He yelled to his assistants to cast off from the buoy to which the Polly Jenkins — his wife's name- sake — ^was moored, and run up the mainsail and topsail and haul in the jib. In a word, Admiral Manan wanted a pilot, and David Jenkins was going to him. If you can conceive what a fierce naval engagement The Eagle Strangles the Bear. 185 means, if you can picture a sea torn with projectiles big and little, alive with torpedoes, and swept with torrents of bul- lets from Maxims and small arms, you will realise the Inferno through which the Polly Jenkins passed like a pan- tomime fairy among the demons — smiling and untouched — during the next few minutes. And what a roar went up from Penarth Head, from the masts of ships in the docks, from the balconies of such build- ings as commanded a sea-view, when the people understood David Jenkins's motive, and saw him clamber up a rope thrown to him over the side of the Farragut, whilst a shell sent the smart Polly Jenkins to the bottom of the sea an instant later. David coolly turned to help his mates, both of whom were saved, and then made his way to the conning-tower of the Farragut, where he found the Admiral. "When he heard the pilot's mission. Admiral Manan gripped his hand for reply. In five minutes the effect of David Jenkins's presence was felt. Two Russian battle- ships were stuck in the East Mud, and a cruiser was aground on a shoal off Penarth. The fight lasted exactly three-quarters of an hour. At the end of that time two Russian battle-ships and four cruisers were sunk, their tops only being visible above the water, three were ashore, four others, mere wrecks, had struck their colours, and the seven remaining vessels, including the Kronstadt, were hurrying down Channel to return that evening in the safe keeping of Admiral Erskine. Three United States ships had gone down and four vessels had to be rapidly beached on the West Mud to prevent them from sinking in deep water. The American Ambassador, amazed and angered beyond expression, had travelled down from lyondon in a special train in less than three hours. lyord Wolseley had asked the Great Western Railway authorities to expedite him even to the detriment of the 1 86 The Final War. movements of troops. At 4.30 p.m. he was at the pier-head; at five o'clock he stood on the quarter-deck of the Farragut. In the first choking rush of his astounded indignation he demanded and received the Admiral's sword. But he was a man and an American. As he gazed around and saw the havoc of the fight, with its glorious testimonies of a superb victory, his right hand instinctively tightened on the hilt of the sword and there was a suspicious weakness, almost a tenderness in his voice as he said : ' ' Why have you- done this thing ? ' ' " Could n't help it, your Excellency," replied Manan. " Michaelovitch would n't allow our merchantmen to finish loading, and he was confoundedly impudent about it, too. It was a lovely fight." ' ' How many did you — that is, I mean, what explanation have you for attacking a neutral power ? ' ' ' ' Here are the documents of the case, ' ' said the Admiral, somewhat sheepishly producing a little scrap of paper, the memorandum made by the lieutenant at the shipping office. The Ambassador pretended to examine it carefully, but he could not help giving a coniprehensive glance around as he turned to lay the sword and its slings against the breech of a grimy and blood-bespattered gun. " How many ships have you lost ? " he said after a pause. " Three," said the Admiral, " and four on shore." ' ' This is appalling. And the enemy — at least, I mean, of course, the Russians ? " ' ' Six sunk, three ashore, four taken, and seven had enough. They quit." ' ' And — er — ^how — er, I suppose I am justified in asking. How did our men behave ? " " I know something about fighting at sea — theoretically," replied the author of the Influence of Sea Power upon His- tory, with the modest pride of conscious knowledge, ' ' and I may honestly say that I have never heard of a combat in which coolness, courage, efficiency, and daring exploit were The Eagle Strangles the Bear. 187 more magnificently exhibited than by the United States fleet which I have had the supreme honour to command to-day. You should have seen, ' ' he continued, warming to his subject, whilst the diplomatist's face flushed as he listened, " you should have seen the Decatur tackle an armoured battle-ship twice her size, rattle her ribs with quick-flring guns, sweep her decks with Maxims, shrapnel, and bullets, minimising the efiect of the enemy's big batteries by sheer dexterity of handling, and finally sinking her with a torpedo. It was superb ; it was worth living for, and dying for, ten times over." ' ' I came here at sixty miles an hour, ' ' burst forth the Ambassador, " but you could n't wait, I sup " Then .finding the Admiral's eye upon him, he correcte"d himself stiffly : ' ' There is no use in continuing this absolutely dis- tressing conversation. You must consider yourself a pris- oner until I have communicated with Washington." He walked away to the side of the ship and murmured : ' ' My poor friend, what will be the end of this ? ' ' Admiral Manan, pallid but firm, glanced around at his ship and her noble consorts, as though to take leave of them for ever, when a slight commotion at the companion-ladder attracted the attention of both gentlemen. " I tell you," said a resolute English voice, " I must see the Ambassador himself. ' ' Accompanying the words a tall, active man in civilian attire gained the level of the quarter- deck. Advancing to the American Minister, he bowed and explained his presence : " I am the telegraph master at Car- diflF, your Excellency, and a message has just arrived from the Embassy of such exceeding importance that I resolved to dehver it myself. ' ' The Ambassador opened the envelope, read its enclosure through twice with growing amazement, ran the fingers of his right hand into his hair beneath his hat, and silently indicated to Manan that he was to read the telegram. i88 The Final IVar. And this is what the sailor read: " l^ondon, 4.50 p.in. Following is exact text of cable just received : ' Washing- ton, 1 1.5 a.m. President yesterday received confirmation of your reported rumour that Russia was about to declare war against Kngland. Special meetings of Cabinet and Congress were at once held, and it was unanimously resolved that the United States should demand from Russia unconditional withdrawal of declaration of war. At 10.30 this morning Russian Ambassador announced emphatic refusal of the Tsar to comply with our ultimatum. At 11 a.m.. President, with unanimous approval of Senate and Congress, declared war against Russia, Germany, and France, as the ally of Eng- land. Take measures accordingly. Further instructions by cable later. — Secretary of State.' End of message. — Secre- tary of lyCgation." For fully half a minute the Ambassador and the Admiral gazed at each other in silence. The sailor was the first to partially recover his self- possession. ' ' This cable, ' ' he said slowly, as though thinking hard, " is timed 11.5 a.m." ' ' Yes, ' ' gasped the Minister. ' ' And the United States declared war against Russia at II a.m. — the time recorded here ? " "That 'sso." ' ' And I fought and whipped the Grand Duke, commenc- ing at I p.m. sharp, winding up the action about 1.45." Again there was a pause. Slowly a smile of complete hap- piness spread over the face of the Ambassador. Then he went to the place where he had deposited the Admiral's sword and its trappings, picked them up, handed them to Manan, and calmly remarked with a delicious Yankee drawl : " Say, you may have further use for these." Admiral Manan quietly buckled the belt round his waist, for he dared not give expression to his feelings lest he should break down like a woman. The Eagle Strangles the Bear. 189 But the astute diplomat, quick to control his moods and impulses, saved the situation. " Come," he cried, linking his arm through that of his companion, " I am simply dying to hear all about the row." The one thing they did not discuss was the fact that Washington time is six hours behind that of Greenwich. Those hundred thousand British soldiers came in useful at Cardiff after all. Mayor Ramsdale ' ' put up " a considerable portion of the German coal-shipper's anticipated cheque in securing huge stores of champagne and bottled beer for the particular use of the army and navy that night. But, in the first place, with thoughtful care, he called for volunteers among the householders of the town to receive and tend the wounded, irrespective of race. It was some hours before Admiral Manan was able to make the requisite dispositions for the safety and comfort of his shattered iieet and the captured ships. By that time Krskine had arrived in the roads, and the two commanders soon exchanged news and greetings. I,ate in the evening they and their principal officers — for the American Minister was compelled to hasten back to l,on- don — attended a grand banquet in the Town Hall, whilst the British troops lined the long road leading from the Docks and the chief thoroughfare, St. Mary Street, in which the municipal buildings are situated. The jubilant enthusiasm of the inhabitants of the Welsh metropolis manifested itself in every possible way. Hardly a living soul in Cardiff went to bed that night. At the banquet in the Town Hall the Marquis of Bute made a brief speech, but it contained good matter. He undertook, at his own cost, to float, dry-dock, and repair the stranded American ships — a truly magnificent offer — and tremendous cheering took place when the Mayor read a tele- gram he received from the House of Commons to the effect igO The Final War. that Parliament had-voted the thanks of the nation and a sword of honour to Admiral Manan for his brilliant services to the United States and to England. Next day the gallant American was handed by a Queen's messenger an autograph letter from Her Majesty, conveying her personal appreciation of the victory he had achieved, and stating that Her Majesty would seek the sanction of the President to her desire to confer upon the Admiral a Grand Commandership of the Order of the Bath. Much comment had also been evoked throughout the United Kingdom by the patriotic behaviour of the Mayor during the crisis, and the national sentiment was fully ex- pressed when he subsequently became Sir Joseph Ramsdale, K.C.B. Throughout all this rejoicing there was but one slight note of solitary discontent, which found voice in the public utter- ance of a Swansea town councillor: " Whenever there is a chance of advertisement, Cardiff gets it. Kven the Russian fleet passed us by." CHAPTER XX. ENGLAND AND THE) UNITED STATES. WHKN Parliament met on the evening after the battle of Cardiff it wore an aspect of serener dignity than its wont. This was the only external sign of the elation born of the new turn in events. The period of excitement had long passed away, and the popular Chamber no more had its moods. Representing truly the genius of the English people, the splendid calm of the House of Commons amid all the varying fortunes of the war, its phlegmatic pride, its stern attitude of quiet reso- lution, formed a striking example of the indomitable charac- ter of the Saxon people. India was massing her forces at Quetta, preparatory to the projected invasion of Asiatic Russia, whilst Australia had, practically unaided, flung off an attacking force of French and Germans. Her sons were even crossing the seas to rein- force the Indian army and home troops. As day after day passed, each with its new and startling development, its record of heroism, its swift dramatic action, the House sat outwardly unmoved, betraying no emotion, grimly imperturbable. To many who waited breathless in the galleries and wit- nessed the solemn scenes in which the great assembly received the daily reports of the Under-Secretary of War, and, with scarce a word of discussion, rapidly passed measures of supreme importance and far-reaching consequences, it seemed as if history had unrolled itself, and a return to a period of national danger had produced anew an heroic type. 191 1 92 The Final War. For the members of the House of Commons, faced by dan- gers so grave, made one by the overshadowing menace of ruin, had revived in themselves those stern Puritan virtues which have left so deep an impression on the character of England. A meeting of the House was curiously like a meeting of that I,ong Parliament which sat through the Civil War. There was the same inexorable purpose, the same equanimity, the same high moral temperament, the same majestic gravity — scarcely a ripple of emotion, scarcely a word of debate, scarcely a hint of disagreement — the House was in the truest sense a single and united body. Even to the casual eye this fact became obvious. In the appearance of the Commons there was something novel that would have staggered a Rip Van Winkle of a month. The 'Conservative party greatly outnumbered the lyiberal, and the accommodation to the right of the Speaker was con- sequently very inadequate. Etiquette gave comfort to the I^iberals and discomfort to the Conservatives. By tacit con- sent the term Unionist was dropped, as being no longer distinctive. But a week or so before the great battle of Cardiff, Sir E. Ashmead Bartlett, coming into the Chamber whilst the First I/ord of the Treasury was making an important statement, and seeing that there was not an unoccupied place upon his own side of the House, calmly walked across the floor to the thinner ranks of the lyiberal party, and in a nonchalant man- ner took his seat upon the right of Mr. Haldane. The incident — despite even the gravity of the moment — • produced a little laughter and some applause. But the ulti- mate effect produced was extraordinary. It was felt that Sir Ellis's act had in it a touch of genius. Of what use was eti- quette of party when no party existed, or discomfort to the right when there was ease to the left ? And from that day, indifferent to points of custom, the members of the House proceeded to take their seats exactly where they found them. I^iberal and Tory, Whig and Radi- England and the United States. 193 cal, Ulsterman and Nationalist were to be seen side by side as chance would have it, and for the first time in centuries the House of Commons presented externally no aspect of division or party. Mr. John Burns was seen to slap Sir A. B. Forwood on the back, whilst next to him Mr. T. P. O'Connor chatted amicably with Mr. Austen Chamberlain. A friendship which evoked much comment was that which suddenly sprang up between Dr. Tanner and the Serjeant-at-Arms. When Parliament met on the day succeeding the battle of Cardiff, there was no change in its attitude of dignified decorum. There was only a more crowded meeting and a subdued air of expectancy and unrest. Amid deep silence, Mr. Balfour read to the House a com- munication received from the President of the United States, announcing the American declaration of war against the allies. " This step," declared the message, " is taken with a full sense of the responsibility it involves. The American people have maintained their attitude of neutrality so long as hostil- ities appeared to be those of nation with nation. The inter- vention of Russia, however, transforms the war into a European conspiracy, in which the peace and prosperity of the whole world are involved. America regards it as a threat to the principles of liberty, and in so holy a cause she cannot hesitate. She will put forth her whole strength of wealth and courage to assist Kngland, and her armies, for the first time in history, are prepared to take the field — if not by choice in France, where old ties make such a step distasteful — at least in Germany, Russia, or any other country that joint deliberation may determine. The American people extend the hand of kinship and affection to the British nation, and are proud that the traditions of the great Saxon race are now to be defended and maintained by the peoples on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean." It was in slow and impressive tones that Mr. Balfour read 1 94 The Final War. this telegram, and, as he concluded, he looked round upon the House and paused. And then in an instant, nobody knew how prompted or suggested, the whole House rose to its feet and uncovered. It was an act of welcome and gratitude to a new ally: an act more impressive than the most clamorous and turbulent demonstration. Mr. Balfour then proceeded with his speech. He uttered an eloquent tribute to the generosity of the American people, and in the name of Great Britain and Ireland, offered the thanks of the United Kingdom. " There is no need, sir," he went on, turning to the Speaker, ' ' to use extravagance of language, even at a supreme moment such as this, when our feelings are likely to overbalance our judgment. lyct us look at this offer calmly and see what it means. ' ' Am I belittling it when I claim that it has not come at a moment of desperate need ? The English armies are sore pressed, but they are unbeaten; they have swept their way into hostile countries and have not yielded a jot in the great scheme of invasion. Our fleets on all sides have vindicated the invincibility of England upon the seas. And it is my profound belief that, under the guidance and protection of Heaven, the British people would have forced their way to ultimate victory, alone and unaided though it be, against the three most powerful nations of Europe. ' ' Am I wrong in thus emphasising the proud belief in the destinies of great Britain with which the humblest of her sons is animated — a belief in the eternal security of a nation which has, so far as human weakness permitted, based its acts upon the most sacred principles the world has known, the principles of liberty and righteousness ? " There was applause at these words. Mr. Balfour con- tinued : ' ' But the victory, let us confess, would be long delayed, lying, perhaps, far off in a dim and melancholy day, the England and the United States. 195 passage to which would be filled with the groans of suifer- ing, the lamentations of bereavement, the piteous cries of the fatherless and the widow ; and stained, too, with misery, ruin, destruction, nay, even with famine and despair. This frightful passage we had entered upon without hesitation or misgiving, but let us be thankful that it is rendered shorter, lighter, easier to traverse, by the help and manly courage of another great people, the people who are of our own blood and lineage, who share our history, whose language is our own. " Yes, sir, it is an alliance of which there should have been, could have been, no doubt whatever. It was ordered in Heaven. Nature herself called aloud for it; and if there interposed the mere chicanery of man, the interests of indi- viduals, the narrow, selfish policy of ambition or of party, how futile and how powerless they have proved against the mighty and irresistible instinct of race, of family, of mutual blood ! For America herself has risen in her strength and shaken off at a shrug the feeble manacles by which they sought to bind her; and over the ocean peals the great voice of our brethren, bearing a message of sympathy and help. ' ' Sir, is it unnatural ? And am I right when I say that there could be no other issue of the desperate alliances amongst our foes ? " No; this is no mere struggle between one nation and another. As the American President has rightly said, there are deeper causes at work, there are principles fighting with each other, and in this stupendous contest seeking each the extermination of the other. ' ' This war means that the forces that have worked for selfishness, for aggrandisement, for slavery, for personal greed, are pitted against the forces that work for liberty, for progress, for peace. It is an old world fighting with a new; it is feudalism taking its last stand against democracy. Is the world to be the battle-ground of ambitious nations and cruel' tyrannies; or is it to become a universal garden, smil- ing with peace, and ruled by temperate and beneficent wis- 196 The Final War. dom ? Tliat is the tremendous problem which this war is to solve. And solved it must be. It is a war of extermina- tion ; it is, in truth, the Final War. ' ' And, if this be so, how else can we regard it, save that if Europe attacks freedom and democracy, she attacks the peoples who support and maintain these principles, in a word, Britain and America, the entire Saxon race ? The quarrel that Europe has with England she also has with the United States. America is our heir. If we passed away as an Empire, in the death-throes of the fight, the splendid heritage that we have secured would descend in sacred trust to the United States, and it would henceforth be her mission to cherish, to guard, to protect it. That is why, surely, we had a right to expect the support of our brethren. The battle is once more between the West and the East ; the whole Saxon race is against the rest of the world. "It is our duty, then, the duty of the Briton, whether on this side or on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, to rally to the common cry, to overthrow the forces of evil arrayed against us, to demonstrate by might — as we are alas ! com- pelled — our controlling power upon earth, and then with wisdom and benevolence to mete out the conditions of a new era, the golden era of peace, freedom, and prosperity. " One word more, sir. Let us not be too jubilant. The way is long yet, and dark and heavy with catastrophe. We are few against many. We strive with odds that threaten by sheer bulk to overawe and overwhelm us. America is rich in war and in resources, but her army is not yet formed. She has once more to create a splendid military, such as that which, in the last war, won the admiration of the world. Let us, then, remember that a bitter struggle is still before us, that many a long day of sacrifice remains, and that there is need now as ever of the strong, patient, manly heart of Great Britain to continue in endurance and in magnanimity." Loud cheers greeted the conclusion of Mr. Balfour's great speech. England and the United States. 1 9 ; A few words of similar import were uttered by Sir Willian Harcourt and Mr. Dillon, and then a solemn and statelj message of thanks to the people of America was framed anc adopted. If gravity and decorum prevailed in the House, there wa; at least excitement without. Not the turbulent excitemem that a sudden sensation causes, but a strong and passionate impulse of national pride. This great people had been prepared to fight on and on single-handed, not in braggadocio or idle vaunting, but wit! the calm resolution of their self-contained nature. The .sud den news that a kindred people had come forward to take their share of the struggle had filled the English nation witl emotion, a grave, sober emotion, such as one man in deadly peril feels when another comes swift and silent to his aid. Joy reigned on every face. For instinct was truer thai argument, and every Englishman realised how absurd were the artificial barriers that sought to separate the true mem- bers of a great race. England and America were not cousins, they were brothers. It was impossible that England should stand idlj by and see America worsted. It was impossible that Am- erica should see England at bay before the world and be mute. It was no alliance this. It was the reunion of one great family. No less did the Americans in lyondon feel the thrill of this new emotion. There were a thousand touching scene; in which the bond of union was manifested, as though i1 were the meeting of brothers after long separation. Fashionable I,ondon was present that night at Coveni Garden Opera House. There had been no break in the continuity of pleasure. The imperturbable Englishmar ordered his life as before, and although sorrow had closed many houses and there was ever present the sense of national calamity, still there was no such concession to the foe as would be implied in universal mourning. 198 The Final War. The music-halls throve apace, and poets were busy on all hands in writing patriotic ballads which were set to music by inflamed composers. At the Tivoli Miss Marie lyloyd defied the allies every night at ten, and at the Palace Miss I/Ottie Collins created a sensation by appearing in the uni- form of the guards and singing a passionate song that told the world that : When in their envy nations rise And to each other call, And coward-like in swift surprise Upon old England fall ! Roused in his wrath the Lion flies And sweeps away them all. Everywhere, on variety stage, in melodrama, from street band and hurdy-gurdy, pealed forth the strains of martial music, and life was made mournful to every earnest member of the Peace Society. Even Dan I,eno linked his patter to patriotism, and no acrobat could leap from pole to pole with- out displaying upon his back the emphatic colours of the British ensign. On Friday night the spirited managers of Covent Garden had announced Parsifal. It was the first performance in England, for the copyright question had been settled and English prejudice no longer protested against a sacred work upon the decorous stage of the national opera house. A huge and fashionable gathering had assembled, crowding every part, and the stage was filled with operatic stars of the first magnitude. It is to be feared that Wagner was little attended to that night. A constant buzz through the house plainly showed that the music of the future had less attraction than the politics of the present. About ten o'clock it was observed that the curtains of the royal box were fluttering, and then, to the enthusiasm of all, the Prince and Princess of Wales appeared in the full view of the house. England and the United States. 1 99 Tlie whole audience rose to their feet and cheered and cheered again, and the Prince, with smiles, bowed repeatedly, the Princess meantime standing at his side, her arm linked in his. It was noticed, too, that the Prince's eyes were wandering over the boxes on the other side of the house as if in search of something, and then, as if satisfied, he withdrew abruptly and disappeared from view. It was but for a few moments, however. What could express the delight and enthusiasm of the house when he was seen again in another box, bring- ing forward to the sight of all present no less a person than the American Ambassador. There are some supreme moments when in mere vocifera- tion the whole moral strength and feeling of a people ex- haust themselves. This was one. The two who stood there, the Prince and the simple American citizen, the heir to the proudest of thrones and the commoner of the greatest of democracies, were true symbols of the great event that had happened, the reunion of the old and the new England. ' ' Mr. Bryant, ' ' said the Prince with a warmth that knew nothing of courtly ceremony, ' ' your name is a fit one indeed for a representative of your country. We recognise her chivalry, and I thank you in the name of Britons through- out the world." ' ' Sir, ' ' answered the Ambassador simply, ' ' we are all Britons. America, I assure you, is prouder to-day when she shares your peril than when in the beginning she claimed her independence. ' ' There was an opportunity for but few words, for the excitement in the house was not to be allayed. It was impos- sible to follow the tortuous passage of Wagnerian phrases through the entanglements of bewildering orchestration. Already the audience began to rise and move about, to gather its wraps, and to discuss with animation the dramatic scene they had witnessed. The stage manager, with true tact, saw that the perform- 200 The Final War. ance could not continue and he ordered the curtain to fall. But a minute later it rose again. The entire company- advanced to the front of the stage and sang, with a vigour and fulness which opera seldom knew, the National Anthem. When the last strains died away there was a moment's pause and then Madame Melba advancing started the American Anthem, " Hail, Columbia." The audience joined lustily in it, and the whole theatre rang with the simple refrain. The audience flowed out to the bufiets, and there was an end to orderly speech. Everyone spoke to everyone else, and over a whiskey and soda a reign of brotherhood began. " I can't do much," said one of the crowd to his own circle of excited listeners. " But blow me if I don't go in for American drinks. Here, Miss, a corpse reviver, please. ' ' Never were the American bars so popular as through the next week or so. It was a tribute that the least might pay to a new ally ! CHAPTER XXI. THE NEWS the; spy sent. THE people of England were now beginning to calm down to a grave appreciation of the dangers and dif- ficulties of the war. In the first wild days of public excitement, with their anger, their eagerness, their mad jubilation at the success of British arms, affairs had rushed forward in such a fierce and turbulent stream that a quiet survey of the situation was impossible and not to be expected. But on the morning after the defeat of the Russian fleet by the United States force, the Times gave philosophical utter- ance to the national sentiment in its chief leading article. " By the spontaneous action of our brothers across the Atlantic," said the great newspaper, " England and Amer- ica now practically face the world in arms. The English- speaking race is called upon to fulfil its mission ; to its hands are fully committed the future destinies of mankind. The duty to which we are devoted is noble yet awe-inspiring. We are no longer fighting a national quarrel, having become the trustees of human progress and civilisation. "In this momentous struggle we represent the misgov- erned and misled peoples of the Continent as completely as our own communities. When the stress and fury of combat shall have passed away, our first consideration must be the claims of justice and tolerance and Christian charity. I^et us pray for light and strength to guide and sustain us in our task." 202 The Final War, These magnanimous words were directed by a kindly Providence. By mysterious channels they found their way into France and Germany and far-off Russia. They planted fruitful seed in the hearts of the true patriots in those countries, and in due course they blossomed into a vigorous growth which largely dominated the arrangements for satisfactory and restful peace. The Daily Chronicle, too, found cause in the situation to become contemplative. ' ' I,est there be any apprehension in the minds of sections of the English people regarding the attitude of the I^iberal and Radical party, ' ' wrote the well- known organ of the Opposition, " it is our duty to finally and completely disavow all sympathy with what was once known as the Ivittle Englanders. ' ' When our fleets are grappling with the navies of three powerful nations in all parts of the world, when our soldiers, in hundreds of thousands, are camped on the shores of Ger- many and France, when Australia is shaking off the wolves who would devour her, when our Indian army is tightening its accoutrements preparatory to invading Asiatic Russia, when the United States are impelled to cast in their lot with ours in the throes of this new epoch, it is no time to talk about L,ittle England. ' ' The words in the past represented a policy, an honest endeavour to preserve the balance of power, a fair division of the yet unoccupied places of the earth's crust. To-day the mere jingle of the phrase is hurtful and ridiculous. We solemnly inter it. May it rest in peace. ' ' Even Mr. I^abouchere accepted the inevitable. " I can plainly see," growled Scrutator, " that the columns of Truth will be actively employed, when this wretched business is finished, in denouncing the grabbing and Maximising that will go on in Africa and Asia for a considerable tirne. Mean- while, it is not Grab but Holdfast that is a good dog, and I will bark with the loudest in this quarrel." The News the Spy Sent 263 The Stock Exchange being closed, its members, such as were not actively engaged with the army, naturally had their little joke. They telegraphed to the Chairman of the Wall Street institution : ' ' We welcome your fleet. Where are the excursion steamers ? ' ' But the Americans got even with them. Soon the reply came : " Excursion steamers all engaged in protecting Cardiff." The new policy of diplomatic openness, inaugurated by Mr. Chamberlain during the Transvaal crisis some years earlier, was now emulated by the United States Government with excellent effect. Daily, almost hourly, messages were received at the Ameri- can Embassy from the State Departments at Washington, de- tailing the preparations for taking an active part in hostilities now being made all over the country; and these cheering items of news were immediately sent to the British Press. Thus, one read : " Two army corps, of 100,000 men each, will be shipped from New York, Boston, and Philadelphia in detachments of 20,000. They will each carry full comple- ments of arms, horses, ammunition and clothing, with large supplies of field stores, and may be expected to arrive in England, or elsewhere as directed, between June 5th and 1 2th." And again: " The first contributions of America's aid will consist of well-drilled troops, but a subsidiary army of 400,000 men is now being energetically mobilised. Volunteers are pouring into all the centres of enlistment." Canada, too, had fulfilled her promise. Fifty thousand men were already at sea, shipped in every possible variety of steam vessel, and an equal number were preparing to embark when transport could be provided. Ariel, the famous New York weekly humorous journal, exactly hit off the situation, both political and social, by its cartoon. England, by this time, had become one vast camp. 204 The Final War, It was calculated by statisticians that the war expenditure by Great Britain alone exceeded two and a half millions sterling daily, whilst France and Germany were each piling up costs at the rate of a million sterling per diem. Relatively the outlay of England was greater because she was maintaining fleets and armies at a distance from the base of supplies, but in every other sense it was impossible to esti- mate the tremendous loss which the allies were suffering as the direct outcome of the campaign. Cut off from their colonies, most of their warships sunk or captured, all their commercial marine swept off the seas, compelled to pay high prices for such American products as reached them — these now to cease entirely — the two great Continental nations had already received incalculable in- juries, and were soon to undergo the loss of all save the commonest articles of food. Trade, of course, was much disorganised in England, and almost at a standstill abroad. But in this country the commercial stagnation was not so severely felt owing to the fact that the coal and iron and shipbuilding industries had never been so busy. In fact, owing to repeated representations from local authorities, Lord Wolseley directed Sir Redvers BuUer to cease recruit- ing men from the great metallurgical and colliery districts, as the demand for labour was such that the urgent require- ments of the Admiralty and private shipowners could not be met if skilled artisans and miners were taken away to swell the ranks of the army. Some difficulty was experienced at first in dealing with the great numbers of prisoners of war, particularly French- men taken at the capture of Havre and the battle of Yvetot, but this question was happily solved by sending them off in batches into the agricultural districts, where they earned food and money by useful work. Indeed they settled down in their new quarters for the most part with suspicious ease. The News the Spy Sent. 205 It was in lyondon, Birmingliam, Mancliester, Nottingham, and other large towns not specially associated with the iron and coal trades that the total loss of the Continental market and the shrinkage of the export trade all round, caused a stoppage of employment which, under other circumstances, would have resulted in much misery and deprivation. But, as the direct outcome of the war, in which every Briton knew that he was fighting for his life, there sprang into existence a magnificent spirit of self-denial. Commenc- ing individually, it gradually spread until it embraced all sections of society. Every man was not content to have a sufficiency of food and raiment for himself and his family but he deemed it a duty to see that his poorer neighbours were equally well provided for. In Ivondon, for instance, the inhabitants of the West End no longer held rigidly aloof from the people of Southwark or Poplar. It was necessary for the preservation of any that all should live, and when remunerative employment largely ceased, for the reasons already detailed, the Government started much needed public improvements, the rich spent as much money as they could afford in providing useful but otherwise unnecessary work, and public and private organi- sations took care that if a man, woman, or child died through want of food or exposure it was absolutely the fault of indi- vidual ignorance or neglect. During these few brief weeks there was more practical Socialism to be seen in the internal economy of London and other important centres of population than had been dreamed or spoken of by philosophical reformers in as many centuries. The general peril had caused the inhabitants of Clubland to realise that the coster was not a bad sort of fellow when you knew him, and the coster had been heard to declare that he never before believed ' ' them bloomin' toffs had so much real good nater in 'em." Strange companionships these, it vnll be said, but a forest 2o6 The Final War. fire has produced stranger, and what belt of woodland ever blazed with such a flame as now lit up the Continent from Gibraltar to St. Petersburg ? It was a time of trial, of development, and of great achieve- ment for England. The national character came through the ordeal purified and ennobled. Public curiosity had been aroused by several paragraphs that had appeared in the Press concerning Mr. Thompson, the electrical engineer, who was somewhat inconsequently dubbed ' ' the Prince of Wales' inventor. ' ' But Mr. Thomp- son was adamant in his refusal to give information as to the nature or scope of his invention. All he would say was that it would be found valuable when the right time came. The Prince, the Commander-in-Chief, and many distin- guished oflScers had expressed their full confidence in its efficiency, and declared that the troops would require little previous instruction before using it with deadly effect. Thus far were the reporters able to travel in their quest for this interesting news item, but the secret might have leaked out had not I^ord Wolseley sent round a polite note to the news agencies asking that no further comment might be made upon Mr. Thompson's work, as it might prove injurious to the national cause. This was sufficient. But it did not suffice for a certain quiet looking person, who said he was an Italian, but was really a native of the South of France, who rented a top floor in Soho, and whose daily avocation was that of a waiter in a restaurant. The man was far from servile or commonplace in his ap- pearance, but he discharged his duties efficiently enough and was never wearied in discussing the details of the war with customers. He was so eager to ascertain the progress of events that he took home with him each night all the newspapers he could lay hands on, and the authorities would have been interested in his movements had they known that he wrote a pricis of all he could learn in the smallest of handwritings The News the Spy Sent. 207 Upon the thinnest of papers, which was then folded very neatly, inserted in a quill, and attached to a carrier pigeon, one of these birds being liberated at dawn every fourth day through a skylight in the man's lodgings. As these pigeons flew to Boulogne, and as the messages they carried were forwarded to Paris without delay, it may be assumed that Pietro Marino was not his real name and that his ordinary profession had little to do with attending the beck and call of diners in a restaurant. Marino, as he may be called, was very anxious to find out something tangible concerning Mr. Thompson's secret. All the employes at work on the invention were fully aware of the importance of concealing their knowledge of its properties, but the spy determined that from one of them and by no other means should he get at the facts. So he fell ill at the restaurant, and had to obtain sick leave, which he devoted to stalking various individuals among the men as they left the factory placed at Mr. Thompson's disposal by the Government. At last Marino chanced to follow three of the men into a public house, and over a glass of beer he heard the youngest of them complain of the dearness of good wines and delica- cies which his sick wife required, but which he could not possibly afford to buy. Him MSrino followed and accosted as the mechanic was crossing Waterloo Bridge. " You are employed at Mr. Thompson's electrical works ? " he said, speaking in perfect English and coming straight to the point. ' ' Well, is that any business of yours ? ' ' said the English- man, whose temper was not improved by the reflection that chickens and old port were impossible luxuries for a work- ing-man to buy during war-time. " Yes, it is," repHed Marino. " I believe Mr. Thompson has stolen my device, and I will give ^50 to the man who enables me to prove it." 2o8 The Final War. The man to whom he spoke was no fool. George Slater — that was his name — came to the conclusion that his inter- locutor wanted to tempt him to no good purpose, and, not- withstanding his fluency, Slater believed him to be a foreigner. ' ' Fifty pounds is a lot of money to a poor man, ' ' he said. The spy felt that his object was as good as gained. ' ' I will give you that sum now, ' ' he almost whispered, ' ' if you will give me full particulars of the — of the article Mr. Thompson pretends to have invented. ' ' Slater scratched his head as though in doubt, but he really required time for thought. At last he said cautiously : ' ' L,et us go to a quiet hotel to get some paper and pens. I will then hand you all the information in full detail in return for the sum you name. ' ' When employed in I^ord Armstrong's works at Newcastle the Englishman had once seen a new breech-action tested, of which the object was to enable dynamite cartridges to be used in small-bore weapons. The result of the tests was that several people, including the patentee, were severely injured by the bursting of the gun, and the guileless and easily-bribed Slater now proceeded to make drawings of this fine piece of mechanism with great care and accuracy, together with much written de- scription. "There," he said, when he had finished, "that's the complete idea. We 're making thousands of them, and they '11 give the French fits when we can arm our men with them." The spy seized the papers and eagerly examined them. " It is as I thought, ' ' he muttered in a fury, ' ' this rascal has taken from me the labour of years. But I will be revenged on him yet. -There is your money, ' ' he continued. " You have done a good evening's work." " Yes, so have you," replied Slater laconically, as he counted the notes, and found that there was indeed the The News the Spy Sent. 209 amount named by his companion. " Now I must be off home to the missus." The pair left the hotel coffee-room, in which they had transacted their business, and separated at the door. Marino hurried off to Soho, but he did not escape the earnest attention of Slater, who dogged his footsteps all the way, noted his residence, and then started to see a friend at Scotland Yard. " If I thought that chap would make that breech-action himself, I would not bother any more about him, as he would n't have long to live," he said to himself, " but I 'm blest if I don't think he 's a spy. He was too quick to throw his fifties about." Slater interviewed his acquaintance at the police head- quarters, and then drove home in a cab, laden with port wines, jellies, soups, and chickens, all articles still to be easily acquired by those who could pay for them. When he told his sick wife of the trick he had played on the foreigner she laughed so heartily that she already felt better. Marino had at least benefited one household by his enterprise. It was late that night when Marino retired to rest, having copied all Slater's notes on to the thin slips of paper that alone were fitted to travel by so small an express. When the quill was packed and sealed and securely fas- tened to the leg of the bird, selected out of nearly thirty pigeons which he kept in an inner room, he set an alarm clock to wake him at 5.30 a.m., and then went to sleep, proudly conscious of having done a great service to the French Government. But he woke somewhat suddenly at one a.m., to find him- self in the clutches of two policemen, and for the summer months he was accommodated with quarters in HoUoway. The quill was opened and Marino's message read. A Foreign Office clerk was found who wrote a hand curiously resembling that of the ex-waiter, so, with a fresh introduc- 2IO The Final War. tion, the description of the dynamite rifle was forwarded to France a day later, and so long as the supply of pigeons lasted the French War Office obtained some truly remarkable and veracious accounts of the sayings and doings of perfidi- ous Albion. CHAPTER XXII. A SEJCRET MISSION. QUETTA is lively enough at all times. Perclied upon the hills in that narrow province which keeps apart two savage and mysterious countries, it seems to look down upon them both like an alert and fearless sentinel, ready at a moment to give the alarm and call to action the sleepless army that guards our Eastern Empire. Quetta is the Metz of India. This British outpost felt the thrill of its own power, and, like a strong man, was full of life and movement, as the English troops began to muster within the cantonment, and camp upon the hillsides. It was an extraordinary spectacle, surely, which no coun- try in the world but one could afford. The opulent East, with her infinite variety of race and tongue, seemed repre- sented here in endless confusion; and over all dominated the watchful Briton, impartially supreme, holding firmly in his hand the ends of all this perplexed entanglement of humanity, the one being who gave harmony and unity to a bewildering puzzle. At the headquarters' mess were gathered officers of all degrees known to the staff and of all regiments, and the crowded room was alive with animated talk, as men sat or stood around the table, snatching a hasty meal, too preoccu- pied to eat heartily, and flushed with the excitement which the near prospect of fighting roused in them. Youthful subalterns, rejoicing in the sabretache of the 2 1 2 The Final War, A.D.C., with tlie splendid certainty of youth, planned out a brilliant campaign and won a hundred battles against un- heard-of odds; while the older men, anxious, though scarcely less excited, applied the fruits of their experience earnestly to the situation and speculated on the plan of attack. At one of the tables there came a moment's lull in the con- versation, and Captain Bradley, of the 2d Ghurkas, leaning over to Graham, of the 5th I,ancers, asked : " What has become of Adams all this time ? " This seemingly innocent question attracted to him in a moment the attention of all in the vicinity. ' ' Adams ! ' ' exclaimed Captain Graham, a little startled. " Yes, it 's very queer. He got leave two months ago, and he has n't been recalled yet." " What makes it singular," said Bradley, " is that exactly the same thing occurred to Hutchinson of Ours. He had barely come back from England when he asked for leave and got it, although there were definite rumours of war about at the time, and he 's an awfully valuable man." " Did he go home ? " asked a subaltern. " No, that 's the funny part of it. Then, there 's Haughton of the 36th Sikhs, and Anderson gave me four cases the other day where some of the best officers in differ- ent regiments had been granted leave, all at the same time, and in not a single case did there seem the slightest cause for it." Graham stroked his chin reflectively and meditated. " It 's a devilish strange case, ' ' he said after this effort had brought him back again to dubiety. ' ' Where are they all gone ? Why don't they come back ? Why are they not ordered to rejoin their regiments ? " " Yes; and why are they all such particularly valuable men ? ' ' added Bradley. " It 's jolly hard luck for them, anyhow. I wonder what Hutchinson thinks of being left out of the fun ? " " But is he?" A Secret Mission, 2 1 3 It was a meek lieutenant who spoke, and Bradley turned swiftly upon him in surprise. ' ' Why, what do you think is up ? " he asked. " Oh, I don't know," was the modest answer. " But it seems to me to be just a little too peculiar for a coincidence. There are about twenty of the best officers in the army, all of them of experience and peculiar fitness. They all take a holiday when they don't want it; and they all disappear and leave no traces behind them. If you think it 's an accident, why, you are entitled to your opinion; but I say there 's something mighty cute going on somewhere, and, you mark my words, they 're doing their work somewhere, and will turn up all serene, just exactly when they have done it." It was indeed a curious affair, but, after vainly trying to solve the mystery, the group of officers gave it up, pro- nouncing it to be inexplicable save in the higher logic, of the Sirkar. Perhaps their perplexity would have increased had they been witnesses of a little scene that was then in course of transaction in a small and wretched native village some sixty mUes north. As the Sibi-Quetta Railway drags itself with difficulty up the rough and hilly country which stretches to the borders of Afghanistan, it leaps a terrific chasm in the Pishin Range, and disappears just when it is reaching its final stage, into a tunnel. The traveller has had his last look at India, for when the train emerges from the famous Khojak Tunnel, it is brought to a stand in the little terminus of Chaman, and the Kandahar valley is at his feet. Here the great iron road ceases abruptly and almost reluctantly, and the civilised arts, thus pressed to the utmost limit, are bidden back by the tri- umphant barbarism holding its savage state beyond. The engine gives place to the camel. But where sleeper and bolt and chain and rail may not pass, the pick and the shovel have forced their way, and a broad level road carries on the tale to Kandahar, 2 1 4 The Final War. And this artery of commerce at every step whispers prom- ise of the iron rails, for it has been made to carry them; and when the time has come, suddenly and swiftly, there will spring up a new permanent way which will carry the engine to the gates of the city. It was here, at Chaman, and in view of the high road that penetrated the country of the Afghan, that Major-General Galbraith, commanding the Quetta district, stood in con- versation with a tall distinguished-looking officer, whose charger's reins were looped through his left arm. At some distance, prepared as for a long and arduous journey, were four men, one an Englishman, and three of Indian birth. There was an unusually grave look on the General's face as he addressed his companion. Captain W. J. Peyton, of the yth Bombay I^ancers, the man who had earned the C.M.G. for leading the Egyptian troops out of Harrar. " I have kept to the last moment, by instructions from headquarters, ' ' he said, ' ' the orders which I have to trans- mit to you. My duty is simple, and I cannot say that I can throw any light on most of the questions you have asked me. My instructions are to associate with you an officer of experience and special knowledge and three thoroughly reli- able native officers, such as you would care to take on a dangerous mission. You are, I understand, satisfied ? " ' ' Most satisfied, ' ' answered Captain Peyton, with a glance at the adjoining group. ' ' You could not have better assistance, ' ' agreed the Gen- eral. ' ' Captain R. G. R. de Vismes, of the loth Bombay Infantry, is an instructor in army signalling, he has the cer- tificates for higher standard Persian and Pushtu, he holds one for French, he is a qualified interpreter of German, and has a passed certificate for Russian. These qualifications, I am instructed, will be invaluable to you. ' ' The Captain looked puzzled at this extraordinary recital. The General appeared to have been specially coached in De Vismes' many acquirements. A Secret Mission. 2 1 5 " Then there are not three better native officers than Risaldar Shah Nawaz Khan, and Jemadars Musa Khan and Gurdal Singh. They are proficient in tongues and all three are brave men, ' ' went on General Galbraith. ' ' But what am I to do with them ? ' ' asked Captain Pey- ton. ' ' And why this costume ? ' ' and he looked down at his attire, which was of semi-native character, half-uniform, half-disguise. " I do not know, ' ' replied the General. ' ' You will find out later. Meanwhile, I am to hand you this packet. You will ride as hard as possible to Kandahar, and there open it. You will find a second sealed letter and instructions for your- self with certain safe-conducts from the Amir and others. Everything is there explained. You are not to divulge the contents of your letter to anyone save to Captain de Vismes, so that in case of accident to yourself he may be able to act for you. If you both fail then the mission is to be intrusted to the senior among the native officers. I am only at liberty to tell you that you must be prepared for very many days of hard riding. You are each provided with a second horse, and this will greatly facilitate your journey. For the rest, have patience ; at Kandahar everything will be clear. ' ' Captain Peyton took the packet and buttoned it closely beneath his tunic. " I understand perfectly," he replied gravely. " I am thankful for the trust and for being appointed to this special service and post of danger. Whatever my duty is, I will do it as far as a man may." ' ' Good-bye, ' ' said the General as he held out his hand, not without emotion ; ' ' good-bye — and come back ! ' ' In a few minutes the little company had ridden off along the great highway and were lost to view. Sir George White, Commander-in-Chief in India, took the field in person at the head of the ist Army Corps. This consisted of 50,000 men, who were strategically 2 1 6 The Final War. grouped to afford tlie utmost possible rapidity in concentra- tion upon Quetta. The 2d and 3d Army Corps of 50,000 men each were equally well prepared in mobilisation and transport, but as they must be collected and forwarded from Bengal, the Central Provinces, lyower Bombay, the Madras Presidency, and even far-distant Burmah, they necessarily required more time to reach the frontier of Afghanistan. Commissariat arrangements for each corps were quite com- plete, but owing to the limited capacities of the Sibi-Quetta line, and the Bolan Pass route. Sir George White decided that an interval of a week should elapse between the depart- ure from Quetta of the head of each of the three great columns. By arrangement with the Amir of Kabul, whose wishes were most ably and energetically carried out by Sir Salter Pyne, his trusted agent and engineer, vast quantities of for- age and such stores as the country afforded were dispatched along the Hazara and Hari Rud valleys to Kandahar and Herat, which latter place, it was calculated, the advance guard of the British army would reach about the 28th of June. Prom Persia, too, it was confidently anticipated that the acute merchants of Khorassan would send supplies of grain and provender when such a good customer as the Govern- ment of India was in the field. Both Amir and Shah were fully aware that the conquest of Kngland by the allies meant the prompt absorption of Persia and Afghanistan into the Russian Empire. Although the timorous Persian potentate dared not, at first, take active steps to assist the English by troops, he quickly made it known that caravans might, with all safety, use the Yazdin and Khaf trade routes, which was all that the British Com- mander required. But Abdurrahman Khan, Amir of Kabul, was made of strong metal. Horse, foot, and artillery did he muster with all speed, placing them unreservedly at the disposal of Sir George A Secret Mission. 2 1 7 White, and as a telegraph line now connected the Afghan capital with Peshawur, the Commander-in-Chief was, as we shall see, enabled to make use of these singular but valuable allies from the first moment that hostilities broke out. The total British and native troops in India were 150,000, being almost evenly divided in racial numbers. In addition to them were 60,000 Imperial Service troops, raised and armed by the different princes of high degree scattered throughout the Indian Kmpire. The help of these levies, which for some years had been periodically inspected and approved by English officers set apart for the work, was promptly offered to and accepted by the Government. From these sources, including the Afghan contingent. Sir George White calculated upon having nearly a quarter of a million of effective troops, all thoroughly seasoned to the climate and other conditions of Eastern warfare, under his command when he concentrated his forces at Merv early in July. The loyalty of India had now been put to its first great test, and the country had passed through the ordeal exactly as most sensible men predicted would be the case. It is not that the Mussulman and Hindu populations of that great dependency have, or pretend to have, any special reverence for British domination. If there be such a thing as patriotic feeling or national enthusiasm in the East — a very doubtful postulate — it could hardly be expected to burn furiously at the shrine of a strange land 7000 miles away. But that which certainly does obtain beyond the Exile's Gate is self-interest, and every personal and commercial instinct revolted against the idea of exchanging British for Russian rule. Every intelligent native of India laughed at the idea, and as the majority of the people neither know nor care who it is that governs them, the chance of Russian sympathies causing internal disturbances was slight indeed. 2 1 8 The Final Wav. Nevertheless, to make quite sure, a number of Russian spies and some two hundred of the most dangerous fakirs were quietly lodged in gaol as a precautionary measure. The only real danger to public peace arose from the bud- mash or disorderly classes among the population — that large and easily excited section of society which sees in rapine and revolution the opportunity for plunder. Rich natives had more to fear from these gentry than the Europeans, as there is no pleasure in this world so keen for a Pathan dacoit as to cut the throat of a Bengali banker. Special police precautions were necessary, and the volun- teers ,to the number of 28,000, were mobilised, supplied with ball cartridge, and kept up constant patrols in the bazaars and along the main roads. So successful were the measures taken by the authorities that out of nearly 300 millions of people resident in the Ind- ian Empire something like five-sixths of them never knew that a war had begun, or ended. I/ord Elgin was anxiously examining the transport and commissariat arrangements in company with the Military Member of Council, I^ieutenant- General Sir Henry Brack- enbury, when the news came of the departure from Australia of the first contingent of 20,000 troops for home service. ' ' They are going by way of Vancouver and the Canadian- Pacific, ' ' observed the Viceroy. ' ' How long will it be before they reach England ? ' ' " At best they cannot get there before the end of June," said the officer. ' ' And by that time Canada and the United States will have poured ten times the number of men into France and Germany, ' ' went on I^ord Elgin. " Yes," assented the military member. " These cornstalks would be more useful to us, with our relatively small British forces, than to England. ' ' ' ' Why should they not come to our aid ? " cried I^ord A Secret Mission. 219 Klgin. " Arrange at once that the Governor of Hong Kong shall confer with Admiral Fremantle and Major- General Hutton with the object of diverting the fleet to Karachi, and disembarking them there. Don't forget to promise the Australians that they shall have their fill of fighting before they see Moscow." When the time came the Australian ofiicers and men were delighted with the proposal. Thus it happened that Sir George White led into Central Asia the most mixed, and perhaps the strongest, armed force that the world had ever seen. CHAPTER XXIII. THE CROSSING OF THE HEI.MUND. GENERAIv AlylKHANOFF was the man ordained by fate to lead the Russian advance upon India. Himself no Russian, being a Daghestanu named Ali Khan at birth, the Kismet of the East, which corre- sponds to Napoleon's Marshal's baton carried in the knap- sack of every private soldier, led him to high command in Central Asia. But the trusted representative of the Tsar must have a more distinguished title than ancestry provided, so Ali Khan became Alikhanoff, which is a fine-sounding name, and means a good deal on the Afghan frontier. He was the central personage in Transcaspian politics, the wolf ever ready to pounce upon his prey, the living embodi- ment of the ceaseless creeping of Russia upon India. But now the attitude of crouching watchfulness was aban- doned. Two words from St. Petersburg, " To Kandahar," set in motion the vast organisation which had of late been perfect- ing itself for the expected march, and the scar across Alikha- noff s forehead became livid with excitement as he gave the necessary orders to his staff. The imperial plan was boldly simple. No nonsense this time about armies crossing the Alps of the Pamir region, or cutting their way through the rocky fastnesses of the Balkh-Kabul route. These things were well enough to serve as twisters for the lion's tale in the piping times of peace. But when war, with its rapid menace and fierce directness was meant, the easy, fertile, and well-watered country between Zulfikar, The Crossing of the Helmund. 221 Herat, and Kandahar was the natural line of attack for the human beasts of prey led by the ablest officer in Central Asia. Transcaspian, Orenburg, and Ural Cossacks, Turkestan and West Siberian artillery, the Third and Fourth Turkes- tan Infantry Brigades, with a number of picturesque-looking cut-throats from Askabad, Merv, Ferghana, and the Syr Daria, formed the excellent irregular force of 100,000 men with which Alikhanoff made his dash from Zulfikar and Kuskh upon Herat. Nor did he pause there a day. The small Afghan garrison fled at the mere news of his approach, and, disregarding the reports of spies who warned him of the massing of Afghan levies all along the Paropami- sus and Sufed Koh southern watershed, he dashed onwards with impetuous haste. For his absolute and final orders were to seize and hold Kandahar at all costs, and not to move a step farther until the real offensive expedition, consisting of 150,000 regular troops under the command of the Grand Duke Paul, had reached Kandahar from the Caucasus and Moscow. All was in readiness for the coup — trains, waggons, sup- plies, on the lines of railway and at dep6ts, steamers on the Caspian Sea to ferry the army of the Caucasus from Baku to Usum-ada. It was a magnificent scheme. It had no defect in calcula- tion of fact or detail, and it only assumed that the British lion was asleep until he was rudely awakened by the events of May ist. Now, man may catch a lion asleep, but he who says he has entrapped a slumbering tiger should be disbelieved. India crouched, it is true, but it was that she might spring the farther. Alikhanoff's rapid march through Sabzawar and Farah, the chief towns between Herat and Kandahar, was of more interest to him than to this chronicle of events. 222 The Final War. That it was a magnificent performance is assured by the fact that in the early days of June his advance guard of Ural Cossacks cleared a cloud of Afghan horsemen out of Chorab, which is twenty-five miles distant from Giriskh, on the river Helmund, and Giriskh is loo miles from Kandahar. The Afghans had been troublesome of late. They buzzed round the columns like flies round a carcase, and many a nomad's saddle was emptied, and many a Kirghese warrior bit the dust as they straggled on the outskirts, ever in quest of forage or booty. But General Alikhanoff knew he must pay this toll in human lives when he passed the Gate of India, and he smiled as he glanced over the reports of his staif showing the excellent progress of the troops. ' ' My dear friends in St. Petersburg will be pleased when they hear that I am already within striking distance of Kandahar," he thought, and the parting of the thin lips over the firmly set teeth suggested unpleasantness for the ' ' dear friends ' ' alluded to were they at that moment any- where near Chorab. The Central Asian commander had no cause to love the Court sycophants at the capital. It was prudent to halt a little while, and pull his corps firmly in hand before he attempted to cross the Helmund, where the Afghans would surely oppose him in force. " They are mere pariahs, these Shia dogs," said Alikha- noff, ' ' yet can they bite. I must dose them well with lead when I get them packed together." Not until June loth could even his impatient eagerness decide that all was ready for the important step. Many spies informed him of a large gathering of trained Afghan troops on the farther bank of the Helmund, and one man, a Hindu fanatic, warned him that the Bnglish were behind them. "Yes, fool," cried the general, angrily. "It needs no wise priest to tell me they are at Quetta." "Not Quetta, honoured one, but at Singbur." And The Crossing of the Helmund, 223 Singbur is but a few miles on the south side of the Hel- mund. Alikhanoff knew that this thing could not be. The Indian army, at best, must now be concentrating at Quetta. A few squadrons of cavalry, with a couple of infantry regiments, aided and abetted by the Amir, might perhaps have dashed through Kandahar. " What woman's tale is this ? " he growled. " The lal- coorti ' at Singbur ? Impossible ! ' ' ' ' Nay, it is true. They swarm on the hill-slopes and in the valleys. May they be accursed," screamed the fakir. ' ' You march to the sacrifice, O deliverer. ' ' " And you shall run there, dog and liar," thundered Alikhanoff, thoroughly incensed. A minute later the fakir was swinging from the bough of a tree as a warning to all spies who give false news. That night Giriskh was occupied, and by daybreak the passage of the Helmund commenced. Some Afghan guns and infantry that would have disputed the crossing were quickly silenced by the West Siberian and Turkestan mountain batteries. Cossacks from the Ural and Orenburg plunged through the three fords available at this place and season, and spread fan-like over the country in front and along the banks to the east and west. Infantry, guns, and transport prepared to follow. This, then, was the passage of the Helmund so talked of by the English. How they boast, these Feringhis. Is there not an interval for breakfast ? Yes, an eternity, Alikhanoff. Nearly one-half of the Russian army had crossed the river, and in loose array advanced in the direction of Singbur. Before them the living dust-cloud moved, as the Afghans, with many a desperate Parthian shot, steadily retired. And Alikhanoff, as he surveyed the advance of his troops ' Redcoats. 2 24 The Final War. and saw that already he held in his grasp the river which barred the way to Kandahar, rejoiced in his heart. " Raise your dust, ye Afghan vermin, the Cossack whip is scourging you, ' ' he shouted in exultation, as he saw the slowly disappearing cloud. But suddenly there was an uneasy swerve among these same Cossacks. Their loosely-knit ranks reeled as if from a sudden shock and came to a confused and disorderly halt. A new and terrible sound smote the air and came to the ears of Alikhanoff, a sound that must have been known of old and feared by him, for he started and changed colour. For as the Cossacks pressed on wildly, the dust cloud parted to the left and right, and through the gap there came a frightful roar, and a hail of shrapnel rained upon the Rus- sian advance, shattering it into ragged fragments. There was no need to ask what new thing had happened. The English had arrived and now on the open plain were waiting to embrace the foe. " It was no woman's tale after all ! " exclaimed the Rus- sian general as he ground his teeth. For he, Alikhanoff, subtlest of men, had walked into a trap. Half his army was helpless on the hither side of the river. And beyond it his irregular troops, in no settled order, and unprepared for serious action, were hemmed in between two deadly perils, the English guns and the dark flowing river of the Hel- mund. Perhaps this unexpected enemy was few in number. He dashed along to the river, and made his way rapidly across, and then hastened to marshal his troops, throwing them out in a form best suited to meet attack, and to at least hold the enemy off till the remainder of his army had passed over the river and joined them. But General Sir George White had no intention of assist- ing Alikhanoff in his admirable design. The British army was not a large one. ' All told, the Com- mander-in-Chief had but 50,000 men, or one-half the num- The Crossing of the Helmund. 225 bers of the enemy. But there were enough for his purpose. Generalship can dispense with multitudes when Asiatics are in front. The day before he had carefully selected a cavalry brigade of 5000 sabres, consisting of the 5th Dragoon Guards, the 5th I