Aisne. What do a village do when it's attacked? Answer me that."
No one answered; to say the wrong thing would exasperate him, to say the right would exasperate him still more.
"They puts up barrycades," continued Hangar. "An' for why? 'Cause it's only them that can hold off horse, foot an 'tillery. Barrycades made o' seasoned oak, same as I got stored at the back o' my shed, sunk a good two feet, with bolted cross-pieces an' spurs, an' maybe a trifle o' barbed wire in front."
"An' where's this contraption to be set up?" demanded Mr. Chittenden with sudden suspicion.
"End o' village."
"Meanin' that the enemy may march through Wream, with nothin' to stop 'em wreckin' the Fountain? An' this was to be a meetin' for the consideration o' mutual defence!"
"The question afore the members," said Aaron hastily, "is, which place 'as most strategetical value? Thing is to stop 'em quick an' for good."
"An' where'll you beat a rook-rifle for doin' that?" demanded Thomas Fallow. "If I'm willin' to take the risks———"
"'Tain't a question o' willingness, but tattics," said Mr. Chittenden, still unappeased.
"Then put the case afore the sergeant as is stayin' at the police-station," said George.
There was moment's pause, then Aaron spoke.
"The motion is carried," he said, "an' the meetin' stands adjourned sinny die."
*****
I did not meet any of the members for several days afterwards; then chance took me in the direction of George Hangar's workshop. I found him engrossed in the unheard-of task of arranging and packing his tools.
"Well?" I asked.
He rasped his chin pensively with a chisel.
"Did the interview with the Sergeant take place?"
"Ay; the feller's more brains than the rest of us put together. Reckon it's trainin'."
"What happened?"
"Waht 'appened? 'If you barrycades, entrenches, enfilades or outflanks 'em outside Amberry,' says 'e', 'the enemy'll wait for reinforcements, an' then smash you with bigger guns. 'Twill be the same at Wream, Bewchester, Lydhirst, Lower Thettley, an' Capper'am.'"
"Which brings us to the sea?"
"Ezzackly."
"Where it's the Fleet's job."
"'Twould seem so. But, as the Sergeant pointed out, the Germans is by birth an' natur' land-fighters, an' must so be met, trained man to trained man. Meaning Territorials."
"Then your plans came to nothing?"
"Only in a manner o' speakin', Sir. In fact, the resolution put afore the meetin' would 'a' been carried nem. con. but for the unsatisfactoriness o' Jacob Chittenden's chest-measurement. As it is, 'e's eatin' b'iled bread an' practising three hours a day on the horizontal bar."
I was a little bewildered.
"What resolution?"
He took a paper from his apron pocket and read as follows:
"That it be 'ereby decided, in the join int'rests of Wheam, Amberry Parva, Great Britain and 'is Majesty's Dominions beyond the Seas, that the undersigned, bein' between the age limits, sound in wind an' limb, an' not needed at 'ome as much as they thought they was, do 'ereby join the Territorial Army at the earliest possible date. Thomas Fallow, Aaron West, Geo. Hangar. Also, when 'is chest-measurement do allow of it, Jacob Chittenden."
*****
This is the burden of the Empire borne by her sons when once they get the idea of it into their heads.
RULES FOR SPECIAL CONSTABLES.
[If a Special Constable finds himself outnumbered he may have recourse to strategem.]
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"Look out, Bill! Here's a Special Constable. He'll cop us with the swag in our 'ands."
"I don't mind 'im, 'Arry. 'E's only a little un.
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"But 'e's got a big un with 'im."
THE SCAPEGOAT.
"And what do you do with yourself on your half-holidays?"
I had taken courage to address the office-boy who keeps his eye on me while I wait humbly in the vestibule of my Financial Adviser.
"Pitchers," he replied affably.
"I beg your pardon," I said.
"Movin' pitchers," he explained; and I knew that the cinema had another slave.
And this too I know, that a youth who breathed, as he did, the pure atmosphere of High Finance, would never commit a crime and blame the pitchers for it, as so many of our young criminals do. So many, in fact, that in my mind's eye I see the following reports in the papers:—
A boy of five was brought yesterday before the Darlington Bench charged with the bombardment of a street. Evidence showed that the prisoner established a machine-gun in the back garden of his father's house and systematically fired it at neighbours' walls, doing considerable damage. The boy pleaded guilty, but explained that he had been to see some war-pictures at the cinema. The magistrate ordered the cinema to be kept under observation, and awarded the boy a shilling from the poor-box.
A girl of eight was charged at the Guildhall with causing an obstruction. Evidence was to the effect that she stood in the middle of Cheapside holding out her hands and a block resulted which disorganised the traffic for some hours. The child's excuse was that she had been witnessing the Lord Mayor's Show at the cinema.
"The pictures again!" exclaimed the magistrate. "When will this nuisance be stopped?"
Two boys of seven were charged at the Thames Police Court yesterday with kidnapping a young lady. Evidence showed that on the evening
