aining three men, and in the shortest
of time he had the car lodged in his barricade, and dismissed its
stupified occupants with a wave of his armed hand.

The knots were increasing about the streets, for now the Bank Holiday
people began to wander back from places that were not distant, and to
them it had all to be explained anew. Free movement was possible
everywhere in the City, but the constant crackle of rifles restricted
somewhat that freedom. Up to one o'clock at night belated travellers
were straggling into the City, and curious people were wandering from
group to group still trying to gather information.

I remained awake until four o'clock in the morning. Every five minutes
a rifle cracked somewhere, but about a quarter to twelve sharp volleying
came from the direction of Portobello Bridge, and died away after some
time. The windows of my flat listen out towards the Green, and obliquely
towards Sackville Street. In another quarter of an hour there were
volleys from Stephen's Green direction, and this continued with
intensity for about twenty-five minutes. Then it fell into a sputter of
fire and ceased.

I went to bed about four o'clock convinced that the Green had been
rushed by the military and captured, and that the rising was at an end.

That was the first day of the insurrection.

CHAPTER II

TUESDAY

A sultry, lowering day, and dusk skies fat with rain.

I left for my office, believing that the insurrection was at an end. At
a corner I asked a man was it all finished. He said it was not, and
that, if anything, it was worse.

On this day the rumours began, and I think it will be many a year before
the rumours cease. The _Irish Times_ published an edition which
contained nothing but an official Proclamation that evily-disposed
persons had disturbed the peace, and that the situation was well in
hand. The news stated in three lines that there was a Sinn Fein rising
in Dublin, and that the rest of the country was quiet.

No English or country papers came. There was no delivery or collection
of letters. All the shops in the City were shut. There was no traffic of
any kind in the streets. There was no way of gathering any kind of
information, and rumour gave all the news.

It seemed that the Military and the Government had been taken unawares.
It was Bank Holiday, and many military officers had gone to the races,
or were away on leave, and prominent members o