ber of about
thirty, fifteen on each side, fired in the air. I noticed that while a
few had ancient brass-bound muskets, which looked as if converted from
flint locks, most were armed with Snider rifles of army pattern. The
drums excelled themselves, and the fifers shrieked martial airs. The
people waved their hats and cheered, and that was the whole of it.
Returning to the station, a good young man gave me a tract, wherein I
found myself addressed as a Dear Unsaved Reader, and later as a
Hell-deserving Sinner. Then a Salvation Army man telling a crowd to
Escape for their lives, which I was just doing, and that once he had
loved pleasure, which seemed likely enough. Then a big banner whereon
was depicted David in the act of beheading Goliath with a yeomanry
sword, the Wicklow mountains in the distance. Then an old man on the
bridge declaring to the multitude that he would not be a Papist for
all that earth could give, and that nothing could induce his
fellow-citizens to submit to Home Rule for one second of time. "No,
never, never, never. Rather than accept of Popish rule, we'll take
arms in our hands as our fathers did, and like them we will conquer.
Have we not their example before us? Are we such dastards as to give
up that for which they shed their blood? Shall the sons be unworthy of
the sires? Never shall it be said that the children were unworthy
their inheritance of Freedom. Old as I am, I would take a musket, and
go forth in the name of the Lord. Shame on the Scots and English if
they desert us in our hour of need. Are they not our own kith and kin?
But whether they aid us, or whether they desert us, we will stand
firm, and be true to ourselves. Our cause is good, and we are bound to
win, as we won before. Only stand firm, shoulder to shoulder. Shall
we bow down to Popery? No, by the God that made us, No. Shall we
truckle to Rome, shall we become slaves to Popish knaves, shall we
become subservient to priestcraft and lying and roguery and trickery?
Never shall it be said of us. We claim to be part and parcel of the
glorious British Empire. We have helped to upbuild that Empire, and we
claim our inheritance. We will NOT sell our birthright, we will NOT
connive at the destruction of Britain's greatness, we will NOT have
Home Rule. 'Shall we from the Union sever? By the God that made us,
never!'"

The people listened silently, with grave, earnest faces. They mean
business. During my first visit to Belfast I inter