inquired the Prime Minister.

"Quite," said the War Secretary. The First Lord nodded.

"Very good," replied the Prime Minister; "I consent. We must above all
things preserve the unity of the Cabinet in these circumstances of
grave national crisis."

"Clear out, Dawson," whispered the First Lord.

Dawson cleared out.

CHAPTER XVI

DAWSON STRIKES

It was a little past noon, and Dawson had much work to do before he
could be free to speed north by the midnight train. First he skipped
across to the Yard and into the private room of his firm friend the
Chief. To him he showed the potent proclamation and recounted the
methods of its extraction. "I thought that I was in a company of
jackals," said he at the end; "but I was wrong--two of them were
lions."

"We should be in a bad way if there were no lions," commented the
Chief. "Those two, and another who is dead, saved South Africa; there
are one or two more, but not many. What shall you do with this?"

"We will set it up on our own private press, and run off a couple of
hundred placards. The secret must not leak out; I am playing for
surprises."

The Chief struck a bell, the order was given, and Dawson's priceless
proclamation vanished into the lower regions.

"Now?" inquired the Chief.

"Chatham," explained Dawson, "to pick up my men--and to get my
uniform." When telling the story, Dawson again and again described to
me his uniform, with which I happened by family association to be
intimately acquainted. He did not spare me a badge or a button. I am
convinced that no girl wore her first ball-dress with half the
palpitating pride with which Dawson surveyed himself in his captain's
kit. When I chaffed him gently, and hinted that the stars of a captain
were cheaply come by in these days, he had one retort always ready,
"Not in the Red Marines." He did not value his office of Chief
Detective Inspector a rap beside that temporary rank of Captain of Red
Marines. He had, you see, been a private in that proud exclusive
Corps, and its glory for him outshone all human glories.

He flew away to Chatham as fast as a deliberate railway service
permitted, and found upon arrival that an urgent telegram from the
Adjutant-General had preceded him. Dawson was shown at once to the
Commandant's quarters, and there explained his requirements. "Eighty
men, two sergeants, and a regular lieutenant. Not one of less than
five years' service. Also a sea-service kit with a cap