r strike funds and to offer bail when arrests have
been made. I shall pick them all up. Nothing that you can now do will
affect the fate of those who have been taken from this room. Whatever
loyalty you may owe to them has been discharged, and I will give you a
quittance. Their chapter has been closed. What you have to consider
now is the fate of yourselves and of many beside yourselves, of all
those who look to you for advice and guidance. Take time, talk among
yourselves, consult one another. I am not here to hurry you unduly,
but before you are allowed to leave this room there must be a complete
and final settlement."

He sat down. The men split into groups, and the buzz of talk ran
through the room. There was no anger or excitement, but much
bewilderment. They had come to the meeting as masters, strong in
numbers, to dictate terms, yet now the tables had been turned
dramatically upon them. No longer masters, they were in the presence
of a Force which at a word from Dawson could hale them forth as
prisoners to be dealt with under the mysterious shuddering powers of
Martial Law. They thought of those twenty-three, a few minutes since
so potent for mischief, now bound and helpless in the hands of the
Blue Men from the Sea.

At last an elderly grey-locked man stepped forward, and Dawson rose to
meet him. "We admit, sir," said he, "that you have us at a
disadvantage. We did not expect this Proclamation nor those Marines of
yours. We did not believe that the Government meant business. We
thought that we should have more talk, talk, and we are all sick of
talk. We are true patriots here--you have taken away all those who
cared nothing for their country--and we feel that if you are prepared
to use Martial Law and the forces of the Crown against us, that you
must be very much in earnest. We feel that you would not do these
terrible things unless the need were very urgent. We do not agree that
the need is urgent, but if you, representing the Government, say that
it is, we have no course open to us but to submit. If we now surrender
unconditionally and promise heartily to use every effort to bring the
mass of the men to our views, will you in your turn give us your
personal assurance that all our legitimate grievances will be fully
considered, and that every effort will be made to meet them? You may
crush us, sir, but you will not get good work from men whose spirit
has been broken."

"I cannot make conditions," replied Da