ly.

The day of the battle dawned darkly, with great flakes flying. As early
as seven o'clock the later cohorts began to arrive, and were soon as
thick as bees in the Pelican, circulating in the lobby, conferring in
various rooms of which they had the numbers with occupants in bed and
out. A wonderful organization, that Feudal System, which could mobilize
an army overnight! And each unit of it, like the bee, working unselfishly
for the good of the whole; like the bee, flying straight for the object
to be attained. Every member of the House from Putnam County, for
instance, was seen by one of these indefatigable captains, and if the
member had a mortgage or an ambition, or a wife and family that made life
a problem, or a situation on the railroad or in some of the larger
manufacturing establishments, let him beware! If he lived in lodgings in
the town, he stuck his head out of the window to perceive a cheery
neighbour from the country on his doorstep. Think of a system which could
do this, not for Putnam County alone, but for all the counties in the
State!

The Honourable Hilary Vane, captain-general of the Forces, had had but
four hours' sleep, and his Excellency, the Honourable Asa Gray, when he
arose in the twilight of the morning, had to step carefully to avoid the
cigar butts on the floor which--like so many empty cartridge shells were
unpleasant reminders that a rebellion of no mean magnitude had arisen
against the power to which he owed allegiance, and by the favour of which
he was attended with pomp and circumstance wherever he chose to go.

Long before eleven o'clock the paths to the state-house were thronged
with people. Beside the office-holders and their friends who were in
town, there were many residents of the capital city in the habit of going
to hear the livelier debates. Not that the powers of the Empire had
permitted debates on most subjects, but there could be no harm in
allowing the lower House to discuss as fiercely as they pleased dog and
sheep laws and hedgehog bounties. But now! The oldest resident couldn't
remember a case of high treason and rebellion against the Northeastern
such as this promised to be, and the sensation took on an added flavour
from the fact that the arch rebel was a figure of picturesque interest, a
millionaire with money enough to rent the Duncan house and fill its
long-disused stable with horses, who was a capitalist himself and a
friend of Mr. Flint's; of whom it was said