ith.'

'I said no such thing,' said Mr Amos. 'As ye ken well, Tam Norie, I
don't judge soundness on that matter as you judge it. I'm for the war
myself, subject to certain conditions that I've often stated. I know
nothing of Mr Brand's opinions, except that he's a good democrat, which
is more than I can say of some o' your friends.'

'Hear to Andra,' laughed Mr Norie. 'He's thinkin' the inspector in the
Socialist State would be a waur kind of awristocrat then the Duke of
Buccleuch. Weel, there's maybe something in that. But about the war
he's wrong. Ye ken my views, boys. This war was made by the
cawpitalists, and it has been fought by the workers, and it's the
workers that maun have the ending of it. That day's comin' very near.
There are those that want to spin it out till Labour is that weak it
can be pit in chains for the rest o' time. That's the manoeuvre we're
out to prevent. We've got to beat the Germans, but it's the workers
that has the right to judge when the enemy's beaten and not the
cawpitalists. What do you say, Mr Brand?'

Mr Norie had obviously pinned his colours to the fence, but he gave me
the chance I had been looking for. I let them have my views with a
vengeance, and these views were that for the sake of democracy the war
must be ended. I flatter myself I put my case well, for I had got up
every rotten argument and I borrowed largely from Launcelot Wake's
armoury. But I didn't put it too well, for I had a very exact notion of
the impression I wanted to produce. I must seem to be honest and in
earnest, just a bit of a fanatic, but principally a hard-headed
businessman who knew when the time had come to make a deal. Tombs kept
interrupting me with imbecile questions, and I had to sit on him. At
the end Mr Norie hammered with his pipe on the table.

'That'll sort ye, Andra. Ye're entertain' an angel unawares. What do ye
say to that, my man?'

Mr Amos shook his head. 'I'll no deny there's something in it, but I'm
not convinced that the Germans have got enough of a wheepin'.' Macnab
agreed with him; the others were with me. Norie was for getting me to
write an article for his paper, and the consumptive wanted me to
address a meeting.

'Wull ye say a' that over again the morn's night down at our hall in
Newmilns Street? We've got a lodge meeting o' the I.W.B., and I'll make
them pit ye in the programme.' He kept his luminous eyes, like a sick
dog's, fixed on me, and I saw that I had made one ally.