're in bed," said Bob, "and we've all agreed that they'd better
stay there. Nobody wants a riot."

"Thanks," said Bland. "If I can get my wire through I'll let the world
know the exact position of affairs."

"If you are wiring," said Bob, "you might like to mention that there
was jolly nearly being a fight at the gasworks. The military people
got it into their heads that we intended to turn off the gas and
plunge the town into darkness so as to be able to murder people
without being caught. They took possession of the works and put a
party of Royal Engineers in charge. Fairly silly idea! But some fool
on our side--a fellow who's been dragging a quick-firing gun about
the streets all day--"

"McConkey," I said. "I know him."

"I didn't hear his name," said Bob, "but he got it into his head that
the Royal Engineers were going to turn off the gas so that the
soldiers could make short work of us. He wanted to wipe out those
engineers with his gun. I don't suppose he'd have hit them, but he'd
certainly have tried if some one hadn't run and fetched Conroy. He
settled the matter at once."

"How?" said Bland. "This story will be a scoop for me. I don't expect
any one else knows it."

"He handed the gasworks over to the police," said Bob.

"But did that satisfy any one?" I asked. "I should have thought that
both the original parties would have fallen upon the police."

"Not at all," said Bob. "The police are so much the weakest party in
the town that it's plainly to their interest to keep the gas burning.
Even the man with the machine gun saw that."

I found Moyne waiting for me when I got back to the hotel. He was very
depressed and took no more than a mere sip of the whisky and soda
which I ordered for him. I made an effort to cheer him a little before
I went to bed.

"I don't think," I said, "that there'll be a battle to-morrow."

"I am sure there will. What's to stop it?"

"The fact is," I said, "that everybody will be too exhausted to fight.
McConkey, for instance, is still hauling that field gun of his about
the streets. He simply won't have strength enough left to-morrow to
shoot it off. All the soldiers and all the volunteers are marching up
and down. They mean to keep it up all night. I should say that you and
I and three or four other sensible people who have gone to bed will
have the town entirely to ourselves to-morrow."

Moyne smiled feebly.

"I wish it was all well over," he said. "I hope the Prim