n war, do you not think
we might have a surer hope of warding off from our Canadian homes this
unspeakable horror?" With white face and flaming eyes, his form tense
and quivering, he stood facing the advocate of war. For some moments,
during which men seemed scarcely to breathe, the two faced each other.
Then in a voice that rang throughout the theatre as it had not in all
his previous speech, but vibrant with sad and passionate conviction, Mr.
Allen made reply.

"It is to ward off from our people and from our Canadian homes this
calamity that you have so vividly pictured for us that I have made my
appeal to-night. Your enemy who seeks your destruction will be more
likely to halt in his spring if you cover him with your gun than if you
appeal to him with empty hands. For this reason, it is that once more I
appeal to my fellow Canadians in God's name, in the name of all that
we hold dear, let us with all our power and with all speed prepare for
war."

"God Save the King," said the Chairman. And not since the thrilling days
of Mafeking had Winnipeg people sung that quaint archaic, but moving
anthem as they sang it that night.

CHAPTER XIX

THE CLOSING OF THE DOOR

From the remarks of his friends even as they thronged him, offering
congratulations, Mr. Allen could easily gather that however impressive
his speech had been, few of his audience had taken his warning
seriously.

"You queered my speech, Larry," he said, "but I forgive you."

"Not at all, Sir," replied Larry. "You certainly got me."

"I fear," replied Mr. Allen, "that I am 'the voice crying in the
wilderness.'"

At the Allens' party Larry was overwhelmed with congratulations on his
speech, the report of which had been carried before him by his friends.

"They tell me your speech was quite thrilling," said Mrs. Allen as she
greeted Larry.

"Your husband is responsible for everything," replied Larry.

"No," said Mr. Allen, "Miss Jane here is finally responsible. Hers were
the big shells I fired."

"Not mine," replied Jane. "I got them from Mr. Romayne, your
brother-in-law, Larry."

"Well, I'm blowed!" said Larry. "That's where the stuff came from! But
it was mighty effective, and certainly you put it to us, Mr. Allen.
You made us all feel like fighting. Even Scuddy, there, ran amuck for a
while."

"What?" said Mr. Allen, "you don't really mean to say that Scudamore,
our genial Y. M. C. A. Secretary, was in that scrap? That cheers me
gre