d their whole-hearted concurrence, and went south by the
night train. By telegram he had sent an ultimatum which struck awe
into the official mind. "Unless," he wired, in code, "the Cabinet
wants a revolution, it had better meet at once and call me in. Unless
it does this at once I shall not go back here. I shall resign, and
leave the Government in the soup where it deserves to be."

Such a message from a man who in official eyes was no more than a
Chief Inspector of Police was in itself a portent. It revealed how
completely war had upset all official standards and conventions.

To the Chief, his Commissioner, he opened his mind freely. "I am about
fed up with politicians and lawyers," said he. "There is big trouble
coming, and not a man of them all has the pluck to get his blow in
first. I have always found that men will respect an order--they like
to be governed--but they despise slop. What the devil's the use of
Ministers going North and telling the men how well they have done, and
how patriotic they are, when the men themselves all know that they've
done damn badly and mean to do worse? I could settle the whole
business in twenty-four hours."

"They are frightened men, Dawson," said the Chief. "That is the matter
with the Government. They have been brought up to slobber over the
public and try to cheat it out of votes. They can't tell the truth.
When hard deadly reality breaks through their web of make-believe,
they cower together in corners and howl. I doubt if you will get a
free hand, Dawson. What do you want--martial law?"

"Yes. That, or something like it. If I have the threat of it at my
back, so that it rests with me, and me alone, to put it into force, I
shall not need to use it. But I must go North with the proclamation in
my pocket or I shall not go North at all. Here is my resignation."
Dawson tossed a letter upon the table, and laughed. The Chief picked
it up and read the curt lines in which Dawson delivered his last word.

"Good man," commented he; "that is the way to talk. They can't
understand how any man can have the grit to resign a fat job before he
is kicked out. They never do. They compromise. You may put starch into
their soft backbones, but personally I doubt the possibility. But at
least you will get your chance. There is to be a meeting of the War
Committee the first thing to-morrow morning and you are to be
summoned. I told the Home Secretary that I should resign myself if
they did not