be able to work
with Mr Bowcock, who seems a very good sort of fellow."

"If we can't work with Tom Bowcock," replied Mr Barlow, "we can't work
with anyone on earth, and that's all there is about it. He's a big man,
but he's good stuff all through. Lord Westerham didn't make any bad
choice when he made him manager. And you won't dine with me to-night?"

"I am sorry, but I must be back to London to-night. I have to catch the
12-15 and have an interview in Downing Street at seven, and when I've
got through that, I don't think there will be any difficulty about the
explosives."

"According to all accounts, you'll be lucky if you find Downing Street
as it used to be," said Mr Barlow. "By the papers this morning it looks
as if London was going to have a pretty bad time of it, what with these
airships and submarines that sink and destroy everything in sight. Now
that they've got away with the fleet, it seems to me that it's only a
sort of walk over for them."

"Yes, I'm afraid it will have to be something like that for the next
month or so," replied Lennard, thinking of a telegram which he had in
his pocket. "But the victory is not all on one side yet. Of course, you
will understand that I am not in a position to give secrets away, but as
regards our own bargain, I am at liberty to tell you that while you are
building this cannon of ours there will probably be some developments in
the war which will be, I think, as unexpected as they will be startling.

"In fact, sir," he continued, rising from his seat and holding out his
hand across the table, "I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet,
but when the time comes, I think you will find that those who believe
that they are conquering England now will be here in Bolton faced by a
foe against which their finest artillery will be as useless as an
air-gun against an elephant.

"All I ask you to remember now is that at eleven p.m. on the twelfth of
May, the leaders of the nations who are fighting against England now
will be standing around me in the quarry on the Belmont Road, waiting
for the firing of the shot which I hope will save the world. If it does
not save it, they will be welcome to all that is left of the world in an
hour after that."

"You are talking like a man who believes what he says, Mr Lennard,"
replied Mr Barlow, "and, strange and all as it seems, I am beginning to
believe with you. There never was a business like this given into human
hands before, a