get busy
unless I can produce the Princess. Even then it may be a tough job,
for it's Sunday, and in these parts people go to sleep till Monday
mornin'."

"That's just what I'm trying to get at," said Dickson. "By all means
go to the Chief Constable, and tell him it's life or death. My lawyer
in Glasgow, Mr. Caw, will have been stirring him up yesterday, and you
two should complete the job... But what I'm feared is that he'll not be
in time. As you say, it's the Sabbath day, and the police are terrible
slow. Now any moment that brig may be here, and the trouble will
start. I'm wanting to save the Princess, but I'm wanting too to give
these blagyirds the roughest handling they ever got in their lives.
Therefore I say there's no time to lose. We're far ower few to put up a
fight, and we want every man you've got about this place to hold the
fort till the police come."

Sir Archibald looked upon the earnest flushed face of Dickson with
admiration. "I'm blessed if you're not the most whole-hearted brigand
I've ever struck."

"I'm not. I'm just a business man."

"Do you realize that you're levying a private war and breaking every
law of the land?"

"Hoots!" said Dickson. "I don't care a docken about the law. I'm for
seeing this job through. What force can you produce?"

"Only cripples, I'm afraid. There's Sime, my butler. He was a
Fusilier Jock and, as you saw, has lost an arm. Then McGuffog the
keeper is a good man, but he's still got a Turkish bullet in his thigh.
The chauffeur, Carfrae, was in the Yeomanry, and lost half a foot; and
there's myself, as lame as a duck. The herds on the home farm are no
good, for one's seventy and the other is in bed with jaundice. The
Mains can produce four men, but they're rather a job lot."

"They'll do fine," said Dickson heartily. "All sodgers, and no doubt
all good shots. Have you plenty guns?"

Sir Archie burst into uproarious laughter. "Mr. McCunn, you're a man
after my own heart. I'm under your orders. If I had a boy I'd put him
into the provision trade, for it's the place to see fightin'. Yes,
we've no end of guns. I advise shot-guns, for they've more stoppin'
power in a rush than a rifle, and I take it it's a rough-and-tumble
we're lookin' for."

"Right," said Dickson. "I saw a bicycle in the hall. I want you to
lend it me, for I must be getting back. You'll take the Princess and
do the best you can with the Chief Constable."

"And then?"

"Th