y independence. At that, pandemonium broke loose, and he never had
another look in. There were several fights going on in the hall between
the public and courageous supporters of the orator.

Then Gresson advanced to the edge of the platform in a vain endeavour
to retrieve the day. I must say he did it uncommonly well. He was
clearly a practised speaker, and for a moment his appeal 'Now, boys,
let's cool down a bit and talk sense,' had an effect. But the mischief
had been done, and the crowd was surging round the lonely redoubt where
we sat. Besides, I could see that for all his clever talk the meeting
did not like the look of him. He was as mild as a turtle dove, but they
wouldn't stand for it. A missile hurtled past my nose, and I saw a
rotten cabbage envelop the baldish head of the ex-deportee. Someone
reached out a long arm and grabbed a chair, and with it took the legs
from Gresson. Then the lights suddenly went out, and we retreated in
good order by the platform door with a yelling crowd at our heels.

It was here that the plain-clothes men came in handy. They held the
door while the ex-deportee was smuggled out by some side entrance. That
class of lad would soon cease to exist but for the protection of the
law which he would abolish. The rest of us, having less to fear, were
suffered to leak into Newmilns Street. I found myself next to Gresson,
and took his arm. There was something hard in his coat pocket.

Unfortunately there was a big lamp at the point where we emerged, and
there for our confusion were the Fusilier jocks. Both were strung to
fighting pitch, and were determined to have someone's blood. Of me they
took no notice, but Gresson had spoken after their ire had been roused,
and was marked out as a victim. With a howl of joy they rushed for him.

I felt his hand steal to his side-pocket. 'Let that alone, you fool,' I
growled in his ear.

'Sure, mister,' he said, and the next second we were in the thick of it.

It was like so many street fights I have seen--an immense crowd which
surged up around us, and yet left a clear ring. Gresson and I got
against the wall on the side-walk, and faced the furious soldiery. My
intention was to do as little as possible, but the first minute
convinced me that my companion had no idea how to use his fists, and I
was mortally afraid that he would get busy with the gun in his pocket.
It was that fear that brought me into the scrap. The jocks were
sportsmen every bit o