rved it, of course; but he certainly looked as if he
had been through a bad time when Bland let him out.

There was a meeting of the Ulster Defence Committee at seven o'clock.
It was summoned, so the notice which I received informed me, in order
to make arrangements for preserving the peace of the town. This, I
thought, was very proper work for the committee. The Cabinet was
probably making other arrangements with the same object. Between them
the committee and the Government had destroyed what little peace
Belfast ever had. The least they could do was to restore it.

Moyne took the chair as usual. He opened our proceedings by saying
firmly and decisively, that he intended to surrender himself at once
to the authorities.

"We're the only authorities there are at present," said McNeice, "so
if you want to surrender--"

"We must resolve ourselves into a Provisional Government," said the
Dean, who always likes to do things constitutionally.

"The police," said Moyne feebly.

"There aren't any," said McNeice.

"Wiped out," said Malcolmson.

"The General in command of the troops--" said Moyne.

"The troops are shut up in their barracks," said McNeice.

"Licked," said Malcolmson.

"Say," said Conroy, "are you dead sure you whipped them?"

"They bolted," said Malcolmson.

"I don't reckon to be a military expert," said Conroy, "but it kind of
occurs to me that those troops weren't doing all they knew. I don't
say but you're quite right to boost your men all you can; but we'll
make a big mistake if we start figuring on having defeated the British
army."

"I happen to know," I said, "that Mr. Conroy is quite right.
Clithering--"

"That spaniel!" said McNeice.

"He told me," I said, "that the troops had orders to fire over our
men's heads. The idea, I think, was not so much to injure as to
overawe us."

"It was a damned foolish idea," said McNeice sulkily.

"You cannot," said the Dean, "overawe the men of Ulster."

This is one of the Dean's most cherished opinions. I have heard him
express it a great many times. I do not know whether the Dean had
actually been fighting during the afternoon. I am sure he wanted to;
but he may have considered it his duty to do no more than look on. Our
Dean is particularly strong on Old Testament history. I am sure he
recollected that Moses sat on the top of an adjacent hill while Joshua
was fighting the Amalekites.

"If you want to surrender yourself," said Conroy to Moyn