the burning spear-第13章

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'older；　wearin'　trahsers；　likely　as　not；　I　don't　think　'e'd　be　any　use　to

you。



〃What　am　I　to　do　then？〃　asked　Mr　Lavender。



〃Ah！〃　said　Joe；　'ave　lunch。〃



Mr。　Lavender　sighed；　his　hunger　quarelling　with　his　sense　of　duty。　　〃I

should　like　to　have　found　a　farmer　first；〃　he　said。



〃Well；　sir；　I'll　drive　up　to　that　clump　o'beeches；　and　you　can　have　a

look　round　for　one　while　I　get　lunch　ready。



〃That　will　do　admirably。〃



There's　just　one　thing；　sir；〃　said　Joe；　when　his　master　was　about　to

start；　〃don't　you　take　any　house　you　come　across　for　a　farm。　　They're

mostly　cottages　o'　gentility　nowadays；　in'abited　by　lunatics。〃



〃I　shall　be　very　careful；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。



〃This　glorious　land！〃　he　thought；　walking　away　from　the　beech　clump；　with

Blink　at　his　heels；　〃how　wonderful　to　see　it　being　restored　to　its　former

fertility　under　pressure　of　the　war！　　The　farmer　must　be　a　happy　man；

indeed；　working　so　nobly　for　his　country；　without　thought　of　his　own

prosperity。　　How　flowery　those　beans　look　already！〃　　he　mused；　glancing

at　a　field　of　potatoes。　　〃Now　that　I　am　here　I　shall　be　able　to　combine

my　work　on　German　prisoners　with　an　effort　to　stimulate　food　production。

Blink！〃　　For　Blink　was　lingering　in　a　gateway。　　Moving　back　to　her；　Mr。

Lavender　saw　that　the　sagacious　animal　was　staring　through　the　gate　at　a

farmer　who　was　standing　in　a　field　perfectly　still；　with　his　back　turned；

about　thirty　yards　away。



〃Have　you〃　Mr。　Lavender　began　eagerly；　〃is　itare　you　employing　any

German　prisoners；　sir？〃



The　farmer　did　not　seem　to　hear。　　〃He　must；〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　〃be　of

the　old　stolid　English　variety。〃



The　farmer；　who　was　indeed　attired　in　a　bowler　hat　and　Bedford　cords；

continued　to　gaze　over　his　land；　unconscious　of　Mr。　Lavender's　presence。



〃I　am　asking　you　a　question；　sir；〃　resumed　the　latter　in　a　louder　voice。〃

And　however　patriotically　absorbed　you　may　be　in　cultivating　your　soil；

there　is　no　necessity　for　rudeness。〃



The　farmer　did　not　move　a　muscle。



〃Sir；〃　began　Mr。　Lavender　again；　very　patiently；　〃though　I　have　always

heard　that　the　British　farmer　is　of　all　men　least　amenable　to　influence

and　new　ideas；　I　have　never　believed　it；　and　I　am　persuaded　that　if　you

will　but　listen　I　shall　be　able　to　alter　your　whole　outlook　about　the

agricultural　future　of　this　country。〃　　For　it　had　suddenly　occurred　to

him　that　it　might　be　a　long　time　before　he　had　again　such　an　opportunity

of　addressing　a　rural　audience　on　the　growth　of　food；　and　he　was　loth　to

throw　away　the　chance。　　The　farmer；　however；　continued　to　stand　with　his

hack　to　the　speaker；　paying　no　more　heed　to　his　voice　than　to　the　buzzing

of　a　fly。



〃You　SHALL　hear　me；〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　unconsciously　miming　a　voice

from　the　past；　and　catching；　as　he　thought；　the　sound　of　a　titter；　he

flung　his　hand　out；　and　exclaimed：



〃Grass；　gentlemen；　grass　is　the　hub　of　the　matter。　　We　have　put　our　hand

to　the　plough〃and；　his　imagination　taking　flight　at　those　words；　he

went　on　in　a　voice　calculated　to　reach　the　great　assembly　of　farmers

which　he　now　saw　before　him　with　their　backs　turned〃and　never　shall　we

take　it　away　till　we　have　reduced　every　acre　in　the　country　to　an　arable

condition。　　In　the　future　not　only　must　we　feed　ourselves；　but　our　dogs；

our　horses；　and　our　children；　and　restore　the　land　to　its　pristine　glory

in　the　front　rank　of　the　world's　premier　industry。　　But　me　no　buts；〃　he

went　on　with　a　winning　smile；　remembering　that　geniality　is　essential　in

addressing　a　country　audience；　〃and　butter　me　no　butter；　for　in　future　we

shall　require　to　grow　our　margarine　as　well。　　Let　us；　in　a　word；　put

behind　us　all　prejudice　and　pusillanimity　till　we　see　this　country　of

ours　once　more　blooming　like　one　great　cornfield；　covered　with　cows。

Sirs；　I　am　no　iconoclast；　let　us　do　all　this　without　departing　in　any　way

from　those　great　principles　of　Free　Trade；　Industrialism；　and　Individual

Liberty　which　have　made　our　towns　the　largest；　most　crowded；　and

wealthiest　under　that　sun　which　never　sets　over　the　British　Empire。　　We

do　but　need　to　see　this　great　problem　steadily　and　to　see　it　whole；　and

we　shall　achieve　this　revolution　in　our　national　life　without　the

sacrifice　of　a　single　principle　or　a　single　penny。　　Believe　me；

gentlemen；　we　shall　yet　eat　our　cake　and　have　it。〃



Mr。　Lavender　paused　for　breath；　the　headlines　of　his　great　speech　in

tomorrow's　paper　dancing　before　his　eyes：　〃THE　CLIMACTERICEATS　CAKE　AND

HAS　ITA　GREAT　CONCLUSION。〃　　The　wind；　which　had　risen　somewhat　during

Mr。　Lavender's　speech；　fluttered　the　farmer's　garments　at　this　moment；　so

that　they　emitted　a　sound　like　the　stir　which　runs　through　an　audience　at

a　moment　of　strong　emotion。



〃Ah！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　〃I　see　that　I　move　you；　gentlemen。　　Those　have

traduced　you　who　call　you　unimpressionable。　　After　all；　are　you　not　the

backbone　of　this　country　up　which　runs　the　marrow　which　feeds　the　brain；

and　shall　you　not　respond　to　an　appeal　at　once　so　simple　and　so

fundamental？　　I　assure　you；　gentlemen；　it　needs　no　thought；　indeed；　the

less　you　think　about　it　the　better；　for　to　do　so　will　but　weaken　your

purpose　and　distract　your　attention。　　Your　duty　is　to　go　forward　with

stout　hearts；　firm　steps；　and　kindling　eyes；　in　this　way　alone　shall　we

defeat　our　common　enemies。　　And　at　those　words；　which　he　had　uttered　at

the　top　of　his　voice；　Mr。　Lavender　stood　like　a　clock　which　has　run　down；

rubbing　his　eyes。　　For　Blink；　roaming　the　field　during　the　speech；　and

encountering　quadruped　called　rabbit；　which　she　had　never　seen　before；

had　backed　away　from　it　in　dismay；　brushed　against　the　farmer's　legs　and

caused　his　breeches　to　fall　down；　revealing　the　sticks　on　which　they　had

been　draped。　　When　Mr。　Lavender　saw　this　he　called　out　in　a　loud　voice

Sir；　you　have　deceived　me。　　I　took　you　for　a　human　being。　　I　now　perceive

that　you　are　but　a　selfish　automaton；　rooted　to　your　own　business；

without　a　particle　of　patriotic　sense。　　Farewell！〃









VIII



STARVES　SOME　GERMANS



After　parting　with　the　scarecrow　Mr。　Lavender　who　felt　uncommonly　hungry'

was　about　to　despair　of　finding　any　German　prisoners　when　he　saw　before

him　a　gravel…pit；　and　three　men　working　therein。　　Clad　in　dungaree；　and

very　dusty；　they　had　a　cast　of　countenance　so　unmistakably　Teutonic　that

Mr。　Lavender　stood　still。　　They　paid　little　or　no　attention　to　him；

however；　but　went　on　sadly　and　silently　with　their　work；　which　was　that

of　sifting　gravel。　　Mr。　Lavender　sat　down　on　a　milestone　opposite；　and

his　heart　contracted　within　him。　　〃They　look　very　thin　and　sad；〃　he

thought；　〃I　should　not　like　to　be　a　prisoner　myself　far　from　my　country；

in　the　midst　of　a　hostile　population；　without　a　woman　or　a　dog　to　throw

me　a　wag　of　the　tail。　　Poor　men！　　For　though　it　is　necessary　to　hate　the

Germans；　it　seems　impossible　to　forget　that　we　are　all　human　beings。

This　is　weakness；〃　he　added　to　himself；　〃which　no　editor　would　tolerate

for　a　moment。　　I　must　fight　against　it　if　I　am　to　fulfil　my　duty　of

rousing　the　population　to　the　task　of　starving　them。　　How　hungry　they

look　alreadytheir　checks　are　hollow！　　I　must　be　firm。　　Perhaps　they

have　wives　and　families　at　home；　thinking　of　them　at　this　moment。　　But；

after　all；　they　are　Huns。　　What　did　the　great　writer　say？　　'Vermin

creatures　no　more　worthy　of　pity　than　the　tiger　or　the　rat。'　　How　true！

And　yetBlink！〃　　For　his　dog；　seated　on　her　haunches；　was　looking　at　him

with　that　peculiarly　steady　gaze　which　betokened　in　her　the　desire　for

food。　　〃Yes；〃　mused　Mr。　Lavender；　〃pity　is　the　mark　of　the　weak　man。　　It

is　a　vice　which　was　at　one　time　rampant　in　this　country；　the　war　has　made

one　beneficial　change　at　leastwe　are　moving　more　and　more　towards　the

manly　and　unforgiving　vigour　of　the　tiger　and　the　rat。　　To　be　brutal！

This　is　the　one　lesson　that　the　Germans　can　teach　us；　for　we　had　almost

forgotten　the　art。　　What　danger　we　were　in！