But hark ! There is cheering down Whitehall;
the crowd sways, the double walls of soldiers come
to attention, and into view swing the King s water
men, in fantastic mediaeval garbs of red, for all the
world like the van of a circus parade. Then a royal
carriage, filled with ladies and gentlemen of the
household, with powdered footmen and coachmen
most gorgeously arrayed. More carnages, lords,
and chamberlains, viscounts, mistresses of the robes
lackeys all. Then the warriors, a kingly escort,
generals, bronzed and worn, from the ends of the
earth come up to London Town; volunteer officers,
officers of the militia and regular forces; Spens
and Plumer, Broadwood and Cooper who relieved
Ookiep, Malthias of Dargai, Dixon of Vlakfontein;
General Gaselee and Admiral Seymour of China;
Kitchener of Khartoum; Lord Roberts of India
and all the world the fighting men of England,
masters of destruction, engineers of death ! Another
race of men from those of the shops and slums, a
totally different race of men.

But here they come, in all the pomp and certitude
of power, and still they come, these men of steel,
these war lor;ds and world harnessers. Pell-mell,
peers and commoners, princes and maharajahs,
Equerries to the King and Yeomen of the Guard.
And here the colonials, lithe and hardy men; and
here all the breeds of all the world soldiers from

[[144]]

p143 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p144w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p145

v?