Page:H.M. The Patrioteer.djvu/342

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334
THE PATRIOTEER

said to us all by the masters whose power we must pay for ever more dearly." "Quite right! Bravo! Not a man, not a cent!" Amidst enthusiastic approval old Buck sat down. Diederich, who was dripping with perspiration as he approached the final struggle, glanced over the audience and saw Gottlieb Hornung, in charge of the contractors for the Emperor William Monument. Pastor Zillich was busy among the Christian young men, and the Veterans' Association had rallied round Kunze. Then he launched forth. "Our hereditary foe is raising his head once more," he shouted defiantly. "A traitor to the Fatherland, who refuses our magnificent young Emperor what he—" "Ha, ha!" cried the traitors to the Fatherland, but amidst the applause of the loyalists Diederich continued to shout, although he was over-straining his throat: "A French general is asking for revanche!" From the platform some one asked: "How much is he getting for that from Berlin?" There was laughter, while Diederich clawed the air as if he wanted to climb up. "The flash of arms! Blood and iron! Manly ideals. A strong Empire!" His forcible phrases jostled, rattling against each other, amidst the din made by the right-thinking patriots. "A powerful regiment, a bulwark against the turbid stream of democracy."

"Wulckow is your bulwark!" cried the voice from the platform again. Diederich turned around and recognised Heuteufel. "Do you mean His Majesty's Government—?" "Another bulwark!" said Heuteufel. Diederich pointed his finger at him. "You have insulted the Emperor!" he shouted sharply. Behind him, however, some one yelled: "Informer!" It was Napoleon Fischer and his comrades repeated it with hoarse shouts. They had jumped up and surrounded Diederich in a fashion which boded him no good. "He is trying again to provoke some one! He wants to get some one else in jail! Throw him out!" They seized him. Horny hands were pressing his neck as he turned his face, distorted with terror, towards the chairman and begged chokingly for