RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_.
_April_ 16, 1907.
The only relief I have had from the haunting anxiety regarding the Ladyof the Shroud has been in the troubled state of my adopted country.There has evidently been something up which I have not been allowed toknow. The mountaineers are troubled and restless; are wandering about,singly and in parties, and holding meetings in strange places. This iswhat I gather used to be in old days when intrigues were on foot withTurks, Greeks, Austrians, Italians, Russians. This concerns me vitally,for my mind has long been made up to share the fortunes of the Land ofthe Blue Mountains. For good or ill I mean to stay here: _J'y suis_,_j'y reste_. I share henceforth the lot of the Blue Mountaineers; andnot Turkey, nor Greece, nor Austria, nor Italy, nor Russia--no, notFrance nor Germany either; not man nor God nor Devil shall drive me frommy purpose. With these patriots I throw in my lot! My only difficultyseemed at first to be with the men themselves. They are so proud that atthe beginning I feared they would not even accord me the honour of beingone of them! However, things always move on somehow, no matter whatdifficulties there be at the beginning. Never mind! When one looks backat an accomplished fact the beginning is not to be seen--and if it wereit would not matter. It is not of any account, anyhow.
I heard that there was going to be a great meeting near here yesterdayafternoon, and I attended it. I think it was a success. If such is anyproof, I felt elated as well as satisfied when I came away. Aunt Janet'sSecond Sight on the subject was comforting, though grim, and in a measuredisconcerting. When I was saying good-night she asked me to bend down myhead. As I did so, she laid her hands on it and passed them all over it.I heard her say to herself:
"Strange! There's nothing there; yet I could have sworn I saw it!" Iasked her to explain, but she would not. For once she was a littleobstinate, and refused point blank to even talk of the subject. She wasnot worried nor unhappy; so I had no cause for concern. I said nothing,but I shall wait and see. Most mysteries become plain or disappearaltogether in time. But about the meeting--lest I forget!
When I joined the mountaineers who had assembled, I really think theywere glad to see me; though some of them seemed adverse, and others didnot seem over well satisfied. However, absolute unity is very seldom tobe found. Indeed, it is almost impossible; and in a free community isnot altogether to be desired. When it is apparent, the gathering lacksthat sense of individual feeling which makes for the real consensus ofopinion--which is the real unity of purpose. The meeting was at first,therefore, a little cold and distant. But presently it began to thaw,and after some fiery harangues I was asked to speak. Happily, I hadbegun to learn the Balkan language as soon as ever Uncle Roger's wisheshad been made known to me, and as I have some facility of tongues and agreat deal of experience, I soon began to know something of it. Indeed,when I had been here a few weeks, with opportunity of speaking daily withthe people themselves, and learned to understand the intonations andvocal inflexions, I felt quite easy in speaking it. I understood everyword which had up to then been spoken at the meeting, and when I spokemyself I felt that they understood. That is an experience which everyspeaker has in a certain way and up to a certain point. He knows by somekind of instinct if his hearers are with him; if they respond, they mustcertainly have understood. Last night this was marked. I felt it everyinstant I was talking and when I came to realize that the men were instrict accord with my general views, I took them into confidence withregard to my own personal purpose. It was the beginning of a mutualtrust; so for peroration I told them that I had come to the conclusionthat what they wanted most for their own protection and the security andconsolidation of their nation was arms--arms of the very latest pattern.Here they interrupted me with wild cheers, which so strung me up that Iwent farther than I intended, and made a daring venture. "Ay," Irepeated, "the security and consolidation of your country--of _our_country, for I have come to live amongst you. Here is my home whilst Ilive. I am with you heart and soul. I shall live with you, fightshoulder to shoulder with you, and, if need be, shall die with you!"Here the shouting was terrific, and the younger men raised their guns tofire a salute in Blue Mountain fashion. But on the instant the Vladika{1} held up his hands and motioned them to desist. In the immediatesilence he spoke, sharply at first, but later ascending to a high pitchof single-minded, lofty eloquence. His words rang in my ears long afterthe meeting was over and other thoughts had come between them and thepresent.
"Silence!" he thundered. "Make no echoes in the forest or through thehills at this dire time of stress and threatened danger to our land.Bethink ye of this meeting, held here and in secret, in order that nowhisper of it may be heard afar. Have ye all, brave men of the BlueMountains, come hither through the forest like shadows that some of you,thoughtless, may enlighten your enemies as to our secret purpose? Thethunder of your guns would doubtless sound well in the ears of those whowish us ill and try to work us wrong. Fellow-countrymen, know ye notthat the Turk is awake once more for our harming? The Bureau of Spieshas risen from the torpor which came on it when the purpose against ourTeuta roused our mountains to such anger that the frontiers blazed withpassion, and were swept with fire and sword. Moreover, there is atraitor somewhere in the land, or else incautious carelessness has servedthe same base purpose. Something of our needs--our doing, whose secretwe have tried to hide, has gone out. The myrmidons of the Turk are closeon our borders, and it may be that some of them have passed our guardsand are amidst us unknown. So it behoves us doubly to be discreet.Believe me that I share with you, my brothers, our love for the gallantEnglishman who has come amongst us to share our sorrows andambitions--and I trust it may be our joys. We are all united in the wishto do him honour--though not in the way by which danger might be carriedon the wings of love. My brothers, our newest brother comes to us fromthe Great Nation which amongst the nations has been our only friend, andwhich has ere now helped us in our direst need--that mighty Britain whosehand has ever been raised in the cause of freedom. We of the BlueMountains know her best as she stands with sword in hand face to facewith our foes. And this, her son and now our brother, brings further toour need the hand of a giant and the heart of a lion. Later on, whendanger does not ring us round, when silence is no longer our outer guard;we shall bid him welcome in true fashion of our land. But till then hewill believe--for he is great-hearted--that our love and thanks andwelcome are not to be measured by sound. When the time comes, then shallbe sound in his honour--not of rifles alone, but bells and cannon and themighty voice of a free people shouting as one. But now we must be wiseand silent, for the Turk is once again at our gates. Alas! the cause ofhis former coming may not be, for she whose beauty and nobility and whoseplace in our nation and in our hearts tempted him to fraud and violenceis not with us to share even our anxiety."
Here his voice broke, and there arose from all a deep wailing sound,which rose and rose till the woods around us seemed broken by a mightyand long-sustained sob. The orator saw that his purpose wasaccomplished, and with a short sentence finished his harangue: "But theneed of our nation still remains!" Then, with an eloquent gesture to meto proceed, he merged in the crowd and disappeared.
How could I even attempt to follow such a speaker with any hope ofsuccess? I simply told them what I had already done in the way of help,saying:
"As you needed arms, I have got them. My agent sends me word through thecode between us that he has procured for me--for us--fifty thousand ofthe newest-pattern rifles, the French Ingis-Malbron, which has surpassedall others, and sufficient ammunition to last for a year of war. Thefirst section is in hand, and will soon be ready for consignment. Thereare other war materials, too, which, when they arrive, will enable everyman and woman--even the children--of our land to take a part in itsdefence should such be needed. My brothers, I am with you in all things,for good or ill!"
It made me very proud to hear the mighty shout w
hich arose. I had feltexalted before, but now this personal development almost unmanned me. Iwas glad of the long-sustained applause to recover my self-control.
I was quite satisfied that the meeting did not want to hear any otherspeaker, for they began to melt away without any formal notificationhaving been given. I doubt if there will be another meeting soon again.The weather has begun to break, and we are in for another spell of rain.It is disagreeable, of course; but it has its own charm. It was during aspell of wet weather that the Lady of the Shroud came to me. Perhaps therain may bring her again. I hope so, with all my soul.