You see? Wily man. But wachtabittje! When that
'heef' finished in December the strike was still on. _Then_ that same
Labour leader found out, from the same Act, that if at any time more than
thirty or forty men of a Militia regiment wished to volunteer to do
sea-time and study big guns in the Fleet they were in no wise to be
discouraged, but were to be taken on as opportunity offered and paid a bob
a day. Accordingly, about January, Geordie began volunteering for sea-
time--seven and eight hundred men out of each regiment. Anyhow, it made up
seventeen thousand men! It was a splendid chance and the Armity jumped at
it. The Home and Channel Fleets and the North Sea and Cruiser Squadrons
were strengthened with lame ducks from the Fleet Reserve, and between 'em
with a little stretching and pushing they accommodated all of that young
division."
"Yes, but you've forgotten how we lied to the Continent about it. All
Europe wanted to know what the dooce we were at," said Boy Bayley, "and
the wretched Cabinet had to stump the country in the depths of winter
explaining our new system of poor-relief. I beg your pardon, Verschoyle."
"The Armity improvised naval manoeuvres between Gib and Land's End, with
frequent coalings and landings; ending in a cruise round England that
fairly paralysed the pitmen. The first day out they wanted the fleet
stopped while they went ashore and killed their Labour leader, but they
couldn't be obliged.
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