y　to　fight；　and　he　lost　prestige　by　it。　　When　Italy；　one　of　the　Triple　Alliance；　went　to　war　against　Turkey　without　consulting　him；　this　lowered　still　further　German　prestige。　　In　the　late　Balkan　War　Germany　was　again　humiliated。　　She　backed　the　wrong　horse。　　Her　protege　and　pupil　in　war；　Turkey；　was　absolutely　beaten。　　These　things　convince　me　that　Germany　knows　that　her　hope　of　dominating　Europe　is　rapidly　waning；　and　she　believes　that　this　hope　can　only　be　realised　by　war　and；　therefore；　I　repeat　that　the　Kaiser　and　his　people　are　only　waiting　a　favourable　moment　to　launch　war　upon　Europe　and　more　particularly　upon　the　British　Empire；　which；　along　with　the　great　American　democracy；　stands　between　her　and　the　realisation　of　her　dream。〃
  〃The　British　Empire！〃　cried　Switzer　scornfully　as　Romayne　took　his　seat；　〃the　British　Empire！　at　the　first　stern　blow　this　ramshackle　empire　will　fall　to　pieces。　　Then　Great　Britain　will　be　forced　to　surrender　her　robber　hold　upon　these　great　free　states　which　she　has　stolen　and　which　she　now　keeps　in　chains。〃　　（Cries　of　〃Never！〃　〃Rot！〃　〃Shut　your　trap！〃）　　Switzer　sprang　to　his　feet　and；　shaking　his　fist　in　their　faces；　cried：　　〃I　know　what　I　am　saying。　　This　you　will　see　before　many　months　have　passed。〃
  Again　Romayne　rose　to　his　feet　and　waited　till　a　silence　fell　upon　the　audience。　　〃Ladies　and　Gentlemen；〃　he　said　solemnly；　〃this　German　officer　knows　what　he　is　talking　about。　　That　Germany　within　a　few　months　will　make　her　supreme　attempt　to　smash　the　British　Empire　I　believe　is　certain。　　I　am　equally　certain　that　the　result　of　that　attempt　will　not　be　what　this　gentleman　anticipates　and　desires。〃
  For　some　moments　the　silence　remained　unbroken。　　Then　young　Monteith　sprang　to　his　feet　and　led　the　audience　in　a　succession　of　mad　cheers　that　indicated　the　depth　of　passion　to　which　they　were　stirred。　　After　the　cheering　had　subsided　Larry　rose　and　in　a　slightly　querulous　tone　and　with　a　humorous　smile　upon　his　face　he　said：
  〃Mr。　Chairman；　don't　you　think　we　are　becoming　unnecessarily　serious？　　And　are　there　not　certain　things　on　which　we　all　agree？　First　that　we　are　all　Canadians；　first；　last　and　all　the　time。　Secondly；　that　we　greatly　respect　and　admire　our　American　cousins　and　we　desire　only　better　mutual　acquaintance　for　our　mutual　good。　Third；　that　we　are　loyal　to　and　immensely　proud　of　our　Empire；　and　we　mean　to　stick　to　it。　　And　fourth；　that　Germany　is　a　great　country　and　has　done　great　things　for　the　world。　　As　to　the　historical　questions　raised；　these　are　not　settled　by　discussion　but　by　reliable　historic　documents。　　As　to　the　prophecies　made；　we　can　accept　or　reject　them　as　we　choose。　　Personally　I　confess　that　I　am　unable　to　get　up　any　real　interest　in　this　German　war　menace。　I　believe　Germany　has　more　sense；　not　to　say　proper　Christian　feeling；　than　to　plunge　herself　and　the　world　into　war。　　I　move；　Mr。　Chairman；　that　we　pass　to　the　next　order　of　business。〃
  〃Hear！　　Hear！〃　cried　some。　　〃Go　on　with　the　programme。〃
  〃No！　　No！〃　said　others。　　〃Let's　have　it　out。〃
  〃Mr。　Chairman；〃　said　Hec　Ross；　rising　to　his　feet；　〃this　thing　is　better　than　any　silly　old　programme；　let's　have　it　out。〃
  But　the　chairman；　much　against　his　inclination；　for　he　was　a　fighter；　ruled　otherwise。　　〃The　differences　that　separate　us　from　one　another　here　to…night　are　not　differences　that　can　be　settled　by　argument。　　They　are　differences　that　are　due　partly　to　our　history　and　partly　to　the　ideals　which　we　cherish。　　We　shall　go　on　with　the　programme。〃
  At　first　the　people　were　in　no　mood　for　mere　amusement。　　They　had　been　made　to　face　for　a　brief　moment　the　great　and　stern　reality　of　war。　　The　words　and　more　the　manner　of　Jack　Romayne　had　produced　a　deep　sense　in　their　minds　of　the　danger　of　a　European　conflagration；　and　the　ominous　words　of　the　young　German　spoken　as　from　intimate　knowledge　only　served　to　deepen　the　impression　made　by　Romayne。　　But　the　feeling　was　transitory；　and　speedily　the　possibility　of　war　was　dismissed　as　unthinkable。　　The　bogey　of　a　German　war　was　familiar　and　therefore　losing　its　power　to　disturb　them。　　So　after　two　or　three　musical　numbers　had　been　given　the　audience　had　settled　back　into　its　normal　state　of　mind　which　accepted　peace　as　the　natural　and　permanent　condition　for　the　world。
  The　entertainment　would　have　come　to　a　perfectly　proper　and　harmonious　close　had　it　not　been　for　the　unrestrained　exuberance　of　Sam's　humorous　qualities　on　the　one　hand　and　the　complete　absence　of　sense　of　humour　in　Ernest　Switzer　on　the　other。　　The　final　number　on　the　programme；　which　was　to　be　a　series　of　humorous　character　sketches；　had　been　left　entirely　in　Sam's　hands　and　consisted　of　a　trilogy　representing　the　characteristics　as　popularly　conceived　of　the　French　Canadian　habitant；　the　humorous　Irishman　and　the　obese　Teuton。　　Sam's　early　association　with　the　vaudeville　stage　had　given　him　a　certain　facility　in　the　use　of　stage　properties　and　theatrical　paraphernalia　generally；　and　this　combined　with　a　decided　gift　of　mimicry　enabled　him　to　produce　a　really　humorous　if　somewhat　broadly　burlesqued　reproduction　of　these　characters。　　In　the　presentation　of　his　sketch　Sam　had　reserved　to　the　close　his　representation　of　the　obese　Teuton。　　The　doings　of　this　Teuton；　while　sending　the　audience　into　roars　of　laughter；　had　quite　a　different　effect　upon　Switzer；　who　after　a　few　moments　of　wrathful　endurance　made　toward　the　rear　of　the　audience。
  Meantime　the　obese　Teuton　has　appeared　upon　the　stage　in　a　famished　condition　demanding　vociferously　and　plaintively　from　the　world　at　large　sausage。　　But　no　sausage　is　available。　　At　this　point　a　stray　dog　wanders　upon　the　stage。　　With　a　cry　of　delight　the　famished　Teuton　seizes　the　unfortunate　cur　and　joyously　announcing　that　now　sausage　he　will　have；　forthwith　disappears。　　Immediately　from　the　wings　arise　agonised　canine　howlings　with　which　mingles　the　crashing　of　machinery。　　Gradually　the　howlings　die　into　choking　silence　while　the　crash　of　the　machinery　proceeds　for　a　few　moments　longer。　　Thereupon　reappears　the　Teuton；　ecstatic　and　triumphant；　bearing　with　him　a　huge　sausage；　which　he　proceeds　to　devour　with　mingled　lamentations　over　his　departed　〃hund〃　and　raptures　over　its　metamorphosed　condition。　　In　the　midst　of　this　mingled　lamentation　and　rapture　is　heard　in　the　distance　upon　a　mouth　organ　band　the　sound　of　the　German　national　air。　　The　Teuton　is　startled；　drops　his　sausage　upon　the　stage　and　exclaiming　〃Der　Kronprinz；〃　hastily　beats　a　retreat。
  At　the　mention　of　this　august　name　Switzer　disappears　from　the　rear　of　the　audience　and　makes　his　way　to　the　back　of　the　stage。　　In　the　meantime；　to　the　accompaniment　of　organs　and　drums；　appears　upon　the　stage　no　less　a　personage　than　〃der　Kronprinz；〃　to　the　reproduction　of　whose　features　Sam's　peculiar　facial　appearance　admirably　lends　itself。　　From　this　point　the　action　proceeds　with　increased　rapidity。　　No　sooner　had　〃der　Kronprinz；〃　who　is　also　in　a　famished　condition；　appeared　upon　the　stage　than　his　eyes　light　upon　the　sausage。　　With　a　cry　of　delight　he　seizes　it　and　proceeds　ravenously　to　devour　it。　　But　at　the　first　mouthful　renewed　howlings　arise。　　〃Der　Kronprinz；〃　in　a　state　of　intense　excitement；　drops　his　sausage　and　begins　a　wild　search　in　the　corners　of　the　stage　and　in　the　wings　for　the　source　of　the　uproar。　　The　sausage　thus　abandoned；　aided　by　an　invisible　cord；　wabbles　off　the　stage　before　the　eyes　of　the　wondering　and　delighted　audience。　　Thereafter　〃der　Kronprinz〃　reappears　with　his　〃hund〃　under　his　arm　and　begins　an　active　and　distracted　search　for　his　precious　sausage。　Disappointed　in　his　search　for　the　sausage　and　rendered　desperate　by　his　famished　condition；　he　seizes　the　wretched　cur　and　begins　gnawing　at　the　tail　and　retires　from　the　scene；　accompanied　by　the　howls　of　the　unhappy　canine　and　the　applauding　shouts　of　the　audience。
  Meantime　while　Sam　is　engaged　in　executing　a　lightning　change　from　the　role　of　〃der　Kronprinz〃　to　that　of　the　original　obese　Teuton；　Switzer　beside　himself　with　rage　comes　upon　him　at　the　precise　moment　when　he　is　engaged　in　tying　up　his　shoe　preparatory　to　making　his　final　entry　upon　the　stage。　　The　posture　is　irresistibly　inviting。　　The　next　instant　the　astonished　audience　beholds　the　extraordinary　spectacle　of　the　obese　Teuton　under　the　impulse　of　the　irate　Switzer's　boot　in　rapid　flight　across　the　stage　upon　all　fours；　bearing　down　with　terrific　speed　upon　the　rear　of　the　unsuspecting　chairman　who；　facing　the　audience　and　with　a　genial　smile　upon　his　countenance；　is　engaged　in　applauding　Sam's　previous　performance。　　Making　frantic　but　futile　efforts　to　recover　himself；　Sam　plunges　head　on　with　resistless　impact　full　upon　the　exact　spot　where　the　legs　of　the　parson　effect　a　junction　with　the　rest　of　his　person　and　carries　that　gentleman　with　him　clear　off　the　stage　and　fairly　upon　the　top　of　old　McTavish；　who　at　that　moment　is　engaged　in　conversation　with　little　Miss　Haight　immediately　behind　him。　Immediately　there　is　a　terrific　uproar；　in　which　through　the　delighted　yells　of　the　crowd；　the　crashing　of　the　overturned　chairs；　and　the　general　confusion　could　be　heard　the　shrieks　of　the　little　spinster　and　weird　Scotch　oaths　from　McTavish。　　After　the