The Fall of a Nation: A Sequel to the Birth of a NationDixon, Thomas, Jr.
Science
The Fall of a Nation: A Sequel to the Birth of a Nation
Dixon, Thomas, Jr.
Peace movements -- Fiction; Political fiction; Science fiction; United States -- Fiction
She had failed at the Palace. What did it mean? Her life was in peril.
There could be no doubt of it.
He called every wireless station of the enemy on the North Atlantic. Not
one answered.
“Good!” he muttered.
He summoned the nearest operator to his relief in the tower:
“Come, for God’s sake, quick,” he called to Brooklyn, “and bring me a
car--there’s trouble at the Palace--”
“Coming!” the answer sang.
In fifteen minutes an automobile dashed across the bridge and drew up on
the curb at the Woolworth building.
The new operator took his instructions and Vassar turned to the
chauffeur:
“Quick now--to the _Sixty-ninth_ Regiment Armory. We have men and guns
there.”
Angela had waited in the machine for her leader to leap from the Palace
and drive to the first cavalry rendezvous in Westchester. Her chauffeur
sat by her side, smiling, his belt and automatic about her waist.
She heard the shout of Waldron for the guards and knew that the complete
plan had failed. Billy’s men had been crushed by superior numbers and
driven to the foot of the hill. The great man’s servants were trained
soldiers. They would fight like devils inside.
With quick wit she threw in the clutch and the big touring-car shot down
the road and flew over the smooth open way of Riverside Drive. In
fifteen minutes she overtook the first division of horsemen on the
outskirts of the city galloping to their appointed rendezvous.
“To the Palace of the Governor-General! Quick!” she shouted to the
Captain. “Take my car--I can take your horse--quick! Quick! Our leader’s
a prisoner--or dead--they fight and fight. Quick!”
The Captain sprang from his horse, called to the chauffeur, leaped into
the car and gave his horse to Angela. She had learned horsemanship too
in these two years of training.
“You know the rendezvous?” the Captain called.
“Si, signor!” Angela answered. “I know. I have been to every spot. I was
to drive my leader there. I go! I tell them. You go to her quick--for
God’s sake--quick!”
Urged by her low, nervous voice the horse dashed down the roadway
through Yonkers and on to summon the men.
Waldron returned to the banquet hall--an automatic in each hand. He was
a man of dauntless courage. The lights were on again. His assistant
engineer had found the break and hastily repaired it.
The magnificent hall was deserted. Only the dead sentinels lay in pools
of blood on the slippery floor. The Daughters of Jael had done their
work and gone--their task to disarm the enemy and deliver the equipments
to our waiting men. Every sword and automatic had fallen into their
hands except those worn by the sleeping guard in their quarters and the
half-dozen men who were scattered over the lawn.
Waldron quickly brought order out of chaos, barred his doors and found
that he held his castle still with eighty faithful soldiers and a dozen
wounded servants.
He entered the library and took his place as the special guard of
Virginia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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