Produced by David Clarke, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) THE MESSAGE [Illustration: "I SAW THAT QUEEN OF ANCIENT BRITONS AT THE HEAD OF HER WILD, SHAGGY LEGIONS" (_See page 233_)] The Message _By_ A. J. DAWSON _Author of_ "Hidden Manna," "African Nights Entertainments," "Daniel Whyte," "God's Foundling," "Ronald Kestrel," etc. _Illustrated from Color Sketches_ _By_ H. M. BROCK [Device] DANA ESTES & COMPANY, BOSTON E. GRANT RICHARDS, LONDON _Copyright, April 17, 1907_ BY DANA ESTES & COMPANY _All rights reserved_ _Entered at Stationers' Hall_ COLONIAL PRESS ELECTROTYPED AND PRINTED BY C. H. SIMONDS & CO. BOSTON, U.S.A. CONTENTS PART I.--THE DESCENT CHAPTER PAGE I. IN THE MAKING 3 II. AT THE WATER'S EDGE 12 III. AN INTERLUDE 17 IV. THE LAUNCHING 29 V. A JOURNALIST'S EQUIPMENT 41 VI. A JOURNALIST'S SURROUNDINGS 53 VII. A GIRL AND HER FAITH 66 VIII. A STIRRING WEEK 78 IX. A STEP DOWN 90 X. FACILIS DESCENSUS AVERNI 101 XI. MORNING CALLERS 111 XII. SATURDAY NIGHT IN LONDON 121 XIII. THE DEMONSTRATION IN HYDE PARK 131 XIV. THE NEWS 143 XV. SUNDAY NIGHT IN LONDON 153 XVI. A PERSONAL REVELATION 163 XVII. ONE STEP FORWARD 168 XVIII. THE DEAR LOAF 177 XIX. THE TRAGIC WEEK 188 XX. BLACK SATURDAY 198 XXI. ENGLAND ASLEEP 208 PART II.--THE AWAKENING