THE EMPEROR PLANS A CAMPAIGN.
One day early in May Colonel Laurient was alone with the Emperor, who
was walking up and down the room in a state of great excitement. His
eyes glittered with an expression of almost ferocity. The veins in his
forehead stood out clear and defined, like cords. No one had seen him
like this before. "To think they should dare to enter my territory! They
shall never cease to regret it," he declared as he paced the room. Two
hours before, the Emperor had been informed that the troops of the
United States had crossed into Canada, the excuse, some dispute about
the fisheries, the real cause, chagrin of the President at the Emperor's
rejection of her daughter's hand.
"This shall be a bitter lesson to the Yankees," continued the Emperor.
"They do not know with whom they have to deal. I grant they were right
to seek independence, because the Government of my ancestor goaded them
to it. But they shall learn there is a limit to their power, and that
they are weak as water compared with the parent country they abandoned.
Listen, Laurient," he went on more calmly as he took a seat by a table
on which was spread a large map of the United States and Canada. "I have
made up my mind what to do, and you are to help me. You are now my first
military aide-de-camp. In that capacity and as head of the bodyguard you
may appear in evidence."
"I shall only be too glad to render any assistance in my power. I
suppose that the troops will at once proceed to Canada?"
"Would you have me," said the Emperor, "do such a wrong to my Canadian
subjects? You know, by the constitution of the Empire, each State is
bound to protect itself from invasion. Do you think that my Canadian
volunteers are not able to perform this duty?"
"I know, your Majesty, that no finer body of troops is to be found in
the Empire than the Canadian volunteers and Volunteer reserve. But I
thought you seemed disinclined to refrain from action."
"There you are right, nor do I mean to remain idle. No; I intend a
gigantic revenge. I will invade the States myself."
Colonel Laurient's eyes glittered. He recognised the splendid audacity
of the idea, and he was not one to feel fear. "Carry the war into the
enemy's camp!" he said. "I ought to have thought of it. It is an
undertaking worthy of you, Sir."
"I have arranged everything with my advisers, who have given me, as
commander of the forces, full executive discretion. You have a great
deal to do. You will give, in strict confidence, to some person
information which he is to cause to be published in the various papers.
That information will be that all the ships and a large force are
ordered immediately to the waters of the St. Lawrence. To give reality
to the intelligence, the newspapers are to be severely blamed and
threatened for publishing it. But you are to select trustworthy members
of the bodyguard who are verbally to communicate to the admirals and
captains what is really to be done. Nothing is to be put in writing
beyond the evidence of your authority to give instructions, which I now
hand to you. Those instructions are to be by word of mouth. All the
large, powerful vessels on the West Indian, Mediterranean, and Channel
stations are to meet at Sandy Hook, off New York, on the seventeenth
evening from this, with the exception of twenty which are to proceed to
Boston. They are to carry with them one hundred thousand of the
Volunteer reserve force, fifty thousand of the regular troops, and fifty
thousand ordinary volunteers who may choose to offer their services. In
every case the ostensible destination is Quebec. My faithful volunteers
will not object to the deceit. Part of the force may be carried in
air-cruisers, of which there must be in attendance at least three
hundred of the best in the service. The air-cruisers as soon as it is
dark on the evening appointed are to range all round New York for miles
and cut and destroy the telegraph wires in every direction. Twenty of
the most powerful, carrying a strong force of men, are to proceed to
Washington during the night and bring the President of the United States
a prisoner to the flagship, the _British Empire_. They are to leave
Washington without destroying property. About ten o'clock the men are to
disembark at New York from the air-cruisers, and take possession of
every public building and railway station. They are also during the
night to disembark from the vessels. There will be little fighting. The
Yankees boast of keeping no standing army. They have had a difficulty to
get together the hundred and fifty thousand men they have marched into
Canada. Similar action to that at New York is to be adopted at Boston.
As soon as sufficient troops are disembarked I will march them into
Canada at the rear of the invaders, and my Canadian forces are to attack
them in front. I will either destroy the United States forces or take
them prisoners. All means of transport by rail or river are to be
seized, and also the newspaper offices. The morning publication of the
newspapers in New York and Boston is to be suppressed; and if all be
well managed, only a few New York and Boston people will know until late
the day after our arrival that their cities are in my hands. My largest
yacht, the _Victoria_, is to go to New York. I will join it there in an
air-cruiser. Confidential information of all these plans is to be
verbally communicated to the Governor of Canada by an aide-de-camp, who
will proceed to Ottawa to-morrow morning in a swift air-cruiser. During
this night you must arrange for all the information being distributed by
trusty men. I wish the intended invasion to be kept a profound secret,
excepting from those specially informed. Every one is to suppose that
Canada is the destination. I want the United States to strengthen its
army in Canada to the utmost. As to its fleet, as soon as my vessels
have disembarked the troops they can proceed to destroy or capture such
of the United States vessels of war as have dared to intrude on our
Canadian waters."
The Emperor paused. Colonel Laurient had taken in every instruction. His
eyes sparkled with animation and rejoicing, but he did not venture to
express his admiration. The Emperor disliked praise. "Laurient," he
continued as he grasped his favourite's hand, "go. I will detain you no
longer. I trust you as myself." The Colonel bowed low and hastened away.
It may seem that the proposed mobilization was incredible. But all the
forces of the Empire were constantly trained to unexpected calls to
arms. Formerly intended emergency measures were designed for weeks in
advance; and though they purported to be secret, every intended
particular was published in the newspapers. This was playing at
soldiering. The Minister presiding over all the land and sea forces has
long since become more practical. He orders for mobilization without
notice or warning, and practice has secured extraordinarily rapid
results.