Two days later Mr. Murray and the children accompanied Dr. Brown and Jane to Kenora on their way back to the city. As they were proceeding to the railway station they were arrested by a group that stood in front of the bulletin board upon which since the war began the local newspaper was wont to affix the latest despatches.
The group was standing in awed silence staring at the bulletin board before them. Dr. Brown pushed his way through, read the despatch, looked around upon the faces beside him, read the words once more, came back to where his party were standing and stood silent.
"What is it?" inquired Mr. Murray.
"War," said Dr. Brown in a husky whisper. Then clearing his throat, "War--Britain and Germany."War! For the first time in the memory of living man that word was spoken in a voice that stopped dead still the Empire in the daily routine of its life. War! That word whispered in the secret silent chamber of the man whose chief glory had been his title as Supreme War Lord of Europe, swift as the lightning's flash circled the globe, arresting multitudes of men busy with their peaceful tasks, piercing the hearts of countless women with a new and nameless terror, paralysing the activities of nations engaged in the arts of peace, transforming into bitter enemies those living in the bonds of brotherhood, and loosing upon the world the fiends of hell.
Mr. Murray turned to his boy. "Jim," he said, "I must go to Winnipeg. Take the children home and tell their mother. I shall wire you to-morrow when to meet me." Awed, solemnised and in silence they took their ways.
Arrived at the railway station, Mr. Murray changed his mind. He was a man clear in thought and swift in action. His first thought had been of his business as being immediately affected by this new and mighty fact of war. Then he thought of other and wider interests.
"Let us go back, Dr. Brown," he said. "A large number of our business men are at the Lake. I suppose half of our Board of Trade are down here. We can reach them more easily here than any place else, and it is important that we should immediately get them together. Excuse me while I wire to my architect. I must stop that block of mine."They returned together to the launch. On their way back to their island they called to see Mr. McPherson. "You were right," was Mr. Murray's greeting to him. "It has come; Britain has declared war."Mr. McPherson stood gazing at him in solemn silence. "War," he said at length. "We are really in.""Yes, you were right, Mr. McPherson," said Dr. Brown. "I could not believe it; I cannot believe it yet. Why we should have gone into this particular quarrel, for the life of me I cannot understand.""I was afraid from the very first," said McPherson, "and when once Russia and France were in I knew that Britain could not honourably escape."As they were talking together a launch went swiftly by. "That's the Rushbrooke's launch," said Jim.
Mr. Murray rushed out upon the pier and, waving his hand, brought it to a halt and finally to the dock. "Have you heard the news?"he said to the lady who sat near the stern. "Britain has declared war.""Oh," replied Mrs. Rushbrooke, "why on earth has she done that? It is perfectly terrible.""Terrible, indeed," said Mr. McPherson. "But we must face it. It changes everything in life--business, society, home, everything will immediately feel the effect of this thing.""Oh, Mr. McPherson," exclaimed Mrs. Rushbrooke, "I can hardly see how it will quite change everything for us here in Canada. For instance," she added with a gay laugh, "I do not see that it will change our bonfire tonight. By the way, I see you are not gone, Dr. Brown. You and Jane will surely come over; and, Mr. Murray, you will bring your young people and Mrs. Murray; and, Mr. McPherson, I hope you will be able to come. It is going to be a charming evening and you will see a great many of your friends. Ithink a bonfire on one of the islands makes a very pretty sight.""I am not sure whether I can take the time, Mrs. Rushbrooke," said Mr. Murray. "I had thought of seeing a number of our business men who are down here at the Lake.""Oh, can't you leave business even while you are here? You really ought to forget business during your holidays, Mr. Murray.""I mean in relation to the war," said Mr. Murray.
"Good gracious, what can they possibly do about the war down here?
But if you want to see them they will all be with us to-night. So you had better come along. But we shall have to hurry, Lloyd; Ihave a lot of things to do and a lot of people to feed. We have got to live, haven't we?" she added as the launch got under way.
"Got to live," said Mr. McPherson after they had gone. "Ah, even that necessity has been changed. The necessity for living, which Iam afraid most of us have considered to be of first importance, has suddenly given place to another necessity.""And that?" said Mr. Murray.
"The necessity not to live, but to do our duty. Life has become all at once a very simple thing.""Well, we have got to keep going in the meantime at any rate," said Mr. Murray.
"Going, yes; but going where?" said Mr. McPherson. "All roads now, for us, lead to one spot.""And that spot?" said Mr. Murray.
"The battlefield."
"Why, Mr. McPherson, we must not lose our heads; we must keep sane and reasonable. Eh, Doctor?""I confess that this thing has completely stunned me," said Dr.
Brown. "You see I could not believe, I would not believe that war was possible in our day. I would not believe you, Mr. McPherson.
I thought you had gone mad on this German scare. But you were right. My God, I can't get my bearings yet; we are really at war!""God grant that Canada may see its duty clearly," said Mr. McPherson.
"God make us strong to bear His will."
They hurried back to their island, each busy with his thoughts, seeking to readjust life to this new and horrible environment.
