"Now, it is not my purpose tonight to dispute the arguments of those among you who are sincere. I will show you in a moment, however, that even your petition will prove unnecessary. What I do want to remind you of is that my duty here is to maintain the authority of the Dominion Government. And I am going to do it!"
The crowd waited sullenly. The determined ring in that last sentence stirred them.
"Many of you are foreigners, born under tyrannous governments, hating all constituted authority. The Canadian Government is a government of the people. It is not tyrannous. The Government of the British Empire, as a whole, is the same. Yet, when you come under the British Flag, instead of appreciating all this, you will listen to anyone who asks you to tear it down. Such an act is an act against yourselves—not against a tyrant, as you believe. The people, of whom the Queen is Sovereign, put me here to keep that Flag flying. And I'm going to keep it there!"
Jeers swept up to him. But the great mass of the crowd still waited.
"This isn't a defiance. I'm merely warning you not to do anything you regret. I want you to act like sensible men.
"Now, let me tell you the truth. A big element among you is out, not for constitutional change, but revolution!"
A weird sigh, a long-drawn intaking of breath, ran over the great throng, expressive of stunned surprise and a sense of being trapped. As for Welland, his feelings beggar description. Hector was speaking very rapidly now, driving home his facts, beating down all opposition.
"It's the truth. I have all the proofs. That element is out for revolution—possibly bloody revolution. They want to establish a republic—the Black Elk Republic!"
The bomb was thrown—with extraordinary effect.
"Listen! You've been absolutely fooled! Your leaders have led you into a trap. There's an inner ring in this conspiracy. As soon as the revolution had taken place and the present authorities were overthrown, that ring—a ring of the worst desperadoes on earth, many the sweepings of Prospect—was to establish a dictatorship. Those of you who don't know this would have known it very soon. Those who do, even these leaders themselves, would have found themselves one day with heads in a noose. You want the proofs? You don't. You know it's true."