“And it’s meself,” agreed the mother, “will be sad to see the last iv the military, thieves and murderers as they are. It’s a grand sight is the military.”
“Sure, and it’s our boys are going to show them the way out iv the country. And it’s a grand sight our boys will look in green.”
“They will. Them Auxiliaries be good fighters. I hear tell this morning they got out iv their motors and stood up there, and banged away with their legs apart and their rifles to their shoulders. I hear tell there was a girl standing by, and one iv them Auxiliaries, sez he to she, ‘Lie ye down, mum, or it’s shot ye’ll be,’ and he puts her on the ground, and his foot in the stomach iv her for to protect her, and he goes on shooting, and its not a minute after he falls dead atop iv her with a bullet to the heart.”
At the end of one of these panics, when the police had retreated up the quay and we had emerged into the open, I found myself in a new place. I started to gape across the river again just as somebody beside me said, “How’s the world treating you?” I found 47 at my elbow.
“Hallo,” I said.
“Hallo,” he answered.
“Where have you sprung from?”
“I came along to see what was doing.”
“They’ve made a good job of it?” I suggested, nodding over the river.
“They have,” he admitted. “About their best stunt up to date.”