Page:Heinrich Karl Schmitt - The Hungarian Revolution - tr. Matthew Phipps Shiel (1918).djvu/27

 playthings of which they have become tired, soldiers gay with flowers were going about the city, and the people were tutoying one anotherhuzzahs, meantime, loud cries, clattering down-fall of the cafes' revolving-shutters. hurrying men and small groups whose centre in general consisted of an officer divested of the Imperial and Royal rosette on his cap.

It was a strange sight, the many officers all without rosettes, and with their sword-belts wrapped with National bands.

And how had all that happened?

So simply! Some people had sworn an oath, and adhered to this oath springing out of their own will, rather than to an earlier one wrung, from them. They had sworn to the National Council:—

"I swear and promise on my honour that I will remain true to the Hungarian National Council, am prepared, for Hungary's independence and freedom to give my life, and to the best of my power will ever follow the directions and behests of the Hungarian National Council."

And they did, all, all, all, to the best of their power.

With my head in the clouds I slept half-an-hour, took a bath, and toward 8 was again in the streets.

Most businesses were shut up, but some cafés were open. Later on other shops too, were opened.

Toward 9 o'clock I learned in the National Council somewhat as follows:—

The railway-men had gone over to the National Council, the Post-office officials and servants likewise, the police had already gone over earlier. The political prisoners had been liberated from the Honvéd Prison in the Contiutea. All the telephone-exchanges stood at the sole disposal of the National Council.

Enormously increased in number were the notices whose rank growth had covered nearly all businesses: "Under the ægis of the Hungarian National Council!"

At street corners, on houses, and kiosks and notice-pillars appeared the first edicts of the National Council, of the City-command ant Heltay, of the various departments just born. And