Page:Lesbia Newman - Dalton - 1889.djvu/216



As Lesbia, lame herself and driving her unsteady machine along at top speed, rushed again into Stratton, she heard the handbells and voices of criers, and saw groups of people gathered in the main street. Already in the near distance she had caught the words ‘battle’ and ‘Ireland,’ and now heard all clearly, as she dismounted with a backward spring amid the crowd. ‘''Great Battle by Land and Sea near Queenstown, Ireland! General Redhill and Admiral St George both engaged! The Invaders attacked in front and flank! Terrible fighting! Latest Dublin despatch! Great Battle in progress since nine O'clock this morning!''’

The noise of the criers, the excited talking at the doors of public-houses and elsewhere, prevented anything being heard here of the ominous sound which the westerly breeze was bringing from afar across the still water, but after hurrying to the post office and wiring to Dulham as we have seen, Lesbia, who was too excited to keep quiet anywhere, mounted her bicycle again, and in a minute or two was in the country on her way back to Bude, the deadly boom filling her ears all the while, as before. On arriving, she found every house had its occupants standing in front, listening with sombre faces. Mrs Whyte met her on the