two of the myriad of london's nightworkers were walking down fleet street together soon after dawn on sunday morning, 2nd september.
the sun had not yet risen. that main artery of london traffic, with its irregular rows of closed shops and newspaper offices, was quiet and pleasant in the calm, mystic light before the falling of the smoke-pall.
only at early morning does the dear old city look its best; in that one quiet, sweet hour when the night's toil has ended and the day's has not yet begun. only in that brief interval at the birth of day, when the rose tints of the sky glow slowly into gold, does the giant metropolis repose—at least, as far as its business streets are concerned—for at five o'clock the toiling millions begin to again pour in from all points of the compass, and the stress and storm of london at once recommences.
and in that hour of silent charm the two grey-bearded sub-editors, though engaged in offices of rival newspapers were making their way homeward to dulwich to spend sunday in a well-earned rest, and were chatting "shop," as press men do.
"i suppose you had the same trouble to get that yarmouth story through?" asked fergusson, the news-editor of the "dispatch," as they crossed whitefriars street. "we got about half a column, and then the wire shut down."[6]
"telegraph or telephone?" inquired baines, who was four or five years younger than his friend.
"we were using both—to make sure."
"so were we. it was a rattling good story—the robbery was mysterious, to say the least—but we didn't get more than half of it. something's wrong with the line, evidently," baines said. "if it were not such a perfect autumn morning, i should be inclined to think there'd been a storm somewhere."
"yes—funny, wasn't it?" remarked the other. "a shame we haven't the whole story, for it was a first-class one, and we wanted something. did you put it on the contents-bill?"
"no, because we couldn't get the finish. i tried in every way—rang up the central news, p.a., exchange telegraph company, tried to get through to yarmouth on the trunk, and spent half an hour or so pottering about, but the reply from all the agencies, from everywhere, in fact, was the same—the line was interrupted."
"just our case. i telephoned to the post office, but the reply came back that the lines were evidently down."
"well, it certainly looks as though there'd been a storm, but——" and baines glanced at the bright, clear sky overhead, just flushed by the bursting sun—"there are certainly no traces of it."
"there's often a storm on the coast when it's quite still in london, my dear fellow," remarked his friend wisely.
"that's all very well. but when all communication with a big place like yarmouth is suddenly cut off, as it has been, i can't help suspecting that something has happened which we ought to know."
"you're perhaps right, after all," fergusson said. "i wonder if anything has happened. we don't want to be called back to the office, either of us. my assistant, henderson, whom i've left in charge, rings me up over any mare's nest. the trunk telephones all come into the post office exchange up in carter lane. why not look in there before we go home? it won't take us a quarter of an hour, and we have several trains home from ludgate hill."
baines looked at his watch. like his companion, he had no desire to be called back to his office after getting out to dulwich, and yet he was in no mood to go making reporter's inquiries.[7]
"i don't think i'll go. it's sure to be nothing, my dear fellow," he said. "besides, i have a beastly headache. i had a heavy night's work. one of my men is away ill."
"well, at any rate, i think i'll go," fergusson said. "don't blame me if you get called back for a special edition with a terrible storm, great loss of life, and all that sort of thing. so long." and, smiling, he waved his hand and parted from his friend in the booking office of ludgate hill station.
quickening his pace, he hurried through the office, and, passing out by the back, ascended the steep, narrow street until he reached the post office telephone exchange in carter lane, where, presenting his card, he asked to see the superintendent-in-charge.
without much delay he was shown upstairs into a small private office, into which came a short, dapper, fair-moustached man with the bustle of a man in a great hurry.
"i've called," the sub-editor explained, "to know whether you can tell me anything regarding the cause of the interruption of the line to yarmouth a short time ago. we had some important news coming through, but were cut off just in the midst of it, and then we received information that all the telephone and telegraph lines to yarmouth were interrupted."
"well, that's just the very point which is puzzling us at this moment," was the night-superintendent's reply. "it is quite unaccountable. our trunk going to yarmouth seems to be down, as well as the telegraphs. yarmouth, lowestoft, and beyond beccles seem all to have been suddenly cut off. about eighteen minutes to four the operators noticed something wrong, switched the trunks through to the testers, and the latter reported to me in due course."
"that's strange! did they all break down together?"
"no. the first that failed was the one that runs through chelmsford, colchester, and ipswich up to lowestoft and yarmouth. the operator found that he could get through to ipswich and beccles. ipswich knew nothing, except that something was wrong. they could still ring up beccles, but not beyond."
as they were speaking, there was a tap at the door, and the assistant night-superintendent entered, saying:
"the norwich line through scole and long stratton[8] has now failed, sir. about half-past four norwich reported a fault somewhere north, between there and cromer. but the operator now says that the line is apparently broken, and so are all the telegraphs from there to cromer, sheringham, and holt."
"another line has gone, then!" exclaimed the superintendent-in-charge, utterly astounded. "have you tried to get on to cromer by the other routes—through nottingham and king's lynn, or through cambridge?"
"the testers have tried every route, but there's no response."
"you could get through to some of the places—yarmouth, for instance—by telegraphing to the continent, i suppose?" asked fergusson.
"we are already trying," responded the assistant superintendent.
"what cables run out from the east coast in that neighbourhood?" inquired the sub-editor quickly.
"there are five between southwold and cromer—three run to germany, and two to holland," replied the assistant. "there's the cable from yarmouth to barkum, in the frisian islands; from happisburg, near mundesley, to barkum; from yarmouth to emden; from lowestoft to haarlem, and from kessingland, near southwold, to zandyport."
"and you are trying all the routes?" asked his superior.
"i spoke to paris myself an hour ago and asked them to cable by all five routes to yarmouth, lowestoft, kessingland, and happisburg," was the assistant's reply. "i also asked liverpool street station and king's cross to wire down to some of their stations on the coast, but the reply was that they were in the same predicament as ourselves—their lines were down north of beccles, wymondham, east dereham, and also south of lynn. i'll just run along and see if there's any reply from paris. they ought to be through by this time, as it's sunday morning, and no traffic." and he went out hurriedly.
"there's certainly something very peculiar," remarked the superintendent-in-charge to the sub-editor. "if there's been an earthquake or an electrical disturbance, then it is a most extraordinary one. every single line reaching to the coast seems interrupted."
"yes. it's uncommonly funny," fergusson remarked.[9] "i wonder what could have happened. you've never had a complete breakdown like this before?"
"never. but i think——"
the sentence remained unfinished, for his assistant returned with a slip of paper in his hand, saying:
"this message has just come in from paris, i'll read it. 'superintendent telephones, paris, to superintendent telephones, london.—have obtained direct telegraphic communication with operators of all five cables to england. haarlem, zandyport, barkum, and emden all report that cables are interrupted. they can get no reply from england, and tests show that cables are damaged somewhere near english shore.'"
"is that all?" asked fergusson.
"that's all. paris knows no more than we do," was the assistant's response.
"then the norfolk and suffolk coasts are completely isolated—cut off from post office, railways, telephones, and cables!" exclaimed the superintendent. "it's mysterious—most mysterious!" and, taking up the instrument upon his table, he placed a plug in one of the holes down the front of the table itself, and a moment later was in conversation with the official in charge of the traffic at liverpool street, repeating the report from paris, and urging him to send light engines north from wymondham or beccles into the zone of the mystery.
the reply came back that he had already done so, but a telegram had reached him from wymondham to the effect that the road-bridges between kimberley and hardingham had apparently fallen in, and the line was blocked by débris. interruption was also reported beyond swaffham, at a place called little dunham.
"then even the railways themselves are broken!" cried fergusson. "is it possible that there has been a great earthquake?"
"an earthquake couldn't very well destroy all five cables from the continent," remarked the superintendent gravely.
the latter had scarcely placed the receiver upon the hook when a third man entered—an operator who, addressing him, said:
"will you please come to the switchboard, sir? there's a man in the ipswich call office who has just told me a most extraordinary story. he says that he started in[10] his motor-car alone from lowestoft to london at half-past three this morning, and just as it was getting light he was passing along the edge of henham park, between wangford village and blythburgh, when he saw three men apparently repairing the telegraph wires. one was up the pole, and the other two were standing below. as he passed he saw a flash, for, to his surprise, one of the men fired point-blank at him with a revolver. fortunately, the shot went wide, and he at once put on a move and got down into blythburgh village, even though one of his tyres went down. it had probably been pierced by the bullet fired at him, as the puncture was unlike any he had ever had before. at blythburgh he informed the police of the outrage, and the constable, in turn, woke up the postmaster, who tried to telegraph back to the police at wrentham, but found that the line was interrupted. was it possible that the men were cutting the wires, instead of repairing them? he says that after repairing the puncture he took the village constable and three other men on his car and went back to the spot, where, although the trio had escaped, they saw that wholesale havoc had been wrought with the telegraphs. the lines had been severed in four or five places, and whole lengths tangled up into great masses. a number of poles had been sawn down, and were lying about the roadside. seeing that nothing could be done, the gentleman remounted his car, came on to ipswich, and reported the damage at our call office."
"and is he still there?" exclaimed the superintendent quickly, amazed at the motorist's statement.
"yes. i asked him to wait for a few moments in order to speak to you, sir."
"good. i'll go at once. perhaps you'd like to come also, mr. fergusson?"
and all three ran up to the gallery, where the huge switchboards were ranged around, and where the night operators, with the receivers attached to one ear, were still at work.
in a moment the superintendent had taken the operator's seat, adjusted the ear-piece, and was in conversation with ipswich. a second later he was speaking with the man who had actually witnessed the cutting of the trunk line.
while he was thus engaged an operator at the farther[11] end of the switchboard suddenly gave vent to a cry of surprise and disbelief.
"what do you say, beccles? repeat it," he asked excitedly.
then a moment later he shouted aloud:
"beccles says that german soldiers—hundreds of them—are pouring into the place! the germans have landed at lowestoft, they think."
all who heard those ominous words sprang up dumbfounded, staring at each other.
the assistant-superintendent dashed to the operator's side and seized his apparatus.
"halloa—halloa, beccles! halloa—halloa—halloa!"
the response was some gruff words in german, and the sound of scuffling could distinctly be heard. then all was silent.
time after time he rang up the small suffolk town, but in vain. then he switched through to the testers, and quickly the truth was plain.
the second trunk line to norwich, running from ipswich by harleston and beccles, had been cut farther towards london.
but what held everyone breathless in the trunk telephone headquarters was that the germans had actually effected the surprise landing that had so often in recent years been predicted by military critics; that england on that quiet september sunday morning had been attacked. england was actually invaded. it was incredible!
yet london's millions in their sunday morning lethargy were in utter ignorance of the grim disaster that had suddenly fallen upon the land.
fergusson was for rushing at once back to the "dispatch" office to get out an extraordinary edition, but the superintendent, who was still in conversation with the motorist, urged judicious forethought.
"for the present, let us wait. don't let us alarm the public unnecessarily. we want corroboration. let us have the motorist up here," he suggested.
"yes," cried the sub-editor. "let me speak to him."
over the wire fergusson begged the stranger to come at once to london and give his story, declaring that the military authorities would require it. then, just as the man who had been shot at by german advance spies—for such they had undoubtedly been—in order to prevent[12] the truth leaking out, gave his promise to come to town at once, there came over the line from the coastguard at southwold a vague, incoherent telephone message regarding strange ships having been seen to the northward, and asking for connection with harwich; while king's cross and liverpool street stations both rang up almost simultaneously, reporting the receipt of extraordinary messages from king's lynn, diss, harleston, halesworth, and other places. all declared that german soldiers were swarming over the north, that lowestoft and beccles had been seized, and that yarmouth and cromer were isolated.
various stationmasters reported that the enemy had blown up bridges, taken up rails, and effectually blocked all communication with the coast. certain important junctions were already held by the enemy's outposts.
such was the amazing news received in that high-up room in carter lane, city, on that sweet, sunny morning when all the great world of london was at peace, either still slumbering or week-ending.
fergusson remained for a full hour and a half at the telephone exchange, anxiously awaiting any further corroboration. many wild stories came over the wires telling how panic-stricken people were fleeing inland away from the enemy's outposts. then he took a hansom to the "dispatch" office, and proceeded to prepare a special edition of his paper—an edition containing surely the most amazing news that had ever startled london.
fearing to create undue panic, he decided not to go to press until the arrival of the motorist from ipswich. he wanted the story of the man who had actually seen the cutting of the wires. he paced his room excitedly, wondering what effect the news would have upon the world. in the rival newspaper offices the report was, as yet, unknown. with journalistic forethought he had arranged that at present the bewildering truth should not leak out to his rivals, either from the railway termini or from the telephone exchange. his only fear was that some local correspondent might telegraph from some village or town nearer the metropolis which was still in communication with the central office.
time passed very slowly. each moment increased his anxiety. he had sent out the one reporter who remained on duty to the house of colonel sir james taylor, the[13] permanent under-secretary for war. halting before the open window, he looked up and down the street for the arriving motor-car. but all was quiet.
eight o'clock had just boomed from big ben, and london still remained in her sunday morning peace. the street, bright in the warm sunshine, was quite empty, save for a couple of motor-omnibuses and a sprinkling of gaily dressed holiday-makers on their way to the day excursion trains.
in that centre of london—the hub of the world—all was comparatively silent, the welcome rest after the busy turmoil that through six days in the week is unceasing, that fevered throbbing of the heart of the world's great capital.
of a sudden, however, came the whirr-r of an approaching car, as a thin-faced, travel-stained man tore along from the direction of the strand and pulled up before the office. the fine car, a six-cylinder "napier," was grey with the mud of country roads, while the motorist himself was smothered until his goggles had been almost entirely covered.
fergusson rushed out to him, and a few moments later the pair were in the upstairs room, the sub-editor swiftly taking down the motorist's story, which differed very little from what he had already spoken over the telephone.
then, just as big ben chimed the half-hour, the echoes of the half-deserted strand were suddenly awakened by the loud, strident voices of the newsboys shouting:
"'dispatch,' spe-shall! invasion of england this morning! germans in suffolk! terrible panic! spe-shall! 'dispatch,' spe-shall!"
as soon as the paper had gone to press fergusson urged the motorist—whose name was horton, and who lived at richmond—to go with him to the war office and report. therefore, both men entered the car, and as they did so a man jumped from a hansom in breathless haste. he was the reporter whom fergusson had sent out to sir james taylor's house in cleveland square, hyde park.
"they thought sir james spent the night with his brother up at hampstead," he exclaimed. "i've been there, but find that he's away for the week-end at chilham hall, near buckden."
"buckden! that's on the great north road!" cried[14] horton, "we'll go at once and find him. sixty miles from london. we can be there under two hours!"
and a few minutes later the pair were tearing due north, turning at last into the handsome lodge-gates of chilham park, and running up the great elm avenue, drew up before the main door of the ancient hall, a quaint many-gabled old place of grey stone.
a few moments later the breathless journalist faced the permanent under-secretary with the news that england was invaded—that the germans had actually effected a surprise landing on the east coast.
sir james and his host stood speechless. like others, they at first believed the pale-faced, bearded sub-editor to be a lunatic, but a few moments later, when horton briefly repeated the story, they saw that, whatever might have occurred, the two men were at least in deadly earnest.
"impossible!" cried sir james. "we should surely have heard something of it if such were actually the case. the coastguard would have telephoned the news instantly. besides, where is our fleet?"
"the germans evidently laid their plans with great cleverness. their spies, already in england, cut the wires at a pre-arranged hour last night," declared fergusson. "they sought to prevent this gentleman from giving the alarm by shooting him. all the railways to london are already either cut or held by the enemy. one thing, however, is clear—fleet or no fleet, the east coast is entirely at their mercy."
host and guest exchanged dark glances.
"well, if what you say is the actual truth," exclaimed sir james, "to-day is surely the blackest day that england has ever known."
"yes, they should have listened to lord roberts," snapped his lordship. "i suppose you'll go at once, taylor, and make inquiries?"
"of course," responded the permanent secretary. and a quarter of an hour later, accepting horton's offer, he was sitting in the car as it headed back towards london.
could the journalist's story be true? as he sat there, with his head bent against the wind and the mud splashing into his face, sir james recollected too well the repeated warnings of the past five years, serious warnings by men who knew our shortcomings, but to which no[15] attention had been paid. both the government and the public had remained apathetic, the idea of peril had been laughed to scorn, and the country had, ostrich-like, buried its head in the sand, and allowed continental nations to supersede us in business, in armaments, in everything.
the danger of invasion had always been ridiculed as a mere alarmist's fiction; those responsible for the defence of the country had smiled, the navy had been reduced, and the army had remained in contented inefficiency.
if the blow had really been struck by germany? if she had risked three or four, out of her twenty-three, army corps, and had aimed at the heart of the british empire? what then? ay! what then?
as the car glided down regent street into pall mall and towards whitehall, sir james saw on every side crowds discussing the vague but astounding reports now published in special editions of all the sunday papers, and shouted wildly everywhere.
boys bearing sheets fresh from the fleet street presses were seized, and bundles torn from them by excited londoners eager to learn the latest intelligence.
around both war office and admiralty great surging crowds were clamouring loudly for the truth. was it the truth, or was it only a hoax? half london disbelieved it. yet from every quarter, from the north and from across the bridges, thousands were pouring in to ascertain what had really occurred, and the police had the greatest difficulty in keeping order.
in trafalgar square, where the fountains were plashing so calmly in the autumn sunlight, a shock-headed man mounted the back of one of the lions and harangued the crowd with much gesticulation, denouncing the government in the most violent terms; but the orator was ruthlessly pulled down by the police in the midst of his fierce attack.
it was half-past two o'clock in the afternoon. the germans had already been on english soil ten hours, yet london was in ignorance of where they had actually landed, and utterly helpless.
