A moment or so he stood by Barry's side, looking up with him at the stars.
“No fuss, up there,” he said, interpreting Barry's mood and attitude. “Not like that there pitchin', tossin', threatenin' water.”
“No,” said Barry, “but though they look quiet, I suppose if we could really see, there is a most terrific whirling of millions of stars up there, going at the rate of thousands of miles a minute.”
“Millions of 'em, and all whirlin' about,” said McCuaig in an awe-stricken voice. “It's a wonder they don't hit.”
“They don't hit because they each keep their own orbit,” said Barry, “and they obey the laws of their existence.”
“Orbut,” enquired McCuaig. “What's that?”
“The trail that each star follows,” said Barry.
“I see,” said McCuaig, “each one keeps its own trail, its own orbut, and so there's peace up there. And I guess there'd be peace down here if folks did the same thing. It's when a man gets out of his own orbut and into another fellow's that the scrap begins. I guess that's where Germany's got wrong.”
“And sometimes,” continued McCuaig, his eyes upon the stars, “when a little one comes up against a big one, he gets busted, eh?”
“And a big one, when he comes up against a bigger one gets pretty badly jarred, eh?”
“That's what's goin' to happen to Germany,” said McCuaig.
“Germany's a very powerful nation,” said Barry. “The most powerful military nation in the world.”
“What!” said McCuaig. “Bigger than Britain?”
“Britain has two or three hundred thousand men in her army; Germany has seven millions or more, with seventy millions of people behind them, organised for war. Of course, Britain has her navy, but then Germany has the next biggest in the world. Oh, it's going to be a terrific war.”
“I say,” said McCuaig, putting his hand on Barry's shoulder. “You don't think it will bother us any to lick her?”
“It will be the most terrible of all Britain's wars,” replied Barry. “It will take every ounce of Britain's strength.”
“You don't tell me!” exclaimed McCuaig, as if struck by an entirely new idea. “Say, are you really anxious, young man?”
“I am terribly anxious,” replied Barry. “I know Germany a little. I spent a year there. She is a mighty nation, and she is ready for war.”
“She is, eh!” replied McCuaig thoughtfully. He wandered off to the fire without further word, where, rolling himself in his blanket and scorning the place in the tent offered him by Duff, he made himself comfortable for the night.