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"Orders are good on parade," interrupted Sprinkler. "We had a

standing order in the Kowno brigade, a short and pointed one:

'Strike terror and be not terrified; fight and do not surrender;

advance always, and make quick strokes, slish, slash!' "

"Those are my principles," squealed Razor. "What's the use of

spilling ink and drawing up acts of confederation? Do you want

one? That's the whole question. Maciej is our marshal and his

little switch is his baton of office."

"Long live Cock-on-the-Steeple!" shouted Baptist. The gentry

answered, "Vivant the sprinklers!"

But in the corners a murmur had arisen, though it was stifled in

the centre; evidently the council was dividing into two sides.

Buchmann shouted: "I will never approve an agreement; that's my

system." Somebody else yelled "Veto,"134 and others seconded him

from the corners. Finally the gruff voice of Skoluba was heard, a

gentleman from another hamlet.