“Oh, I see, he’s one of those Highland chief fellows. Go on.”

“As I was saying, I could take out a summons against him for assault and battery, and so could young Tom Camidge for shooting his portable wireless set as well as assaulting him personally, and so could all the rest for the assault, and the shutting them up in those dungeons; but Mr Buckham feels that the only lesson to give Mr MacDonald is a lesson that will teach him the power of the National Union of Hikers rather than the power of British justice, which no doubt he knows already.”

“What form does Mr Buckham propose his lesson should take?” Lord Buntingdon asked.

“He wishes the N.U.H. to declare war on Mr MacDonald and make his life a burden to him until he sues for peace.”

“How does Mr Buckham propose to wage war?”

“He wants volunteers from the N.U.H. to camp on Mr MacDonald’s land, to pull down the notice-boards, to annoy him in every possible way and possibly even to seize and occupy Glenbogle Castle. He proposes to assume command himself of the operations. The meeting is being held on Friday to rouse the feelings of the Union. Mr Buckham will address the meeting. So will Tom Camidge. His fiancée, too, Miss Winifred Gosnay, will relate the experience of the girls shut up in the dungeon. And finally I shall tell of the way this Highland bully shook and shook and shook …”

“Yes, yes,” Lord Buntingdon interrupted, “that will be what you will tell the meeting.”

“And also I shall relate the really horrible tale of the way we were driven out of Glenbogle by lorries and motorcars.”

“But what do you want me to do?” Lord Buntingdon asked, a little dubiously.

“We want you, our much revered and, if I may say so, much loved President to take the chair and lend the weight of your name to what we feel will be one of the most impressive demonstrations of democratic solidarity and determination this country has witnessed for many a long day. I know how strongly you feel on the subject of collective security, and this seems to me, if I may venture to say so, a phenomenal opportunity to display a most convincing example of the advantage of collective security.”