John Buchan

Name: Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove
Author: John Buchan

Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

Summary

“Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove”, published in 1919, is a work by John Buchan. It explores elements such as megaphone, Archie and Bradfield.

Quotes from Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (John Buchan)

John Buchan, Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

“ I was swept on and came to anchor in the enemy trenches, where I found, as I expected, my profane and breathless predecessor, the movie-merchant. I had nothing to say to him, so I stuck to the trench till it ended against the slope of the hill.
On that flank, delirious with excitement, stood a knot of boy scouts. My business was to get to Bradfield as quick as my legs would take me, and as inconspicuously as the gods would permit. Unhappily I was far too great an object of interest to that nursery of heroes. Every boy scout is an amateur detective and hungry for knowledge. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

“ I could imagine that this kind of business took a good deal of planning from the point of view of the movie-merchant, for his purpose was not the same as that of the officer in command. You know how a photographer finicks about and is dissatisfied with a pose that seems all right to his sitter. I should have thought the spectacle enough to get any cinema audience off their feet, but the man on the scaffolding near me judged differently. He made his megaphone boom like the swan-song of a dying buffalo. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

“ I scurried down the hill to the nearest camera-man.
As I ran, the first wave of troops went over the top. They did it uncommon well, for they entered into the spirit of the thing, and went over with grim faces and that slow, purposeful lope that I had seen in my own fellows at Arras. Smoke grenades burst among them, and now and then some resourceful mountebank would roll over. Altogether it was about the best show I have ever seen. The cameras clicked, the guns banged, a background of boy scouts applauded, and the dust rose in billows to the sky. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

“ I wanted food and was casting about for an eating-house when I heard the purr of a motor-cycle and across the road saw the intelligent boy scout. He saw me, too, and put on the brake with a sharpness which caused him to skid and all but come to grief under the wheels of a wool-wagon. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

“ I bagged his megaphone and hopped up the steps to the platform. At last I saw a chance of first-class cover, for with Archie's coat and cap I made a very good appearance as a movie-merchant. Two waves had gone over the top, and the cinema-men, working like beavers, had filmed the lot. But there was still a fair amount of troops to play with, and I determined to tangle up that outfit so that the fellows who were after me would have better things to think about.
My advantage was that I knew how to command men. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

“ They've got the police, and they'll have you in five minutes if you don't leg it. I lied like billy-o and said I had never heard of you, but they're comin' to see for themselves. For God's sake get off . . . You'd better keep in cover down that hollow and round the back of these trees. I'll stay here and try to brazen it out. I'll get strafed to blazes anyhow . . . I hope you'll get me out of the scrape, sir.'
'Don't you worry, my lad,' I said. 'I'll make it all square when I get back to town. I'll make for Bradfield, for this place is a bit conspicuous. Goodbye, Archie. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

“ My aim was to deploy the troops on too narrow a front so that they were bound to fan outward, and I had to be quick about it, for I didn't know when the hapless movie-merchant might be retrieved from the battle-field and dispute my authority.
It takes a long time to straighten a thing out, but it does not take long to tangle it, especially when the thing is so delicate a machine as disciplined troops. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

“ I could see that my opposite number with the megaphone was helpless, for the mistake which had swept my man into a shell-hole had reduced him to impotence. The troops seemed to be mainly in charge of N.C.O.s (I could imagine that the officers would try to shirk this business) , and an N.C.O. is the most literal creature on earth. So with my megaphone I proceeded to change the battle order. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

“ A couple of mechanics had got out the machine, and Archie put on his coat and gloves and climbed into the pilot's seat, while I squeezed in behind in the observer's place. The aerodrome was waking up, but I saw no officers about. We were scarcely seated when Gibbons called our attention to a motor-car on the road, and presently we heard a shout and saw men waving in our direction. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (1919)

“ He took Amos's view of the soundness of the British working-man, but he said something which made me think. He was convinced that there was a tremendous lot of German spy work about, and that most of the practitioners were innocent. 'The ordinary Briton doesn't run to treason, but he's not very bright. ”

John Buchan

Summary

Quotes from Mr Standfast — Chapter 9: I Take the Wings of a Dove (John Buchan)

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