Before Colonel Van Gilbert had succeeded in sitting down, Ernest was on his feet and had sprung forward.
"One at a time!" he roared at them.
The sound arose from his great lungs and dominated the human tempest.

By sheer compulsion of personality he commanded silence.
"One at a time," he repeated softly.

"Let me answer Colonel Van Gilbert.
After that the rest of you can come at me--but one at a time, remember.
No mass-plays here.

This is not a football field.
"As for you," he went on, turning toward Colonel Van Gilbert, "you have replied to nothing I have said.

You have merely made a few excited and dogmatic assertions about my mental caliber.