The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-05-04


ranks with impassivo countenances.
Further and further down the line
moved the officer with the bag, and
man after man drew ont white pa
per, and took his place with those
who had safely passed the ordeal.
The first fifty drew blanks, the second
fifty drew blanks, and, as you may
imagine, the relief which came to
them meant increased anxiety to those
who still had to draw. Indeed, low
murmur of astonishment and indigna-
ton began torun through the three hun
dred left. Thereupon the officer
shook the bag again, and, putting in
his hand, stirred up the papers, after
which the drawing proceeded.
But somewhat more slowly At
first man had one chance in ten to
escape but now those left had no
more than one chance in seven. Hands
moved reluctantly to the bag, and
drew out the lots with hesitation. In
deed only fierce threats on part of
the officer induced some to draw at
all And still the stream of white pa
pers flowed from the bag, and men,
ay, and women, too, hurried to the
right; but the space on the left, re-
served for the doomed forty, was un-
occupied. Even the officer was as
tonished when the two hundredth
prisoner drew blank and marched
away with the white paper stuck
prominently in his hat. Half of the
whole number had drawn their lots,
and of those left one in every five must
die.
The officer took his bag aside, and
made an examination by which he sat
isiied himself that the papers with the
red cross Oh we're actually lying with
the rest. and thai il was impossible to
distinguish them by the feel. Then
he shook up the contents of the bag
once more, and resumed his duty
But neither searching nor stirring up
of the papers changed the course CT
events. Fifty more blank lots were
drawn; and then, at last, there was q
movement, a stir of excitement, a
murmur of sympathy. In the midst
of it all were heard the frantic pro-
tests of the uIfortunate prisoner,
whose arms we're being strapped by
the guard. He wildly exclaimed
against his fate. Why was he to be
shot when $50 had escaped? It was
monstrousl II was unfair, unfair!
He would not submit. Then he be-
gan to plead.and beg for mercy, aud
when that produced no effect, he
screamed to his old comrades to save
him from murder. Finally he was
gagged as well as strapped, and borne
off to the left, to the spot selected for
the execution.
This horrible scene broke down the
nerve of more than one among the
miserable remnant of prisoners; and
they began to drag the fateful papers
more and more slowly to the light,
hardly daring to look at them, lest
the awful red cross should be upon
them. Still, from man to man the
bag moved on, and no one drew a
second death-paper, booming him to
Join the first victim. The third hun
dred had all passed through. the or
deal, and only one of all the number
had drawn the blood-red cross, The
tension now became well-nigh un-
bearable, for Of the remainder almost
every other man, woman or child
must of necessity prepare to die.
Presently the former CHASTITY scene
was repeated; another victim was
marched of to death; then third,
and fourth, and fifth. Yet be-
tween these ill-fated wretches there
had been many who had drawn
blanks, so that at last an extraordin-
airy result was reached.
Forty papers remained in the bag,
and thirty-tive bore the red cross of
death. 1t was at this stage that the
officer holding the bag advanced, and
presented it to one whose face showed
him to be foreigner. He was
bronzed; but he had the fair skin, and
light brown hair of the Englishman.
There was an air of distinction about
the. man; and the officer looked at
him with a puzzled expression, as who
should say: "How do you come to be
here with this vermin?" The sur
prise in his face was not lost upon the
Englishman, who, however. made no
ado, but plunged his hand into the
bag, drew out white paper, held it
up as if to satisfy the officer, then
thrust his hands into his pockets,
turned on his heel, and walked away
apparently the least concerned of all
the onlookers at this curious drama.
Before, however, he reached the
ranks of those who had successfully
passed the ordeal, wild cry reached
his ear; and he looked back. The man
whose turn to draw had now come was
tall, haggard, fierce rebel; and he
was prepared to try his fate without
ado. But his wife, who stood next tc
him, threw herself between him and
the bag, with most affecting cry that
they would pass by her husband. The
poor creature was nearly beside her
self with terror; and the soldiers were
proceeding to unlock her arms from
her husbands neck. Without mo
ment's hesitation the foreigner stepped
back to the ranks, and in quiet
deferential way accosted the officer.