Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-05-25


first q man had one chance in ten tt
escape; but now those left had NJ
more than one chance in seven. Hand
moved reluctantly to the bag, ant
drew out the lots with hesitation. In
deed only fierce threats on part o
the officer induced some to draw a
all And still the stream of white pa
pers flowed from the bag, and men
ay, and women, too, hurried to th'
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 hundredtl
prisoner drew blank and marched
away with the white paper stuck
prominently in his hat. Half of tht
whole number had drawn their lots
and of those left onein every five mus
die.
The officer took his bag aside, ant
made en- examination by which he sat
is6ed himself that the papers with the
red cross on were actually lying will
the rest. and that it was impossible tc
distinguish them by the feel. Ther
he shook up tie contents of the bag
once more, and resumed his duty,
But neither searching nor stirring ur
of the papers changed the course O.
events. Fifty more blank lots were
drawn; and then, at last, there was 6
movement, a stir of excitement, 6
murmur of sympathy. In the midst
of it all were heard the frantic pro-
tests Of the unfortunate prisoner,
whose arms were being strapped by
the guard. He wildly exclaimed
against his fate Why was he to be
shot when $50 had escaped? It was
monstrous! It was unfair,. unfair
he would not submit. Then he be-
gan to plead and beg for mercy, and
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 fol
the execution.
nerve of mora than one among the
miserable remnant of prisoners; and
they began to drag the fateful papers
more end more slowly to the light,
hardly daring to l,ok at them, les:
the awful red cross should be upon
them. Still, from man to man the
bag moved on, and no one drew o
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 ghastly scene
was repeated; another victim was
marched of to death; then third,
and fourth, and o fifth. Yet be-
tween these ill-fated wretches there
had been many who had drawn
blanks, so that at last an e1traordin-
ary 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 IN air OF distinction about
the man; and the officer looked at
him with 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 these 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 to
him, threw herself between him and
the bag, with q 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 n mo-
ment's hesitation the foreigner stepped
back to the ranks, and in o quiet,
deferential way accosted the officer.
"Sir," he said, ''it cannot matter to
you whom you shoot. I will draw in,
stead of this woman's husband. Let
him take my place and I will take
his"
There was q murmur of admiration
among the soldiers. The woman
ceased her hysterical cries to look at
the author of this strange iIterrup.
ton. There was q whispered consul.
tation among the officers. At last one
of them spoke.
"Do you quite understand that there
are thirty-nine papers in this bag, and
thirty-fve of them are so marked that
he who draws one of them must die?
The stranger bowed.
s'Then If, knowing that, you are
prepared to draw for this man, we
have no objection to offer"
The stranger, without word, thrust
his hand into the bag, drew out 6
paper and held it up for all to see. II
was white one.
$50 far, so good," he said, quietly
"the man is free, and I am free also
Now, by your leave, will draw fol
the mans wife,
The soldiers gazed at him as if he
were out OF his senses, The officer
\ ald hank tina bn1 Sor n rnornant enS