The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1901-09-25

It >SSss.
Wait, i1l the name of FTancei
As 7 I've. you shall not fire! l for
bid you! swear by my honor and the
i honor of England that he shall not die
like dog. He is of my country; he
IS of my order. will appeal to your
emperor. He will accord me his life
the instant ] ask 1t. Give me only an
hours reprieVea few moments space
to speak to your chiefs-to seek out
i your general -
st is impossible. monseigneur. Sub
nit to the execution of the law. or 4
must arrest you,
Lyonnesse flung off the OBTAINING
hand of the guard and swung round
4 SO that his agonized eyes gazed close
i into the adjutantss immoyabIe face
/ which before that gaze lost its cold
ness and its rigor
An hours reprieve--for mercy's
sake, grant that !"
II have said it is impossible .
i Heis an English noble. / tell you - 80
He is a soldier who has broken the
law. That suffices. must obey my!
orders. ! regret you should have this
pain. but il you do not cease to inter-
fere my soldiers must make you.'''
Where the guards held him Cecil
saw and heard. His voice rose with
all its old strength and directness:
m y friend, do not plead for me- For
!, the sake of our common country and
four old love, let us both meet this with
. silence and with courage
The words stung his hearer well
nigh to madness. He turned on the
I soldiers with all the fury of his race
that slumbered so long. but when it
1 awoke was like the lions rage In
vective entreaty. conjuration. COM
mand. imploring prayer and ungoyern-.
Led passion poured in tumultnous
words. in agonized eloquence, from his
| lips. All answer was a quick sign Of
the hand, and ere he saw them dozen
soldiers were round him. his arms
were seized, his splendid frame was.
held as poWerless as a lassoed bull
CeciFs eyes strained on him with one
last longing look Then he raised his
hand and gave the signal for his own
death shot.
1 The leve1ed carbines covered him.
He stood erect with his face full to-
/ ward the sun. Ere they could fire, a
shrill cry pierced the air:
Wait. in the name of France
sDismounted. 8breathless, staggering.
| with her arms flung upward and her.
face bloodless with fear Cigarette APP
! peared upon the ridge Of rising ground.
| The cry Of command pealed out upon
1 the silence in the voice that the army
| of Africa loved as the voice Of their
/ little one. And the cry came too late.
The yolley was fired. the crash OF
sound thrilled across the words that
babe them pause, the heavy smoke.
solled out upon the air, the death that
! was doomed was dealt.
But beyond the smoke cloud he stag
! 8gered slightly and then stood erect still,
/ almpst' ssnharmed, grazed only by some
few Of the balls. The flash Of fire was
not so fleet as the swiftness Of her
love. and On his breast she threw her
self and flung her arms about him and
turned her head backward with her
old dauntless, sunlit smile assthe balls
pierced her bosom and broke her limbs
and We're turned away by that shield
OF warm young life from him.
Her arms were gliding from about
his neck and her shot limbs were sink
ing to the earth as he caught her up
where she had dropped to his feet.
20 God 4 child, they have killed
you
He suffered more as the cry broke
from him than If the bullets had
brought him that death which he saw.
at one glance had strfck en- down for
ever al the glory of her childhood, all
the gIadness OF her youth.
She laughed, all the clear. inlperious
arch laughter Of her sunniest hours
unchanged.
hut It is the powder and ball Of
France. That does not hurt If it III as
On Arbico' s bullet, now But wait
Here is the marshal's order. He sus-
ponds your sentence T have told him
all You are sa do you hea re YOU
are safe! How he looks. Is he grieyed
to live Here is the order The gener-
az must have not out off
hand till the general sees it. Fetch
him, some DC you fetch him to Ille
8 reat hea Ven, YOU lave given your
I life for mine g