The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-12-20
ARNOLD" cried Markham.

talk or murder! said Mason. I'D be
making the world better to put you out of
it. Besides. I'd only he Kidding the Of
| tcers of dirty job. You're q spy, Tom
Markham. and, according to the laws of
war. you're to be put to death. l send
bullet through your head. and the thing
is done neat and quick"
He stepped back a little and cooked his
rifle. The man threw up his hands again
and begged for mercy. Standing farther
away now. Mason could scarcely see his
face. The moon was hidden now by n
drifting cloud, and the shadows had
come over the glen. There was no sound
in the woods about them. His comrades
had returned to camp, having finished
their part of the task. He looked up at
the hill where the army lay. 1t was
bright with many lights, and now and
then he saw a dark tracery appear upon
its luminous shield. He knew that it
was the soldiers passing and repassing
between him and the fires He would be
back with them soon, and there would
be one scoundrel less in the world. There
was satisfaction in the thought that his
own hand would achieve the good work.
The fierce mountain blood was hot in
his veins and called for the death atone
ment upon the man who had done him
wrong.
''The shepherds went their hasty way
And found the lowly stable shed
Where the Virgin mother lay:
And now they checked their eager tread
For to the babe that at her bosom chung
mothers song the Virgin sung"
The hymn had died for a little while.
but now it rose again, borne aloft by n
hnDIrnn cla 10,
and filling the night with melody. All
other sounds were hushed at the distance.
1t alone sounded in the ears of the two
men-the one who knelt and begged for
mercy and the one who stood over him,
cooked rifle in hand. That same sense
of awe which he had felt earlier in the
evening and then had shaken off began
to steal over Mason again.
Dan! Dan! Do you hear that|
suddenly cried the man.
"Yes, | hear it."
"Do you know what it mcans?"
Yes; it is Christmas night You need
not tell me that. l know it, What have
you or the likes of you to do with such a
night as this?'
Markham looked up into his face.
ITS not me, Dan; it's you that ought
der, Dan, il you kill meme an unarmed
man. And think of it. Dan. on such a
night as this-Christmas night, with that
song ringing in your ears. Whenever you
lay down to sleep, you'll hear it again."
''The shepherds went their TASTY way"
The note penetrated all the woods and
seemed to Mason to increase in fullness.
1t annoyed him. He wished they would
stop There had been enough of such sen
timent. He was not weak child to be
turned aside from his just revenge. He
was merely the eXecutioner whom this
criminal deserved.
SAY your prayers, if you know any to
say. he exclaimed roughly. Your
times short and it's going fast"
Dan, Dan, you won't do it,
81 will
Listen how they sing, DAM Are you
any better than they are? This is the
night that man ought to forgive his
enemies. You wouldn't murder me on
this of all nights in the year Remem-
Der, Dan, that we were friends once.
You won't forget that. will you?"
You forgot it." said Mason.
lie looked again at the kneeling figure
and thought how he had longed more
than two years for this moment. He had
often pictured it to himself and had mag
med in advance the joy which now he
dld not feel How could he with the
words of that song ringing in his ears?
Ii 1t were only any other night!
Its not murder; it's a punishment"
he said at last.
1t is murder, and you know it. too
Dam That sound would haunt you! Lis
ten to it, Dan!'
"T 1ea SHEPHERDS ,srns Is, went their way
1t was growing darkei darker in
the glen as the drifting clS piled up
between them and the moon. Mason
could scarcely see the outlines of Mark
mans face, and he was glad that the
suppliants look was not visible to him
de knew that the mans face expressed
abJect entreaty. He raised his rife again
and leveled it, but his finger would not
press the trigger. The warning HYMN
sounded in his ears and echoed again and
again.
Don't kill me, Dam" said the man.
Take me prisoner to the camp"
And If | do" replied Mason shortly
they III hang you for spy. Don't TO
get that"
Markham was silent.
The song did not cease. 1t seemed now
to Mason that it was addressed to him
alone. Would it be murder. and not n
punishment, as Markham said? What
would he think of himself in the morn
ing! Could he return to the campGres
and sit calmly by his comrades. singing
Of Christmas night?
1.-The shepherds went their hasty way"
Dam said the man.
Mason did not answer.
The song swelled into a great volume
OF sound, filling all the woods and echo
ing about them.
Mason felt that it was calling to him
and he could not refuse to listen If be
would. nv
"Goodby," he said
lie turned about suddenly. leaving tbe
kheellng man in the glen and. putting his
rifle on his shoulder walked back 70
camp, while over his head rolled tho
words of the hymn:
The shepherds went their hasiy wav
And found the lowly stable shed
Where the Virgin mother lay"