Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-03-19

on the road. Then, with an accelera-
ton of reckless determination, he
jerked the belt itself from his body
and hurled it away from him, the
bayonet in its sheath falling with a
clatter far from the discarded gun.
There followed buttons, and num-
bers, and all else that was detachable
from his once complete and proper
uniform.
This" he cried, "is my answer!"
He raised himself erect, folded his
arms, and looked with mingled def.
ance and appeal at the amazed and ST.
lent men.
'"This is my answer to the murder
ers-my answer to the emperors,
kings, presidents, politicians, capital
lists, bankers, makers of guns and pow
der-all the money-sodden and power
crazed scheners who have brought
twenty millions of slaves together to
shoot each other down."
"Stop!" flung out voice from the
group of men before him.
Duprez paused and looked anxious
ly but fearlessly toward the speaker.
''Well, Martineau?" he demanded
sharply.
resolutely. He was the largest among
them-a very presentable figure of a
| soldier in his new uniform-and his
honest face had perhaps little less
of the interpretive expression that
characterized the pale countenances
of his compaions.
Treason? Treason to whom?
Treason to what?" demanded Duprez,
advancing a step and treading his
Lebel under his feet.
Treason to your country! Trea-
son to France!" retorted Martineau.
Among the others there was now
apparent a division of feeling, a con-
flict of emotions aroused by the fiery
and appealing words of Duprez and
the sharp and antiseptic reminder of
Martfneau.
Duprez saw instantly that he had
perhaps half of his men already won,
prepared as they had doubtless been
by their reading, and that he had a
fair chance to convince the others.
Treason" he cried scornfully.
Treason to France, already betrayed
by parliamentary cliques! Treason to
a country already pluadered by grasp
ing politicians! Treason to the Patrie
already tottering to the grave dug for
her by her own men-so-called men
who fill the magazines of her battle
ships with rotten powder Don't you
know why the Liberte blew up?-men
who fill their pockets with millions
appropriated to buy a WORKOUT and
bankrupt railroad-men who trade in
the nations property end the nations
lfves-men who fatten on the corpses
Of the poor-men who reek with"
mol" shouted Martineau. Urea
son to the country of Deroulede and
Potncare; treason to the nation at
tackled by the tyrant who wants to put
his foot on every province of France
as he has on Alsace and"
ooh, there you are!" broke in Du-
PREF. THAT foolish cry Of Alsace and
Lorraine! What is Alsace? What is
Lorraine? What is France? What is
Germany, Austria, Russia? What are
these imaginary lines drawn across
fields and mountains and valleys?
what are these artificial divisions
Of men that are set to fighting one
another on the fimsiest pretexts to
crafty the lust of rulers. The Ger
man tyrant, you say! Yes, the Ger
man tyrant. the Russian tyrant, the
French tyrants. What is the republic
Of France, as It stands today, but an
other form of that same corruption,
that same autocracy, that same tri-
umph Of the few over the many that
rules in all the world? Because you
60 to the polls and vote, do you think