Evening star., 1915-06-28
PRISONERS KILLED
WITHOUT APOLOGY
Death of Germans Necessary
to Protect British Party
of Forty.
FOOD TEUTONS CARRIED
WAS GREATLY DESIRED
Little Company of Fourteen Surren-
ders Only to Find It Must
Be Sacrificed.

PARIS. June 16.-Neither of the Eng
lish sergeants apologAed for what had
been done. There was no need for such
an apology. Any soldiers will tell YOU
that such things happen now and then
If the soldier is candid, he will tell
you they are to be excused by the plea
of military necessity
And we was ungry," said the first
English sergeant
so we took their black bread and
sossidge out of their 'aversacks.' said
the second English sergeant
The two English sergeants were in
Iaris on some sort of an errand
Neither gave any intimati ton of what il
was They sat on the terrasse in front
OF the care de la PaiX and drank their
peer and sternly eyed femininity as it
drlfted past. They were thoroughly sol
dlerly. of the professional soldier type
one had been butcher in the East
End before he joined the colors The
other had driven tram down the Mile
End road. Both had been well season
ed by Years in India. Except for their
knowledge of soldering they were ig
norant. but they knew their business
ne non com is the backbone of the
Enslsh army, is a saying you will
near IN military circles i'll France 1t is
proved true every time one sees one OF
these men-erect, hard, goddess, but
desperately good soldiers.
IL happened during that retreat from
Mons The two English sergeants had
helped stand off the German rush be
hind a home made" intrenchment
They explained. stolidly, that they
dldnt know much about trench making
when the war broke out. 1t had not
been part of their equipment in In
dia Their officers in those days still
clung to the British tradition that the
way to keep their men buoyed up was
TO rise. to their feet at intervals, in
order that the foe might shoot them.
me foe had embraced each opportunity.
BY and by two companies found them
selves telescoped. There was not a COM
mlssioned officer left between them. So
they ran.
Not ran exactly explained the first
sergeant.
We retreated damn 'urriedly," modi-
ned the second sergeant.
Held Their Company.
The two held their men together
forty of them-all that were fit to run
and fight out of two full companies
They had no rations. They supplied
themselves with cartridges from the
belts of fallen men. They retired sui
lenly. angriiy. cursing. but they were
forced to retire. The main body of the
English army was holding together
flank. from which bits had been chip
ped by the persistent German attack.
The countryside was filed with these
scattered bodies of men. fighting their
way back, always pressed by the shout
ing Germans.
Two days of it we had." said the first
sergeant. The Germans got between
US and the main body"
We was off on our own" said the
second sergeant.
On the second day they were very
hungry indeed. 1t was on this day that
they captured the fourteen Germans
There had been more of the Germans
originally. but the forty Englishmen
had ambushed them as they secured
the fields looking for fugitives The
two sergeants spoke of that ambush
with the satisfaction good business
man exhibits when he has done a prof
liable stroke of trade. The fourteen
that were left surrendered. The forty
marched on with their prisoners.
Not bad sorts. either" said the first
sergeant. only they mide gyme of
us
''One of our chaps it a Boche in the
nose said the second sergeant. But
i'm and me, we soon stopped that bit o.
business.