Grand Forks daily herald., 1915-05-25
I DIDN'T Want TO KILL THE
BLIcHTER" SAID THE SERGEANT
Never Did Me no arm, but What the ell Could Do?"
is Comment of Soldier in Kings Rifles Telling
Stories of Tragedies at the Front.
The second night came on.

The second night came on.
We were feeling our way through
the dark" is the story that Wilson
told the nurses. 'Iding be-ind edges
and all that. The Bosches were every
where"
The three began to believe they had
outrun their pursuers. Behind them
the flare of shells lightened the dim
| landscape. Guns rOared continually
on either side. Rifles spoke not in
volleys. but singly as though 1.-The VIC
i torious foe was hunting down strag-
glers and giving no quarter. Imme-
diately in front there seemed break
and by comparison silent. They crept
silently along. ....
tHalte!" shouted a cultural voice.
1t was German sentry. More like
~, a soldier of some fast riding body
OF Uhlans that had penetrated thus
far to head off the stragglers. The
| three dropped to the ground. The
German came toward them, doubtful
ly, as though he were not certain that
his form darkly against the skyline.
On either side they could see other
dark forms. They had run into an
ambush. He passed Wilson, not see
ing him. The other two were farther
! back.
so necked i'm from be-ind," said
! Wilson.
When Murder Becomes War.
The two came down heavily upon
the ground. Wilson's long fingers
were fastened in the Germans throat.
| The other two came up and threw
themselves upon the man. His gun
was taken and his cartridges. Then
they held consultation.
I'VE didn't know what to do with
the blighter," said Wilson.
Consider their situation. No quar-
ter was being given in that night
flight The enemy was on every hand.
were surely forfeit. They thought Of
tying him up. But they had no
string. and one cannot tie man with
leather belt SO tightly that there
is no danger of escape. They had
nothing for gag.
The German tried to turn their
hands. Wilson's grip had been in
voluntarily released upon his thick
neck. He tried to cry out. The Lam
again, so that the scream fell off into
! q strangled grunt. He was big man,
the German, and IT. was all the three
could do to hold him.
'E'll'ave to CO." said Wilson.
The others nodded in the darkness.
Wilson could not see them, but he
knew they had assented.
"'Ow'll we do 1t 2" he asked.
They consulted in whispers. They
oneting was not quick enough. They
thought of-"banging Inn on the 'ead
with the gun" but decided that he
might not be stunned sufficiently.
They thought of choking him into
Inconsistencies. There was the fear
that he might recover and betray
Dos got knife," asked Wilson.
,griniiy.
/ The little private said in q shaky
voice that he had not. He wandered
on. He wanted to tell about when 1t
! was he lost his knife and under what
circumstances. Shut up" said Ga.
ret. I've got one"
The two sergenats took the respon-
sibility upon themselves The quiver-
ing little private was not even consid-
cred. The German thrust his body
upward strongly. there IN the dark
from Garet's clutch. He must have
understood English. He struck VIC
iously at Wilson, who was clutching
his throat. &c, I, &,
I'm the senior" said Wilson. "It's
my job &, .,5Issss.. {. syA l,sss Is:
Ana so-whtle the little private was
Violently Ill there In the night-Qa a.
little private thrust hiS slender hand
into Wilson'S pocket and pulled out
the big service clasp knife and open-
ed Its hve-inch blaae. y s.95s5 Il
Jam your cap down Y over Is
mouth, said Wilson 70 the little pri-
vate, huskily, ''and may God ave
mercy on 'is soul III # q I. sl
l II wasn't murder. 81 s
That is war. s,