The Elk Mountain pilot., 1916-10-12

ment calmly. There was no loophole
in the case against him, and he knew
he must be convicted, but he also knew
that his friend, the king, would never
let him hang. Why. gadzooks, Charles
was like brother to him. Nay, nay,
said the colonel to those who tried to
bring home to him the dangerous po-
sition he was in. He had good friend
at Whitehall who would save him.
In due course the colonel was con-
victed and returned from the court
room to his cell. AS the hours went
by, and the day of doom approached,
the coloners serenity was diminished
in some degree, but he was still con-
fident. He knew that Charles had a
weakness for putting everything off to
the last minute. Also, his majesty had
fondness for dramatic effects, and it
would be just like him to wait until
the last moment before issuing par
don or a reprieve. The jeering turn
keys suggested that the king had for
gotten him, but he knew the king bet
ter than they did.
The day of execution came and the
scaffold was erected in the street. All
of London was there to see what they
might see. Pepys records that he stood
on the wheel of cart and was much
cramped. The scaffold was primitive
affair, without modern comforts or
conveniences. 1t consisted of a plat
form and beam overhead, from which
was suspended the moose. That moose
having been adjusted about doomed
mans neck, he was pushed overheard.
In those days it was the custom to
allow condemned men to talk as much
as they wanted to, and the condemned
seldom abused the privilege. They
usually made few stereotyped re-
marks, asking all and sundry to profit
by the example before them and then
passed out.
Colonel Turner appeared upon the
scaffold bravely arrayed, with a broad
brimmed plumed hat upon his head.
He was a fine figure of a man. He
was escorted by the sheriff, the ordi-
nary (chaplain) of Newgate, the hang
ran and that functionarys first assist
ant. He looked long and earnestly in
the direction of Whitehall. No doubt
he expected to see man on horseback,
forcing his way through the crowd,
bearing reprieve. But there was no
such horseman. But the colonel's faith
in his friend, the king, was firm. All
he had to do was to stave off the pro-
ceedings until his majesty's messenger
came.
So the colonel began to talk. He had
fine voice and knew how to use it.
Had he lived in our day, he'd have
been on the chautauqua circuit. He
told the story of his life from infancy
to the current hour. He told of NOV
ing adventures and hairbreadth es-
capes, and the great crowd cheered
him. When he had talked for an
hour the sheriff tapped him on the
shoulder and told him he was abusing
his privileges. 1t was time to get
doYn to brass tacks, said the official.
The colonel gazed again, perhaps
somewhat despairingly, in the direction
of Whitehall, and saw no horsemnn
coming. He wiped some cold sweat
from his brow, and then turned in and
roasted the sheriff to delicate brown;
then he took up the prison system of
England, and showed that it was out
rageous. He contrasted it with the
system of the Low Countries and of
Spain, to it's infinite disadvantage. He
discussed this subject for an hour and
half, and the crowd seemed to be
with him. But the ordinary was grow
ing impatient. So he stepped up to
the colonel and hinted that it was
quite rude to delay the proceedings
after that fashion.
The colonel turned once more toward
Whitehall. NJ horseman! One can
look back $50 years and see the trou-
BILE in his haggard face. Had the king,
then, forgotten him? He would hold
out a little longer. So he turned in
and lacked up the ordinary, and all
the race of ordinaries back to the time
of King Alfred. The little chaplain
fairly shriveled up in the blast of his
oratory, and the crowd yelled with de-
light. So the colonel talked, and
talked, until the shadows grew long,
always with the corner of his eye to-
ward Whitehall, and all in vain. At
last the sheriff and the hangman would
be put off no longer. And the colonel
was so hoarse he could say no more.
He had talked for six hours. A beau
tiful woman was gazing upon him with
eyes wet with sympathy. Your serv-
ant. mistress" said the colonel, as he
doffed his hat, and a minute later his
body was whirling at the end of a
rope.
The king, who had been playing with
his spaniels all afternoon, laughed
heartily when he heard the story.