The Ordway new era., 1918-07-19
CHAPTER xxiv-continued.

IL
After standing Mt attention" for
what seemed a week. though In reality
1t could not have been over five min
utes. we heard low whispering In our
rear and footsteps on the stone flag
ging Of the courtyard.
Our officer reappeared md in low,
but firm voice. ordered:
"About-Turn -
We turned about In the gray light
Of dawn. few yards in front Of me.
could make out brick wall. Against
this wall was dark form with a white
square pinned on It's breast. We were
supposed to aim at this sduare. To the
right Of the form noticed white spot
on the wall This would be my target.
Ready Aimi Fire"
The dark form sank into a huddled
heap. Ny bullet sped on its way, and
hit the whitish spot on the wall;
could see the spllnters fly. Some one
else had received the rifle containing
the blank cartridge, but my mind was
at ease. there was no blood of a
Tommy on my hands.
"Order-Arms About-Turnl Pile
Arms, Stand-Clear."
The stacks were reformed.
Quick = march, Right = Wheel -
And we left the scene of execution be-
hind us.
1t was now daylight. After march
Ing about five minutes. we were dis
missed with the following Instructions
from the officer in command:
Return. alone. to your respective
companies, and remember, no talking
about this affair. or else 1t will go hard
with the guilty ones"
We needed no urging 10 get away. l
did not recognize any of the men on
the firing squad; even the officer was Il
stranger to me.
The victims relations and friends In
Blighty will never know that he was
executed; they will be under the i'm
preston that he died doing his bit for
king and country.
In the public casualty lists his name
will appear under the caption "Acci-
dentaily Killed." or "Dled."
The dny after the execution re-
ceived orders to report back to the
line. and to keep n still tongue in my
head.
Executions are a part of the days
work. but the part we hated most of
all, | think-certainly the saddest. The
British war department Is thought by
many people to be composed of rigid
regulations all wound around with red
tape. But 1t has "A heart. and one of
sthe evidences of this Is the considerate
way in which an executio. is concealed
and reported to the relati sc OF the I'M
fortunate man. They never know the
truth. He Is listed in the bulletins as
among the accidentally killed"
In the last ten years I have several
times read stories in magazines of
towards changing, In charge. TO he
roes. ! used to laugh at 1t. 1t seemed
easy for story-writers. but said.
Men aren't made that way" But over
In France | learned once that the
streak of yellow can turn NIL white.
picked up the story. bit by bit, from
the captain of the company, the sen
tries who guarded the poor fellow, as
well as from my own observations. Al
first did not realize the whole of his
story. but after week OF investiga'
tion 1t stood out as clear in my mind
us the mountains of my native West In
the spring sunshine. 1t impressed me
SO much that | wrote 1t all down ir
rest blllets ON scraps of odd paper
The incidents are. as l say. every BIZ
true; the feelings of the man are true
Il know from all ! underwent In th'
lighting over In France.
We will call him Albert Lloyd. Tha
wasn't his name. but 1t will do:
Albert Lloyd was what the worl'
terms coward.
In London they called him a Stacker
His country had been at war nearl.
eighteen months. and still he was no
in khaki.
He had no good reason for not en-
.sting. being alone In the world, hav
ing been educated In an orphan asy
Ium. AL there being no one dependen