Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-11-08
CHAPTER XxiV-Continucd.

Aitcr SianuluS ~ dfVh'i"" IVA
villa: seemed week, though in reality
IL could not have been over five min
u;cs, we heard low whispering in our
rear and footsteps on the stone Tag
ging of the courtyard.
our officer rcappeared and in low.
but firm voice, ordered:
"About-Turn
We turned about. In the gray Eight
OF dawn, n few yards in front OF me.
could make out Il brick wall. Against
this wall was dark form with white
Sqliare pinned On il breast We were
supposed to aim ut this square. To the
right OF The form noticed a white spot
on The wall. This would he my target
Ready. AIM. Fire."
The lar,. form sank into n huddled
heap. ~ Ballet sped on IS way. and
hit the whitish spot On :he wall; l
could see ,hc sr!intcrs fy. Some enc
else had received the rifle containing
he blank car,ridgc. bit my mind was
1t ease, there w:s no blood of a
Tommy on my hands.
'Ordcr-Arms. A5out-Turn Pile
Arms. S;and-Clear.'
The stacks were reformed.
"Quick - March. Right - WheC.!"
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
f.'om the officer in command:
Return, alcnr, TO your respective
companies. and remember. no talking
about this affair. or else 4 will go hard
with the guilty ones"
We needed no urging 10 get away. |
I'D not recognize. amy OF The men on
fhr .irln@ ,qIad: even the officer was q
stranger Ia lac.
The victims relations. and friends in
I;ligh.y viii never know that he was
executed; they will he under the i'm
prcesicn that re died doing his bit for
sing anh ca',try.
~ the public casualty lists his name
VIA appeag under the captiolS Acct
denially Killed" or "Died."
The day after the execution I re-
ceived ord rs to report back to the
line. and - keep n still tongue in my
head.
Executions are part of the days
work. hut .lie part we hated most OF
MI, think-ccriainly the saddest. The
British war department is thought by
many people to be composed of rigid
regulations all wound around with red
tape. But il has Il heart. and one OF
the evidences of this is the considerable
way In which an cXecuti0 is concealed
and reported to The rciatise of the IN
| fortunate man. They never know the
truth. lie is listed in the bulletins rs
among the incidentally killed"
In The last ten years have several
times read stories i'm magazines of
towards changing. in charge, 10 he
roes. l used To laugh ut it. II seemed
easy for story-writers. but ! said
Men aren't made that way" But over
in France learned once that ths
streak of yellow can turn all white.
picked up The story. bit by bit. from
/ the captain of the company, the sen
tries who guarded the poor fellow, as
wei rs from my own observations. Al
first | did not realize the whole of his
story. but after week of investiga
lion il stood out rs clear in my MIND
as the incuntains of my native West In
the spring sunshine. II impressed me
so much that ! wrote il all down in
rest hillets or scraps of odd paper
+ Tho incidents are. as say. every bit
true; the feelings of the man are true
Il know from all | underwent in III,
ichting over in France.
We will call him Albert Lloyd. Tha
wasn't his name. hut II will do:
! Albert Lloyd was what the wor,
/ terms II coward.
/ In London thpr called him slacber
/ his country had been M war ncarl,
eighteen months. and still he was moi
/ in khaki.
He had no. good reason for not en-
listing. being alone in the world. hav
ing been educated in an orphan asy
ium. and there being no one dependen
{ upon him for support. He had no goot
: position To lose. and there was NJ
sweetheart TO tell him with her lipi
+ ~ 90. while hcr eyes pleaded for hin
( ~ stay.
Every tine he saw recruiting ser
ceant he'd sink around tho corner on
/ If sight. with 4 terrible fear gnawin:
~ his heart. When passing the big re
cruiting posters. and on his way u
business and back he passed many. III
would pull down his cap and look th'
other way from that awful finge
raintiry 1T him, under the captiou
Your King and Country Need You;