Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-06-03

chance"
The sergeant raised his brows ex
pressively. All, the ley fuga, that pop
ular form Of execution where the prls
Oner is given a running chance and the
firing squad practices wing shooting
If the prisoner manages, mraculously
to escape, he is not pursued
A doubt, however, crossed the ser.
geant's mind. 'But my general" he
expostulated, "SenOr SarrOs cannot ac-
cept the ley fuga He is very lame
That is not giving him the chance your
Excellency desires he should have"
81 wasn't thinking of that" Ricardo
replied. 81 was thinking I'm killing
him without a fair trial for the rea-
son that he's so Internally ripe for
the gallOws that a trial would have
been joke. Nevertheless, | am real
ly killing him because he killed my
father-and that is scarcely fair. My
father was a gentleman. Sergeant, is
your pistol lOaded?"
eyes, General"
"Give it to Senior SarrOs."
AS the sergeant started forward to
cCxnply Ricardo drew his own service
revolver and then motiOned Mother
jerks and the firing squad to stand
aside while he crossed to the center Of
the cemetery. "SarrOs," he called, II
am going to let God decide which one
or us shall live. When the sergeant
gives the command to fire, shall open
fire on you, and you are free to do the
same to me, Sergeant, if he kills me
and escapes unhurt, my orders are to
escort him to the bay in my carriage
and put him safely aboard the steam
err"
Mother jerks sat down on a tomb
stone. Cords truth w she gasped,
"but there's rare plucked un.' Aloud
she crOaked: Don't be a baIly ass,
SIR"
silence" he commanded.
The sergeant handed Sarros the re-
vOlver. "YOu heard what said?" Ri
cardO called
SarrOs bowed gravely.
"You understand your orders, Ser
geant%
eyes, General"
Every we'll Proceed II this pris-
Oner fires before you give the word,
have your squad riddle him"
The sergeant backed away and gazed
owlishly from the prisoner to his cap
tor. Ready" he called. Both revol-
vers came up Fire" he shouted
and the two shots were discharged ST.
multaneOusly. Ricardo's cap flew off
his head, but he remained standing,
while SarrOs staggered back against
the wall and there recovering himself
gamely, fired again. He scored a clean
miss, and Ricardos gun barked three
times; SarrOs sprawled on his face,
rose to his knees, raised his pistol
halfway, fired into the sky and slid
forward on his face. Ricardo stood be-
side the body until the sergeant APP
preached and stood to attention, his
attitude saying:
at is over. What next, GENERALLY"
"Take the squad back to the arsenal,
Sergeant" Ricardo ordered him coOlly,
and walked back to recover his uni
form cap. He was smiling as he ran
his finger through a gaping hole in the
upper half of the crown.
"Well, Mrs. Jenks,S he announced
when he rejOined the old lady, "that
was better than executing him with a
firing squad. gave him square deal.
Now his friends can never say that l
murdered him"
He extended his hand to help Moth
er jerks to her feet. She stood erect
and felt again that queer swelling of
the heart, the old feeling of suffoca-
ton.
STEADY, LASS" she mumbled. "Old |
on to me, sir. It's my bally haneurlsm.
Gor-Im-chOkin'-
Llt caught ltl Ill Ills no SIG
lurched toward him. Her face was
purple, and in her eyes there was a
queer fierce light that went out sud
denly, leaving them dull and glazed.
When she commenced to sag in his
arms, he eased her gently to the ground |
and laid her on her back in the grass.
"The nipper's safe, Emery" he heard |
her murmur. 1--WE raised er lydy, |
selp me-she's back where-yOu found |
'er-' Emery"
She qulvered, and the light came
creeping back into her eyes before 1t |
faded forever. Comm, 'Enery-dar-
lin" she whispered and then the soul
of Mother jerks, who had a code and |
lived up to 1t (Which is more than the |
majority of us dO), had departed upon
the ultimate journey Ricardo gazed |
down on the hard old mouth, sOftened |
now by a little half-smile of mingled |
yearning and gladness: "What a won
derful soul you had" he murmured,
and kissed her
Continued Next Week