The Coolidge examiner., 1933-09-08

W FW
w our verdict, gentlemen"
inquired the presiding
officer Of the court-martial.
"Yes, sir" answered Major La
feche.
Yes. SIR" repeated the other
members, down to the junior one,
Lieutenant Leblanc, who repeated
the words in a dry voice and licked
his lips nervously.
1T is the only verdict possible
under the laws Of war" said Colo
mel BOileau. LET the prisoner be
brought in"
Two noncommissioned officers led
the young fellow into the tent. He
was a fair-haired boy, not more
than two or three and twenty. He
faced the court impassively, but the
fear of death was evident in his
ashen face and twining fingers.
Jean Marchand.' said the colo
mel. you have been found guilty
Of the crime Of sleeping on sentry
duty. There is ony one punishment
for that. Have you anything to
say before sentence is pronounced
upon you?"
"Not much, SIR" answered the
boy. Il had not slept for three
nights, owing to the forced marches.
And the sergeant put me on duty
two nights in succession. by error"
Let Sergeant Lavergne be re-
called" commanded the colonel, and
presently the sergeant appeared
within the tent.
'Was the prisoner placed on SEN
try duty on two successive nightsT
asked Colonel Boileau.
mo. SIR replied the sergeant
quietly.
He was not sure, now that they
questioned him, but having given
his evidence, he did not want to get
into trouble. Besides, he hated the
young American who had returned
at the outbreak of war to fight for
his fathers country.
Marchand, with his American
ideas, had been what is called a
lawyer" He had made trouble
with the commissariat, with the lit.
tie thieving corporal who sold the
hayy altogether he was what the
sergeant regarded as a bad infu-
ence In the force-that Is to say,
a man. not machine.
War had been declared four days
before, and the company was mov-
ing by forced marches toward the
frontier. In war times sleeping on
sentry duty has, justly enough. only
one penalty - death. Marchand
could hope for no mercy. for his
negligence might have cost hun
dreds of lives.
He had been brought to America
in childhood. and had grown up an
American In every sense OF the
word. His father, silk importer,
had prospered in the land OF his
adoption, and two months before,
while on a business trip TO his ma
tive land, had died suddenly. The
boy and his mother had hurried to
France TO adjust his affairs. Then
Mrs. Marchand had remembered
some old friends in Nancy, and had
gone there for a brief visit, while
the son settled the Paris business
tangle.
Suddenly, like a bolt from the
blue, war blazed out. Mrs. Mar
chand. shut up in Nancy. could get
no news of her son. And Jean,
ablaze with new love for the land
of his birth, had enlisted as a pri-
vate soldier.
The tragedy Of the affair was
that Nancy was not six miles dis
tant, and the mother, waiting there,
did not know but that Jean was in
Paris.
Colonel Boileau faced the prison
er.
1.-The sentence Of the court is that
you be shot at dawn" he said.
The nOncommissioned officers took
the young man to the guard tent.
The court-martial dispersed. 1t was
evening, and the company had been
ordered to advance no further till
it received orders.
The firing squadron which had
been told off to perform the execu-
ton at dawn whispered together. 1t
was a melancholy duty, yet a ne
cessity, if discipline was to be main
tained. for upon the vigilance Of
her soldiers the safety Of the moth
erland depended. In his tent Colonel
Boileau scanned his war map, to-
gether with his aide, Jacquevel, the
captain who had endeavored most
strongly of all the court to find ex-
tenuating circumstances.
When the business of the night
was done Boileau turned to Jacque-
vel.
Its a sad business" he said.
'But it's a necessity. And, to be
frank, JacQuevel, suspected that
young man of more than the crime
of which he was accused. If it
were only that, should telegraph
Joffre, asking for a communication Of
sentence"
"Of what do you suspect him,
sir?" inquired Captain JacqueveL
"Esnionapa" answered the colo