EMPEY IS MEMBER OF FIRING SQUAD WHICH CARRIES
OUT DEATH SENTENCE.
Synoptls. Fired by the sinking of the Lusltanla. with the low of
American lives. Arthur Guy Empey. an American living In Jersey City,
goes to England and enlists as a private In the British anny. After n
short experience as a recruiting officer In London, he Is sent to train
ing quarters In France, where he first hears the sound of big guns and
makes the acquaintance of "cooties." After a brief period of training
Erapey's company Is sent Into the front-line trenches, where he takes
his first turn on the fire step while the bullets whiz overhead. Erapey
learn, a comrade falls, that death lurks always In the trenches.
Chaplain distinguishes himself by rescuing wounded men under hot
fire. With pick and shovel Erepey has experience ns a trench digger
In No Man's Land. Exciting experience on listening post detail. Ex
citing work on observation post duty. Back In rest billets Etnpey
writes and stages a successful piny. Once more In the front trenches,
Erapey goes "over the top" In a successful but costly attack on the
German lines. Soon afterwards Einpey ,nnd his comrades repulse a
determined gns attack launched by the Germans.
CHAPTER XXIII Continued.
I shouted to the driver to stop, and
In his nervousness he put on the
brakes. We nearly pitched out head
first. But the applying of those brakes
saved our lives. The next Instant
there was a blinding flash and a deaf
ening report. All that I remember Is
that I was flying through the air, and
wondering if I would land In a soft
spot. Then the lights went out.
When I came to. Atwell was pouring ,
water on my head out of. his bottle.
On the other side of the road the cor
poral was sitting, rubbing a lump on
his forehead with his left hand, while
his right arm was bound up In a blood
soaked bondage. Uc was moaning I
very loudly. I Had an nwful headache
and the skin on the left side of my
face was full of gravel and tue uioou
was trickling from ray nose.
But that ambulance was turned over
In the ditch and was perforated with
holes from fragments of the shell. One
of the front wheels was slowly revolv
ing, so I could not have been "out" for
a long period. '
The shells were still screaming over
head, but the battery had raised Its
Arc and they were bursting In a little
wood about half a mile from us.
Atwell spoke up. "I wish that offi
cer hadn't wished us the best o' luck."
Then he commenced swearing'. I
couldn't help toughing, though my
head was tilth to bursting.
Slowly rising to ray feet I felt myself
all over to make sure that there were
no broken bones. But outside of a few
bruises and scratches I was nil right.
The corporal was still moaning, but
more from shock than pain. A shell
splinter had gone through the flesh of
his right forearm. Atwell and I, from
our flrst-ald pouches, put a tourniquet '
on his arm to stop the bleeding and
then gathered up our equipment
Wc realized that we were In n dan-,
gerous pot. At any minute n shell.)
might drop on the road and finish us
off. The village we had left was not
vprv fnr. so we told the cornornl he
had better go back to It and get his j
arm dressed, and then report the ract
of the destruction of the ambulance to
the military police. He was well able
to "walk, so he set off In the direction
of the village, while Atwell and I con
tinued our way on foot.
Without further mishap wo arrived
nt our destination, and reported to bri
gade headquarters for rations and bil
lets. That night we slept In tho battalion
sergeant major's dugout. Tho. next
morning I went to a flrst-ald post and
had the grovel picked out of my face.
Tho Instructions we received from
division headquarters read that we
were out to catch spies, patrol trenches,
nearch German dead, rcconnolter In No
Man's Land, and take part In trench
raids and prevent the robbing of tho
dead.
I had a print! which would allow mo
to go anywhere at any time In the sec
tor of the lino held by our division. It
gave me authority to stop and search
ambulances, motor lorries, wagons and
oven officers and soldiers, whenever
my suspicions deemed It necessary.
Atwell and I wero allowed to work to
gether or Kingly It was left to our
Judgment. Wo decided to team up.
Atwell wus a good companion and
very entertaining. Ifo had an utter
contempt for danger, but was not fool
hardy, At swearing ho wun a wonder.
A rnvalry regiment would huvo bcpn
6D
ANAMERKM5OLK0
WHO WENT
AHlIIfifimrDlPEY
MACHINE GUHrtERDlYIHG N HUJiCE '
Sis
IS7BY
proud of htm. Though born In Engi
land, he hud spent several years In
New York. lie was about six feet one.
and as strong as an ox.
We took up our quarters In a large
dugout of the royal engineers, and
mapped out our future actions. This
dugout was on the edge of a large
cemetery, nnd several times at night
In returning to It, we got many n fall
stumbling over the graves of English,
French and Germans. Atwell on these
occasions never Indulged In swenrlng.
though nt any other time, nt tho least
stumble, he would turn the air blue.
A certain section of our trenches
was held by the Itoynl Irish rifles. For
several days a very strong rumor went
the rounds that a Germfln spy was In
our midst. This spy was supposed to
be dressed In the -uniform of a British
staff officer. Several stories had been
told about nn officer wearing a red
band around his cap, who patrolled the
front-line nnd communication trenches
asking suspicious questions as to loca
tion of batteries, machine-gun emplace
ments, and trench mortars. If a shell
dropped In n battery, on a machine gun
or even near a dugout, this spy was
blamed.
The rumor gained such strength that
an order was Issued for nil troops to
Burled With Honors.
Immediately place under arrest anyone
answering to tho description of the
py.
Atwell and I wero on the qui vlve.
We constantly patrolled tho trenches
at night, and even In the day, but the
spy always eluded us.
One day while In a communication
trench, we were horrified to see our
brigadier general, Old Pepper, being
brought down it by a big prlvato of tho
Royal Irish rifles. The general was
walking In front, and the private-with
fixed bayonet was following in tho
rear.
. Wo saiutpd as tho general passed us.
Tho Irishman had a broad grin on his
face nnd wo could scarcely bollovo our
eyes the general wuh under urrest.
After passing a few feet beyond us, tho
general turned, and said in u wrathful
voice to Atwell:
Tell this d n fool who I am. lie's
arrested me as it spy,"
Atwell was speechless. The sentry
butted In with:
"None o that nln out o yon.
Bark to headquarter you goes. Mr.
Frit. Own That far o' your again,
a' I'll dnt In yw.r nnpper with Ihe
butt o' tne rifle."
The central's fr. wn n wsht to be
hold. He was fnlrtv boiling over with
rage, but he shut tv
Atwell tried to . t In front or tne
sentry to explain t I 'm that It ronlly
was the general hi bd under arrest,
but the sentry thr to run his
bayonet through: h'i nnd would hnvo
done It, too. So A' -M "tepped aside,
and remained sib I was nearly
bursting with supp- -ed laughter. Ono
word, nnd I would ! ive expiotieu. u
is not exactly dip Ue to laugh nt
vour general In u ' a predicament.
The sentry and ' prisoner nrrivcu
nt brigade hendq rter with disas
trous results to th n-ntry.
The Joke was tM the general had
personally Issued tM order for thu
spy's arrest. It win a habit of tho gen
eral to walk throu-' the trenches on
rounds of Inspec" unattended by
any of his staff. The Irlshmnn, bring
new In the reglm. nt had novor seen
the general before o when ho enmo
ncnus him alone in a communication
trench, he promptly put him under ar
rest. Brigadier generals wear n red
band around their cap.
Next day we passed the Irlshmnn
tied to the wheel of a limber, the be
ginning of his sentence of twenty-ono
days, field punishment No. 1. Never
before Imvo I seen such n woebegone
expression on a man's face.
For several days, Atwell and I made
ourselves henrec nrvund brigade head
quarters. We did not want to, meet
the general.
The spy was never cnught.
CHATTER XXIV.
The Fir ng Squad.
A few days Jul - I had orders to re
port back to dhi 'iiiil headquarters,
about thirty kllo i ' hind tho line. I
reported to the A. I' M. (assistant pro
vost marshal). He tld me to report
to billet No. 78 fur quartern nnd ra
tions.
It wns about elslit o'clock at night
and I was tired and soon fell asleep In
the straw of the billet. It wns n mis
erable night outside, cold, nnd u drizzly
rain wns falling.
About two In the morning I wns
awakened by some one shaking mo by
the shoulder. Opening my eyes J snw
a regimental sergeant innjor bending
over me. He hnd a lighted lantern In
his right hand. I started to ask him
what was the matter, when he put his
finger to his lips fur silence anil whis
pered :
"Get on your equipment, nnd, wl.h
out nny noise, come with me."
This greatly mystified me, but I
obeyed his order.
Outside of the billet. I naked h'tu
what wns up, but ho shut me up with
"Don't nsk question, It's against or
ders. I don't know myself."
It wns raining like the mischief.
We splnshi'd along a muddy road for
nbout fifteen minutes, finally stopping
LIKE HIS IMPERIAL MASTER
Von Buelow, Under the Wings of the
i German Eagle, Typical as of Ill-
Omen to Mankind.
From Brand Whltlock's story of Ger
man oppression In Belgium In Every
body's Mogozlne, wo take the following
account of n single incident that oc
curred In May, 1914, Just before tho
war. Mr. Whltlock, with other diplo
mats, was the dinner guest of Mr. Von
Buelow, the German minister to Bel
glum, "Wo were standing by n table In tho
corner of tho room, nnd from among
the ohjets d'ort. the various trinkets,
tho signed photographs In silver
frames, with which It was loaded, ho
drew forward n silver bowl that ho
used as a cendrler. As I dropped tho
ash of my cigar Into It, I noticed that
It was pierced on ono side near tho rim
by a perfectly round hole, the Jagged
edges of which were thrust Inward;
plainly a bullet hole; doubtless It hud
a history. I asked him.
"'Yes, a bullet hole ho said. Tn
Chlnn It stood on my desk, and ono
day during tho riots a bullet enmo
through tho window and went right
through It.'
"Several of tho guests pressed up to
see; such a bowl with Its Jagged bullet
hole and a history was nn excellent
subject for conversation; tho Gcrmnn
minister had to recount tho circum
stances several times.
'I have nevtr bad a post,' ho said,
'where there has not been troublo; In
Turkey It was tho revolution; In China
It was tho Boxers. I am a bird of Ill
omen.' "
He Hoped Not
Edwin It. Hlsey, tho undertaker, nnd
0. h. Dletz, tho broker, nro brother
notorious. Ono stormy day recently
Hlsoy, while returning from Crown
IIIU with his motor henrso, saw Diets
stundlng on a corner 'way up Merhllan
street. Hlsey stopped tho licarso and
shouted to Dletz:
"Going down, Low!"
Dletz Mured nt Id hospltublo
friend nnd replied;
"I I I hope not I" Indianapolis
NnwH.
nt tho entrance ut hnt must Imvo
been nil old burn. In the darkness, I
could hear PlK urunlliik'. n If Hiry
hnd JiihI been disturbed. Ill front of
tho door stood nil officer In n muck
(mncklntonh). Tho It. H. M, went up
to him, wliUpcrrd something, nnd (hen
left. This officer called to wo, naked
my nniii"'. number and regiment, nt the
same time, In tho llulit of u Inuturn ho
wn holding, iiinklnit n notation In
little book.
When ho hnd finished writing, he
whispered !
"Go Into Hint billet nnd wait orders,
nnd no tnlklng. Understand)"
r stumbled Into tho hum nnd sat on
the .floor In tho darkness. I could sen
ni .tint hut null il hear men breathing
and moving: they necmcd nervous and
restless. I know I wns.
tin rim. Hiv u'nlt. tlireo other men
entered. Then thu officer poked his
hend In tho door and ordered s
"Fnll In. oulsldo tho billet, In single
rank."
Wo felt In, standing nt ensc. Then
ho commnnded :
"Squod 'Shun I Number I"
There were twelve of us.
night Turn 1 Lett Wheel I Quick
March I" And nwny wo went. The
rnln wns trickling down iny bnck nnd
I wns shivering from the cold.
With the officer lending, wo must
linv.. imirehod over nn hour, plowing
through tho mud nnd occasionally
stumbling Into n shell hole In tho romi,
when suddenly tho officer inudo n left
wheel, nnd wo found ourselves In n sort
of enclosed courtyard.
Tho dawn was breaking nnd tho
rain had censed.
In front of us wero four stacks of
rifles, three to n stuck.
The officer brought us to attention
nnd gave tho order to unpllo arms. Wo
each took a rllle. Giving us "Stand nt
ease," In u nervous and slinky voice,
he Informed :
".Men. you nro hero on u very solemn
duty. You hnvo been selected ns a
firing nqund for the execution of n sol
dier, who, hnvlng been found guilty
nf n erluvouH crlino ugutnst king nnd
country, has been regulnrly and duly
tried and sentenced to bo shot nt 'I :23
n. m. this dnte. This sentence hns been
approved by the reviewing authority
and ordered cnrrlcd out. It Is our duty
to carry on with tho sentence of tho
court.
There nro twelve rifles, ono of
which contains n blank cnrtrldge, tho
other eleven containing ball cartridges.
Every man Is expected to do his duty
and lire to kill. Take your orders from
me. Squad 'Shun 1"
Wo enmo to attention. Then ho luft.
My heart was of lead nnd my knecM
shook.
Empcy, In the next Install
ment, tells the gripping story of
a "coward," whose streak of yel
low turned white.
(TO UK C'ONTINUISO)
Changes In Men's Clothes.
Fashion is doing Its hit too. The
Internntlonnl Custom Cutters' conven
tion ruled out patched pockets, belts
and turned-up trousers. If they would
only go bnck to the old-fashioned shirt
cuffs, kcw tho buttons on tho trousers
on the nutsldo of thu waist baud, nnd
tako off n yard or two of tho four-ln-hand
neckties we would nl somewhero
nenr whrro tho wenry are at rest. They
already h:ivo made overcoats fit moro
closely In order to save material, but
they dlsslp:to that saving by ranking
snclc conts u Irlllo longer. Of course,
there Is n sort of economy In n long
sack cont, for in ruling out tho patched
pockets nil other patches ore, doubt
less, Included. It Is quite hard for a
fashion convent 'on to make a mistake
If It only changes tho styles. Ohio
Stato Journal.
Educated Finland.
Tho now republic of Finland stnrtB
Its career with ono Invalunblo nsset
a highly efficient system of education.
Finnish elementary schools are models,
of excellence, nnd In tin Internntlonnl
competition somo few jenrs since Fin
lnnd won tho coveted distinction of
hnvlng tho highest educational stand
ard of any country In the world, beat
ing even tho United States and Ocr
ranny. Particular nttentlnn Is given to
tho teaching of languages. Tho two
stnto Inngungcs, Finnish and Swedish,
aro tnught In tho elementary stand
ards, and until recently Itusslun also.
A knowledge of five or sir languages Is
reckoned nothing exceptional among
even middle-class folk In Finland.
High Morale.
Henry Van Dyke, tho former minis
tcr to tho Netherlands, said at tho
Now York Authors' club tho other day :
Tho morolo of ail tho allied sol
diers Is always excellent. They Joke
nbout their wounds.
T mot n wounded young American
nvlntor from tho Kscmlrlllo Lafay
ette at a tea, Ho sat In n bath chnlr,
with his legs propped straight out, and
ills two crutches at Iih sldo.
"How Is tho leg coming onf I
said.
"Well, anyhow,' ho laughed, It
Un't coming off,'"
BOY
SCOUTS
(Conducted by Ntlnl Council of the
lloy Hcouts of Auwlon.)
FRENCH SCOUTS GREET US
The scout program ns taught to tho
youth of thto country through the Boy
Scouts of America hns proved to bo so
effective In tho ranking of Rood sol
diers and In actual warrant thut tho
French government hns decided to pre
pare a system of physical nnd moral
trnliflng based on It.
There nro nlrendy In our forces In
France more thnu 100,000 soldiers who
were Boy Scouts of America or scout
official, and tho fact thut n very largo
proportion of them hnvo been made
officers shows thu practical vnluo of
Ncnutlng.
'Ilhe French secretary of foreign nf
fairs, Stephen I'lchon, In a cablegram
to nntlonal headquarter of tho Boy,
ScoutM of America, 200 Fifth avenue,
New York, suys In pnrt:
"Our officers nnd soldlera show tho
result of scout training; their strength
comes from their spirit. Boy scouU
here nro always on duty nnd In uni
form. "Tho government In preparing n gen
eral system of physical nnd moral
training along scout linen."
SCOUT SAVES ARMY CAPTAIN
In snvlng Capt. Miller 11. Taylor
from drowning. Edgnr Wodward, n
boy scout, hns added prestige to Ids
organization.
Captain Taylor with 128 men of the
Ono Hundred nnd Eighty-ninth nero
Bqundron hnd guno Into camp near
Kemnh, Tex., on Clenr Creek.
Cnptnln Taylor attempted to Hwlm
across, but was seized with a cramp.
Ho tells of Ills rescuu n follow:
"After 1 was within twenty or thirty
ynrds of tho bank I felt my legs cramp
nnd realized Hint I wns nenr to drown
ing. Tho crump extended to my arm,,
nnd 1 went down. Hnlf conscious, I
struggled to 'the surface, expelled some
of the water from my lungs, hut wn
unnbto to swim, nnd ngnln went down.
Once more I enmo to tho aurfneu of
tho water long enough to got ono
breath before I again sunk. Then
when I hnd given up tho struggle I
felt n hnmt grab mine. I owo my
life to the quick headwork and hero
ism of this boy scout, who had been
watching mo from tho bunk and who
started for mo as soon as he naw I
was In distress."
STARTING THE SEA SCOUTS.
The boys In tho sen scout division
of tho Boy Scouts of America prac
tice seamanship, of tho real sort,
building, launching, sculling, rowing,
sailing small boats In tho waters near
the "ship" or the headquarters, of tho
crew.
Any nine registered scouts can apply
for assignment iih n "ship company"
provided their scoutnuihter Is handy
on tho water, n llfesaver nnd n Hwlm
jner. To sail n boat, however, scouts
must bo fourteen nnd first-doss nvlm
iners and llfesnvers, gnln parents' spo
clnl permission nnd qualify in en
Hcout requirements.
They must also recruit tho company
to thrco or four boats' crews, nnd bo
under nn adult officer known as tho
"sea scoutmaster" who Is a registered
scoutmaster, assigned to this branch.
8COUT U8E8 HI8 TRAINING.
Practical results of tho vnluo of first
aid work won exemplified by boy
scouts of Mitchell, S. D while on a
hlko to Flrestcol Creole. Corwin
Wright, n twelve-yenr-old boy, stum
bled and fell upon a thick plcco of
glass, cutting a deep gash In his knee
cap. Without tho slightest hesitation,
Wesley Walker, ngo 14, took Wrlght'H
lcggjng and stocking off nnd doctored
tho Injury. Wntcr wns boiling over a
fire built by tho scouts, and he used
this to cleanse tho wound thoroughly.
From a scout kit, ho took n sterilized
bandago and had tho wound drcssod
within ten minutes nftcr tho accident
pecurrcd.
SCOUTS HUNT FARM WORKERS.
Blr thonsnnd boy scouts nro enroll
ing business men of Philadelphia as
farm workers. In business offices and
factories tho boys will enroll men who
hnvo hnd much farm experience, thoso
who have had little nnd thoso who
huvo had none,
When tho recruits hnvo been classi
fied, tho men who nro nhlo to glvo ono
day to farm work will ho put In ono
class, thoso who can glvo n week In
another and thoso who glvo their en
tire vacntlon of moro than n week In
tho third.