GAME TO THE LAST

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2356, 12 January 1915, Page 5

GAME TO THE LAST

HOW A BRITISH SOLDIER DIED, American war correspondents at the front have the opportunity of seeing far .■' more of the war\ than other correspondents, owing to the facilities afforded them by German officers, who in. order to win American favour, permit. American newspaper representatives to., wander over their fighting lines almost at will. Thus it came about that one; of the American journalists at the front was permittee! to- witness the capture and. execution of an English soldier near Nieuport. The toldier was accused' of being a spy, was dragged to German headquarters, and taken for trial. The • correspondent says: "He was unmistak*. ably a British soldier. He was a big,\ blonde fellow, woefully dirty, unshaven, \ his hair all matted. They told me they* had caught him spying, and had taken, a lot of plans and notes away from him. I didn't know anything about the man' myself, not even the name of his regiment, except that I could tell by his appearance that he was not an officer—. for all I know ho may simply havo been one of the English who wore cut off in the retreat, from Antwerp, and was trying to make to the British or' Belgian lines. They were in the house about air hour. Then they brought him out, i just four men with loaded rifles and an \ ifficer. He was not bound, but walked}, quite free between his guards,, veryj*' straight and calm, and quite unmoved.),"At the sight of that Englishman;; going. to his death with eyes shining,) head up and shoulders squared, the tears fairly came into my eves. I forgot all about being a neutral, all about! being an American, and all about tho Germans, and just felt I couldn't bear;' to sea what was going to come. As hoi passed mo I said aloud, 'Good-bye, old' chap, and good luckl' Ho just turned, his nead and looked at me, and smiled!' a little smile as if to thank me, and to say he did not mind. "They stood him up in the middle of the road. Away in the distance the shells were falling, and farther down the road a German regiment was coming along' with noisy drums and fifes. As the firing sguad—just the four guards—, stood back to take up their positions the Englishman drew himself up at atten-- 1 tion with a click of the heels, bracedi. his shoulders, and threw up his head,) game and brave to the last.- It waC, all over in a second." t/