s the case. To delay the execution for twenty-four
hours and then to have to carry it out would mean subjecting a human
being to unspeakable torture. He felt he could not take it upon
himself to run the chance of inflicting such misery upon the man. The
Colonel and I saw at once that the case was utterly hopeless and that
we could do no more. The question then was to get back in time for the
carrying out of the sentence. Once more the car dashed along the
roads. The night was passing away, and through the drizzling rain the
gray dawn was struggling.

By the time we arrived at the prison, we could see objects quite
distinctly. I went in to the prisoner, who was walking up and down in
his cell. He stopped and turned to me and said, "I know what you have
been trying to do for me, Sir, is there any hope?" I said, "No, I am
afraid there is not. Everyone is longing just as much as I am to save
you, but the matter has been gone into so carefully and has gone so
far, and so much depends upon every man doing his duty to the
uttermost, that the sentence must be carried out." He took the matter
very quietly, and I told him to try to look beyond the present to the
great hope which lay before us in another life. I pointed out that he
had just one chance left to prove his courage and set himself right
before the world. I urged him to go out and meet death bravely with
senses unclouded, and advised him not to take any brandy. He shook
hands with me and said, "I will do it." Then he called the guard and
asked him to bring me a cup of tea. While I was drinking it, he looked
at his watch, which was lying on the table and asked me if I knew what
time "IT" was to take place. I told him I did not. He said, "I think
my watch is a little bit fast." The big hand was pointing to ten
minutes to six. A few moments later the guards entered and put a (p. 214)
gas helmet over his head with the two eye-pieces behind so that he was
completely blindfolded. Then they handcuffed him behind his back, and
we started off in an ambulance to a crossroad which went up the side
of a hill. There we got out, and the prisoner was led over to a box
behind which a post had been driven into the ground. Beyond this a
piece of canvas was stretched as a screen. The firing party stood at a
little distance in front with their backs towards us. It was just
daylight. A drizzling rain was falling and the country looked chilly
and drear. The prisoner was seated on the box a