erman forces on
both sides of the Meuse. These thrusts culminated in a sudden sweeping
attack which on October 24th, resulted in the recapture by Nivelle's
forces of Fort Douaumont and on November 2d, in the recapture of Fort
Vaux.

Thus ended in glory the most inspiring battle in the long and honorable
history of France.

CHAPTER XXVII

MURDERS AND MARTYRS

Many examples might be cited to show that the Central empires were dead
to the humanities. There were apparently no limits to the brutality of
the German war-makers. Among the outstanding deeds of the Teutons that
sickened the world was the killing of Miss Edith Cavell, an English
nurse working in Belgian hospitals.

A shudder of horror circled the world when announcement was formally
made that this splendid woman was sentenced to death and murdered by a
German firing squad at two o'clock on the morning of October 12, 1915.

The killing of this gentle-natured, brave woman typified to the world
Germany's essentially brutal militarism. It placed the German military
command in a niche of dishonor unique in all history.

The specific charge against Miss Cavell was that she had helped English
and French soldiers and Belgian young male civilians to cross the border
into Holland. The direct evidence against her was in the form of letters
intercepted by the Germans in which some of these soldiers and civilians
writing from England thanked her for the aid she had given to them.

Upon the farcical trial that resulted in the predetermined sentence of
death, Miss Cavell courageously and freely admitted her assistance in
the specified cases of escape. When she was asked why she did it, she
declared her fear that if she had not done so the men would have been
shot by the Germans. Her testimony was given in a clear conversational
tone that betrayed no nervousness and her entire bearing was such as to
win the sympathy of everyone except her stony-hearted judges.

The German officers in command at Brussels made it impossible for Miss
Cavell to see counsel before the trial, and a number of able lawyers who
were solicited to undertake her defense declined to do so because of
their fear of the Germans.

Sentence was imposed upon her at five o'clock on the afternoon of
October 11th. In accordance with its terms, she was taken from her cell
and placed against a blank wall at two o'clock the following
morning--the darkness of the hour vying with the blackness of the deed.