h, as the sun was not yet risen, it looked grey and sad
along the empty street, up which a party of grey soldiers were passing
with steady pace. I knew for what purpose.

"The whole of the force in garrison here [236] had already marched to
the place of execution, the immense courtyard of a monastery,
surrounded irregularly by ancient buildings like those of some
cathedral precincts I have seen in England. Here the soldiers then
formed three sides of a great square, a grave having been dug on the
fourth side. Shortly afterwards the funeral procession came up. First
came the band of the --th, playing the Dead March; next the firing
party, consisting of twelve non-commissioned officers; then the
coffins, followed immediately by the unfortunate prisoners, accompanied
by a chaplain. Slowly and sadly did the mournful procession approach,
when it passed through three sides of the square, the troops having
been previously faced inwards, and then halted opposite to the grave.
The proceedings of the court-martial were then read; and the elder
prisoner having been blindfolded was ordered to kneel down on his
coffin, which had been placed close to the grave, the firing party
taking up a position exactly opposite at a few yards' distance. The
poor fellow's face was deadly pale, but he had marched his last march
as steadily as ever I saw a man step, and bore himself throughout most
bravely, though an oddly mixed expression passed over his countenance
when he was directed to remove himself from the side of his companion,
shaking his hand first. At this moment there was hardly a dry eye, and
several young soldiers fainted, numberless as must be [237] the scenes
of horror which even they have witnessed during these last months. At
length the chaplain, who had remained praying with the prisoner,
quietly withdrew, and at a given signal, but without word of command,
the muskets were levelled, a volley was fired, and the body of the
unfortunate man sprang up, falling again on his back. One shot had
purposely been reserved; and as the presiding officer thought he was
not quite dead a musket was placed close to his head and fired. All
was now over; but the troops having been formed into columns were
marched close by the body as it lay on the ground, after which it was
placed in one of the coffins and buried.

"I had almost forgotten his companion, the younger and more fortunate
prisoner, though I could scarcely tell, as I looked at