Page:Czechoslovak stories.pdf/126

 tion. If you don’t tell who did it, I’ll order you all shot down!”

Lieutenant Schuster, standing beside the Captain, affected at these words a very stern mien, twisting his black moustaches.

“In five minutes,” shouted the Captain, “you will again form ranks. I invite you to deliver up the scoundrel who killed the Major. If not, you will all be shot!” And, urging on his horse, he rode quickly away.

A great anxiety forced itself into my bosom. The Captain’s words sounded forth sharply and icily. To my mind there came recollections of “articles” in times of war where it always stated, “He will be shot.”

The soldiers now began to talk noisily.

“Not a word will they get out of us!” they vowed mutually.

“They won’t do so very much to us!” said someone, and several others repeated the same opinion with emphasis. A sort of activity and excitement was now plainly noticeable in this division. All of them laughed. Only I felt anxious and depressed.

After a while the Captain rode up perspiring. He brought with him the orders of the Colonel. Seeing him, we became silent and looked at each other in sudden fear.

His face was angrily clouded, his full beard seemed to be grayer than usual and his actions were more de-