ANDREAS KURTZ 111 



women were compelled to seek refuge in the 

 cellars of their houses; and how he and his 

 father were witnesses of an incident that he 

 well remembered. A Jew pedlar, who had 

 been permitted to pass among the soldiers to 

 dispose of his wares, was caught in the act of 

 theft, he was summarily tried and sentenced 

 to be shot. The miserable wretch was 

 dragged round the camp, through brake and 

 briar, at the heels of a horse, and when he 

 arrived at his place of execution, fearfully 

 lacerated, and more dead than alive, he was 

 compelled to dig the shallow trench that was 

 to serve as his grave. All being ready, he 

 was blindfolded, and knelt at his graveside 

 awaiting his doom. The volley was fired 

 and the victim reeled over. It had been 

 arranged that the muskets of the firing party 

 should be loaded with only blank cartridge, 

 and when the prisoner was seen to fall, it 

 was supposed that terror had killed him ; it was 

 found, however, that he had only swooned, 

 and on coming to himself he was liberated, it 

 being considered that he had received 

 sufficient punishment. Hardly a month 

 elapsed before this same pedlar was caught 

 committing a similar theft; on this second 

 occasion he paid the full penalty of his crime. 



