We were telling each other spy stories the other night.  Some of them were very interesting.  The Germans have lately adopted the plan of writing letters in English to English prisoners of war in Germany.  These, of course, are quite simple, and pass the Censor in England, but, once on the other side, they go straight to Government officials, and whereas “Dear Bill” may mean nothing to us, it is part of a German code and conveys some important information.  Mr. Philpotts at Stockholm discovered this trick.

On the Russian front a soldier was found with his jaw tied up, speechless and bleeding.  A doctor tried to persuade him to take cover and get attention; but he shook his head, and signified by actions that he was unable to speak owing to his damaged jaw.  The doctor shoved him into a dug-out, and said kindly, “Just let me have a look at you.”  On stripping the bandages off there was no wound at all, and the German in Russian uniform was given a cigarette and shot through the head.

In Flanders we used to see companies of spies led out to be shot—­first a party of soldiers, then the spies, after them the burying-party, and then the firing-party—­marching stolidly to some place of execution.

How awful shell-fire must be for those who really can’t stand it!  I heard of a Colonel the other day—­a man who rode to hounds, and seemed quite a sound sort of fellow—­and when the first shell came over, he leapt from his horse and lay on the ground shrieking with fear, and with every shell that came over he yelled and screamed.  He had to be sent home, of course.  Some people say this sort of thing is purely physical.  That is never my view of the matter.

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Miss Cavell’s execution has stirred us all to the bottom of our hearts.  The mean trickiness of her trial, the refusal to let facts be known, and then the cold-blooded murder of a brave English woman at 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning in a prison yard!

It is too awful to think about.  She was not even technically a spy, but had merely assisted some soldiers to get away because she thought they were going to be shot.  A rumour reached the American and Spanish Legations that she had been condemned and was to be shot at once, and they instantly rang up on the telephone to know if this was true.  They were informed by the Military Court which had tried and condemned her that the verdict would not be pronounced till three days later.  But the two Legations, still not satisfied, protested that they must be allowed to visit the prisoner.  This was refused.

The English chaplain was at last permitted to enter the prison, and he saw Miss Cavell, and gave her the Sacrament.  She said she was happy to die for her country.  They led her out into the prison yard to stand before a firing-party of soldiers, but on her way there she fainted, and an officer took out his revolver and shot her through the head.