The Last Shot
FREDERICK PALMER
(Copyright, 19M. by Our Lea Scriboer's Son*)
SYNOPSIS.
Ai their hoin* on th« frontier between
the l:rv>wnt» and Grays Marts Qalland and
her mother, entertaining Colonel Wester -
ling of the Grays, see Captain Unatrua,
staff Mstllcenoe oflteer of the Browne.
Injured bjr a fall in his aeroplane. Ten
]mmra tiuer Wnaterling. nominal vice out
real chief of staff. reinforces Mouth LA
Tlr, Meditates on war, and speculates on
'he comparative ages of himself and Mar
ts, who 1s visiting in the Gray capital.
Westorttng calls on Marts. She tells him
of her toarhing children the follies of war
and martial patriotism, begs him to pre
vent war while he Is chief of staff, and
predicts that If he makes war against the
lirowtM he will not win. On the march
with (fee K3d of the Browns Private Stran
sky. anarchist, decries war and played
out patriotism and la placed under arrest
«'"ilonsl Lanstron everbearing, begs him
CHAPTER IV—Continued.
Then Impulse broke through the
restraint that seemed to characterise
the Lanstron of thirty-five. The L*n
atron of twenty-Ave, who had met
catastrophe because he was "wool
gathering." asserted himself. He put
his hand on Stransky's shoulder. It
was a strong though slim hand that
looked as If It had been trained to do
the work of two hands In the process
of Its owner's own transformation.
Thus Hie old sergeant had seen a gen
eral remonstrate with a brave veteran
who had been guilty of bad conduct in
Africa. The old colonel gasped at such
A subversion of the dignity of rank,
lie saw the army going to the devil.
Hut young Dellarme, watching with
eager curiosity, was sensible of no
familiarity in the act. It all depended
on how such a thing was done, he was
thinking.
"We all have minutes when we are
more or less anarchists," said Lan
stroa In the human appeal of one man
to anetfcer. "llut we don't want to be
Judged by one of those minute* I got
a hand mashed up for a mistake that
took only a second. Think this over
tonight before you act. Then, if you
are of the same opinion, go to the col
onel aid tell him so. Come, why not?"
"All right, str, you're ao decent
about it!" grumbled Stransky, taking
hi* place in the ranks.
Hep-hep-hep! The regiment started
on tta way, with Grandfather Praglnl
keeping at his grandson's side.
"Makes me feel young again, but lt'a
darned solemn beside the Hussars,
with their horses' bits a-jlngllng. Times
have certainly changed—officers'
hand* in their pockets, saying 'if you
don't mind' to a man that's insulted
the flag! Kicking ain't good enough
for that traitor! Ought to hang him —
yea. sir, hang and draw him!"
Lanstrpn watched the marching ool
iintn for a time.
" Hep-hep-hep! It's the brown of the
tataotry that counts in the end," he
-moved. "1 liked that walleyed giant.
He% all man!" ,
Then his livening glance swept the
heavens Inquiringly.' A speck in the
blue, far away in the realms of atmos
pheric Infinity, kept growing in size
antH tt took the form of tho wingn
with which man flies. The plane vol
planed down with steady swiftness,
till its racing shadow lay large over
the landscape for a few seconds before
it rose again with beautiful ease and
precision. J
"Bully for you, Etzel!" Lanstron
thought, as he started back to the
aeroplane station. "You belong in the
corps. We shall not let you return to
jour regiment for a while. You've a
cool head and you'd charge a church
tower it that were the orders "
CHAPTER V.
A Sunday Morning Call.
As a boy, Arthur Lanstron had per
sisted in being an exception to the In
fluences of both heredity and environ
ment. Though his father and, both
grandfathers were officers who be
lieved theirs to be the true gentle
man's profession, he had preferred
any kind of mechanical toy to arrang
ing the most gayly painted tin sol
diers In formation on the nursery
lloor; and he would rather read about
the wonders of natural history and
electricity than the campaigns of Na
pnleop and Frederick the Great and
ray )x>rd Nelson. Left to his own
choice, he would miss (he parade of
the garrison for Inspection by an ex
cellency In order to ask Questions of
a m«9 wiping the oil off his bands with
ootuu-waste, who was far more enter
taining to him than the most spick-and
span nunrod of a sergeant
Opon being told one day that he was
to gu to the military school the follow
ing autumn, b e broke oat la open re
bellion.
"1 don't want to go to the army!" be
sal*
"Why?" asked his father, thinking
that when the boy had to give his rea
son be would soon be argued oat of
thu heresy.
"It's drilling a few hours a day, then
oath lug to do," Arthur replied. "All
ycgr work waits an war and you don't
k*m that there will ever be any war.
ft waits on something nobody wants
to happen. Now, if you manufacture
wtnething, why, you see wool come
■oyi cloth, steel come out an automo
bile. If you build a bridge yon see It
vising tittle by little. Yon're getting
wmt results every day; yo« see your
mistakes and your successes. You're
making something, creating lOUW
thing; there's something going on all
the while that Isn't guesswork. I
think that's what 1 want to say. You
won't order me to be a soldier, will
youT*
The father, loath to do this, eaMoil io
the assistance of an able pleader then,
Eugene Partow, lately become chief of
staff of the Browns, who was an old
friend of the Lanstron family. Partow
turned the balance on the side of filial
affection. He kept watch of the boy,
but without favoring blm with influ
ence. Young Lanstron, who wanted to
see results, bad to earn them. He real
ised In practice the truth of Partow's
saying that there was nothing be had
ever learned but what could be of setv-
Ice to him SB an officer.
"Finding enough work to do?" Par
tow would ask with a chuckle wheu
they met In these days; for he had
made Lanstron both chief of Intelli
gence and chief aerostatic officer.
Young Colonel lanstron's was the duty
of gaining the secrets of the Gray
staff and keetoing thogp of the Brown
and organising up-to-the moment effi
clency in the new forces of air.
He had remarked truly enough that
the injury to his left hand served UH
a better remtnder against the folly of
wool gathering than a string, even a
large red string, tied around his fin
ger. Thanks to skillful surgery, the
flngem, incapable of spreading much,
were yet serviceable and had a firm
grip of the wheel as he rose from the
aeroplane station on the Sirnduy morn
Ing after Murta's return home for a
flight to La Tlr.
He knew the pattern weaving under
his feet as one knows that of his own
garden from an overlooking window.
Every detail of the staff map, ravines,
roads, buildings, battery positions, was
stitched together In the flowing reality
of actual vision No white posts were
necessary to tell him where the
boundary between the two nations lay.
The line was drawn in his brain.
Now that Lens tron was the organ
iser of the aviation corps his own
flights were rare. Mostly they were
made to La Tlr. His visits to Marta
were his holidays. All the time that
she was absent on her journey around
the world they had corresponded. Her
letters, so revealing of herself and her
peculiar angles of observation, formed
a bundle sacredly preserved. Her
mother's joking reference about her
girlish resolution not to marry a sol
dier often recurred to him. There, he
sometimes thought, was the real ob
stacle to his great desire.
When he altghted from the plane he
thruat his left hand Into his blouse
pocket. He always carried it there,
as If it were literally sewn in place.
In moments of emotion the scarred
nerves would twitch as the telltale of
his sensitiveness; and this was some
thing he would conceal from others no
matter how conscious he was of It him
self. He found the Oalland veranda
deserted. In response to his ring a
maid came to the open door. Her
face was sad, with a beauty that hud
prematurely faded. Hut It lighted
pleasurably in recognition Her hair
was thick and tawny, lying low over
the brow; her eyes were a softly
luminous brown and her full lips sensi
tive and yielding. Lanstron, an inti
mate of the Oalland household, knew
her story well and the part that Marta
had played in It.
Some four years previously, when a
baby was In prospect for Minna, who
wore no wedding ring, Mrs. Galland
had been inclined to send the maid to
an institution, "where they will take
good care of her, my dear. That's
what such institutions are for. It is
quite scandalous for her and for us—
never happened in our family before!"
Marta arched her eyebrows.
"We don't know!" she exclaimed
■oftly,
"How can you think such a thing,
let alone saying it—you, a Oalland!"
her mother gaaped in indignation.
"That is, if we go far back," said
Marta. "At all events, we have no
precedent, so let's establish one by
keeping her."
"But for her own sake! She will
have to live with her shame!" Mrs.
Oalland objected. "Let ber begin
afresh In the city. We shall give her
a good recommendation, for she is
really an excellent servant Yes, she
will readily find a place among
strangers."
"Still, she doesn't want to go, and It
would be cruel to send her away."
"CnieJ! Why, Marta, do you think
I would be cruel? Oh, very well, then
we will let her stay!"
•••' • • » •
"Both are away at church. Mrs. Oak
land ought to be here any minute, but
Miss Galland win be later because of
her children's class," said Minna. "Will
you wait on the veranda?"
He was saying that he would stroll
in the garden when childish footsteps
were heard in the hall, and after a
curly head had nestled against the
mother's skirts Its owner, reminded of
the importance of manners in the
world where the stork had left her,
made a curtesy- Lanstron shook a
small hand which moat hare lately
THE ENTERPRISE, WILLIAMSTON, NORTH CAROLINA
been on Intimate terms with sugar or
jam.
"How do you do, flying soldier man?"
chirruped Clarissa Eileen. It was evi
dent that she held Lanstron In high
favor.
"Let me hear you say your name,"
said Lanstron.
Clarlaßa Eileen was triumphant She
had been waiting for days with the
revelation when he should make that
old request. Now ahe enunciated It
with every vowel and consonant cor
rectly and primly uttered; Indeed, she
repeated it four or Ave times in proof
of complete mastery.
"A pretty name. I've often wondered
how you came to give it to her." said
Lanstron to Minna.
"You do like it!" exclaimed Minna
with girlish eagerness. "I gave her
the most beautiful name I could think
of because" —she laid her hand caress
ingly on the child's head and a ma
donna-like radiance stole into her face
—"because she might at least have a
beautiful name when"—the dull bltze
of a recollection now burning In her
eyes—"when there wasn't much pros
pect of many boautlful things coming
into her life; though I know, of course,
that the world thinks she ought to be
called Maggie."
• • • • • • •
Proceeding leisurely along the main
path of the first terrace, Lanstron fol
lowed It past the rear of the house to
the old tower. Long ago the moat that
surrounded the castle had been tilled
in. The green of rows of grape vines
lay againat the background of a mat
of Ivy on the ancient stone walls, which
had been cut away from the loopholes
set with window glass. The door was
open, showing a room that had been
clased in by a celling of boards from
the walls to the circular stairway that
ran aloft from the dungeons. On the
floor of flags were cheap rugs. A num
ber of seed and nursery catalogues
were piled on a round table covered
with a brown cloth.
"Hello!" Lanstron called softly.
"Hello!" he called louder and yet
louder.
Receiving no answer, he retraced hla
steps and Beated himself on the second
terrace In a secluded spot In the
shadow of the first terrace wall, where
he could see anyone coming up the
main flight of step® from the road.
When Marta walked she usually came
from town by that way. At length the
sound of a slow step from another di
rection broke on his ear. Some one
was approaching along the path that
-
A Speck in the Blue Far Away.
ran at his feet. Around the corner of
the wall, in his workman's Sunday
clothes of black, but weariug his old
straw hat, appeared Feller, the gar
dener. He paused to examine a rose
bueh and Lanstron regarded him
thoughtfully.
As he turned away he looked up.
and a glance of definite and unfalter
ing recognition was excbauged be
tween the two men. They had the
garden to themselves.
"Gustave!" Lanatron exclaimed un
der his breath.
"Lanny!" exclaimed the gardener,
turning over a branch of the rose buah.
He seemed unwilling to risk talking
openly with Lanstron.
"You look the good workman In his
Sunday best to a T!" said Lanstron.
"Being stone deaf," returned Feller,
with a trace of drollery in his voice,
"1 hear very well —at times, fell me"
—his whisper was quivering with
eagerness—"shall we fight? Shall wo
fight?"
"We are nearer to It than We have
ever been in our time," Lanatron re
plied.
The hat still shaded Feller'a face,
bis stoop was unchanged, but the
branch in fts hand shook.
"Honest?" be exclaimed. "Oh, the
chance of It! The chance of It!"
"Gustave!" Lanstron's voice, still
low, came in a gust of sympathy, and
the pocket which concealed his hand
gave a nervous twitch as if it held
something alive and distinct from his
own being. "The trial wears on you!
Do ytru want to go?"
"No!" Feller shot back irritably.
"No!' he repeated resolutely. ,"1 don't
want to go!. I mt»n to be game—l—"
He shifted his gaze from the bush
which be sUll pretended to examine
and suddenly broke off with: "Mis*
Galland la coming!"
Lanstron started toward the steps
that Marta was ascending. She moved
leisurely, yet with a certain springy
energy that suggested that she might
have come on the run without being
out of breath or seeming to have made
an effort.
"Hello, stranger!" Bhe called as she
saw him, nud quickened her pace.
"Hello, pedagogue!" he responded.
As they shook hands they swung
their arms back aud forth like a pair
of romping children for a moment.
"We had a grand session of the
school this morning, the largest class
ever!" she said. "And the points wo
■cored oft you soldiers! You'll tlnd
disarmament already in progress when
you return to headquarters. We're Ir
resistible. or at least," she udded, with
a flash of Intensity, "we're going to be
some day."
"So y«>u put on your war-paint!"
"It must be the pollen from the hy
drangeas!" She flicked her handker
chief from her belt and passed it to
him "Show that you know how to be
useful!"
lie performed the task with delib
erate cure. .
"Heavens! You even have some on
your ear and some on your hair; but
I'll leave It on your hair; It's rather be
coming. There you are!" he concluded.
"Oft my hair, too!"
"Very well. I always obey orders."
"I oughtn't to have asked you to do
It at all!" she exclaimed with a sud
den chango of manner as they started
up to the house. "Hut u habit of
friendship, a habit of liking to believe
In one'a friends, was uppermost. I
forgot. 1 oughtn't even to have shaken
hands with you!"
"Marta! What now, Marta?" he
asked.
lie had known her In reproach, in
angsr, In luughlng mockery, in mili
tant seriousness, but never before like
this. The pain und indignation in her
e>cs came not from the sheer hurt of
a wound but from the hurt of Its
source. It was as If he had learned by
the signal of Its lows that he had u
deeper'hold 011 her than he hud real
ized
"Yes, I have a bone to pick with
you," she Bald, recovering a grim flort
of fellowship. "A big bone! if you're
lull u friend you'll give me the very
marrow of It."
"1 am ready!" he answered more pa
thetically than philosophically.
"There's not time now; after lunch
eon, when mother Is taking her nap,"
she concluded as they came to the last
step and saw Mrs. (lallaud on the
veranda.
Ater luncheon Mrs. Oalland kept bat
tling with her nods until nature waa
victorious and she fell fast asleep.
Marta, grown restless with Unpatlenco,
suggested to Lanstron that they stroll
In the gardeu, and they took the path
past the house toward the castle
tower, stopping In an arbor with high
hedges on either side around a statue
of Mercury.
"Now!" exclaimed Marta narrowly.
"It was you, who recommend
ed Feller to u« as a gardener, compe
tent though deaf! I have proved him
to be a man of most sensitive hearing.
I (fldn't let him know that he was dis
covered. You brought him here—you,
you are the one to explain "
"True, he is not deaf!" lanstron re
plied.
"He is a spy?" she asked.
"Yes, a spy. You can put things In
a bright light, Marta!" He found words
coming with difficulty in fuc} of the
pain and disillusion of her set look.
"Using some man as a pawn; setting
him as a spy in the garden where you
have been the welcome friend!" she
exclaimed. "A spy on what—on my
mother, on Minna, on me, on the flow
ers, as a part of this monstrous game
of trickery and lies that you are play
ing?"
There was no trace of anger in her
tone. It was that.of one mortally hurt.
Anger would have been easier to bear
than the measuring, penetrating won
der that found him guilty of such a
horrible part. Those eyes would have
confused Partow himself with the
steady, welling Intensity of their gaze.
She did not see how his left hand was
twitching and how he stilled Its move
ment by pressing it against the bench.
"You will take Feller with you when
you go!" she said, rising."
Lanstron dropped his head in a kind
of shaking throb of his whole body and
raised a face white with appeal.
"Marta!" He was speaking to a pro
file, very sensitive and yet like ivory.
"I've no excuse for such an abuse of
hospitality except the obsession of a
loathsome work that some man must
do and I was Bet to do. My God, Marta!
I cease to be natural and human. lam
a machine. I keep thinking, what if
war comes and Bome error of mine let
the enemy know where to strike the
blow of victory; or If there were infor
mation I might have gained and failed
to gain that would have given us the j
because I bad not done my
part, thousands of lives of our soldiers
were sacrificed needlessly!"
At that she turned on him quickly,
her face softening.
"You do think of that — the lives?"
"Yes, why shouldn't I?"
"Of those on your side!" ehe ex
claimed, turning away.
"Yes, of those first," he replied.
"And, Marta, I did not tell you why
Feller was here becauce he did not
want me to."
CHAPTER VI.
A Crisis Within a Crista
Following the path to the tower
leisurely, they bad reached the tower.
Feller's door was open. Marta looked
Into the room, finding in the neat ar
rangement of Its furniture a new sig
nificance. He was absent, for it was
the dinner hour.
"On my recommendation you toot
him." Lanstron said.
'Yes, on yours, l*anny, on a friend's!
You"—she put a cold emphasis on the
word—"you wanted him here for your
plans!- And why? You haven't an
swered that yet. What purpose of the
war game does he serve In our gar
den?"
His look pleaded for patience, while
he tried to smile, which was rather dif
ficult in face of her attitude.
"Not altogether In the garden; part
ly in the tower," he replied. "You are
to be In the w hole secret and in such a
way as to make my temptation clear, 1
hope. First, I think you ought to see
the setting. Let us go in."
- Impelled by a curiosity that tan
stron's manner accentuated, she en
tered the room. Apparently Lanstron
was familiar with the premises. Pass
ing through the sitting-room into the
room adjoining, where Feller stored
his tools, he opened a door that gave
011 to the circular stone steps leading
down into the dungeon tunnel.
"1 think we had better have a light,"
he said, and whan he had fotched one
from the bedchamber he descended the
steps, asklug her to follow.
They were In a passage six feet In
height and about three feet broad,
which seemed to lead on Indefinitely
Into clammy darkness. The dewy walls
sparkled in fantastic and ghostly
Irltiescenco under the rays from the
lantern. The dank air lay moist against
their faces.
"This is fur enough." He paused
and raised tho lantern. With Its light
full In her face, she blinked. "There,
at the height of your chin!"
She noted a metal button puinted
gray, set at the side of one of the
stones of the wall, which looked un
real. She struck the stone with her
knuckles and it gave out the sound of
hollow wood, which was followed, as
an echo, by a little laugh from Lan
stron. Pressing the button, a panel
door flew open, revealing a telephone
mouth piece and receiver set in the
recess.
"Like a detectlvo play!" were the
first words that sprang to her lips.
"Well?" As she faced around her
eyes glittered In the lantern rays.
"Well, have you any other little tricks
to show me? Are you n slelght-of hand
artist, too, Lantiy? Are you going to
take a machine gun out of your hat?"
"That Is the whole bag," he an-
Hwered. "I thought you'd rather see
It than have It described to you."
"Having seen it, let us go!" she said,
In a manner that Implied further reck
oning to come.
"If out of a thousand possible
sources one source succeeds, then the
coiit and pains of the other nine hun
dred and ninety-nine are more than re
paid," he was saying urgently, the sol
dier uppermost in him. "Home of the
best service we have had has beeu ab
surd in lis simplicity and its audacity,
lu time of war more than one battle
has been decided by a thing that was a
trifle In Itself. . No matter what your
preparation, you can never remove the
element of chance. An hour gained in
information about your enemy's plans
may turn the tide in your favor. A
Chinese peasant spy, because he hap
(Mjned to be Intoxicated, was able to
give the Japanese warning in time for
Kuroki to make full dispositions for
receiving the Russian attack in force
at the Sha-ho. There are many other
incidents of like nature In history. So
is is my duty to neglect 110 possible
method, however absurd."
Ily this time he was at the head of
the steps. Stahding to one side, he of
fered his hand to assist Marta. Flut
she seemed not to see It. Her aspect
was that of downright antagonism.
"However absurd! Yoa, it Is absurd
to think that you can make me a party
to any of your plans, for—" She broke
off abruptly with staring eyes, as if she
had seen an apparition.
Lanstron turned and through the
door of the toolroom saw Keller enter
ing the sitting-room. He was not the
bent, deferential gardener. Ills fea
tures were hard-set, a lighting rage
burning In his eyes, his Blnews taut
as If about to spring upon an adver
sary. When'ho recognized the in
truders lie turned limp, his head
dropped, hiding his face with his hat
brim, and he steadied himself by rest
ing a hand on the table edge.
(TO BR CONTINUKO >
OVERSIGHT THAT WAS FATAL
Liflht-Flngered Gentleman » Might
Have Got Away With the Coat
But for One Thing.
A fellow stole a coat hanging in
front, of a clothing store the other aft
ternoon. But the proprietor was on
the Job, and before the thief was halt
a block away he had the police and
most of the neighbors on his trail
The poor fellow who had taken ths
coat was really coatless before the
crime. And as he ran he struggled
into the abstracted article, which fit
ted him pretty well, all thingß consid
ered. And when he was apprehended,
about four blocks from the starting
point, be protested his Innocence
stoutly.
"What d'ye mean I stole the coat?"
be said. "I've had this coat all sum
mer. Why, I ain't had it off iny back
for a week!" i
"You ain't, ain't you?" sneered th«
policeman. "An' have you wore thai
tbere coat hanger inside it acrost y®i:
shoulders all that time?"
Saying that the arm of tli> law
grasped the Iron hook projecting
abovo the collar, dragged the vlctla
to the corner and called the wagon
Parlor Tifek* df
BUl —Did you wvej. take part In an)
parlor magic? v
Jill—Oh, yes; that's how my wtfi
hypnotized me Into marrying bar.
IrmmnoNAL
SLMSOKE
LESSON
'By K. O. fIGLI.KRS, Acting Director lua.
day School Course, Moody Blbin load*
tute, Chicago.) _ '
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 22.
JESUS AND PILATE.
I.KBBON TKXT-Luke 23:1J-B. flee AM
Matt. 27:11-S1.
OOXJDKN TEXT - Pllatn nalth lata
tlt*m, What then shall I do irnio
who Is railed Christ?- Matt. 27:22 K. V.
The false witness™ (Mark 1*5541)'
did not help to formulate atatrfMi
against Jesus. These rulers did, tow
ever, make three accusations Vkoka
23:2) (a) "Perverting the natfuf—
turning it to error; (b) "forbUMtag to
Rive tributo to Caesar"— treason, trao
Matt 17:24-27); and (c) "tbat hs
maketh himself Christ, a MUg"—
e.g., his Messianic claims. Pflats
(▼. 14) seems to have dwelt til*
first as only worthy of consideration.
I. Jesus and Pilate, vv. 13-19. This
Incident demands that we atudfcr etro
fully all that the other gospel writers
have recorded. We have seen tXe ac
cusation recorded by Luke. Matßinw
and Luke tell us of Pilate's qwestton,
"Art thou the king of the Jews?" and
of the answer of Christ claiming fhat
he was. Matthew records tho sllenca
of Jestiß to the accusations ot the
Chief priests nnd to Pilate at that
time. Luke gives us the account of
Pilate's perplexity, how Jenua was
sent to Herod and of Pilate's second
report to the Jews. Matthew of
the offer Pilate made to release Barab
bas or Jesus and of the message llrom
Pilate's wife.
Trial a Mockery.
The trial before Annas and Galaphas
was a hollow mockery. The Baaliaririn
was flereo In its denunciation and to
add dlßgrace and to Impress Plata
that Jesus was dangerous, ttkey led
hiin into his presence. Pltatu sooa
saw the emptiness of their churges,
nnd as we have suggested, dtanotased
all save that of "perverting the nsr
tlon." The Roman government keenly
watched for Incipient After
examination he declares, "I find no
fault in this man." He did not, how
ever, dare Incur the hatred and vio
lence of a Jerusalem mob, and so ha
temporizes. The fiercest light o t crit
icism declares Jesus to be impeccable,
yet men temporize. After tbe dis
graceful and degrading treatment
Jesus received before Herod, he again
stands before Pilate, and this time ha
Is again declared to be innocent of the
charges preferred against him. This
Is the turning point of this world's
greatest tragedy. Pilate should have
let him go, and would have had ha
not been a venal Judge. "Ho who hesi
tates Is lost," is amply exemplified la
this case. Pilate was in a worse case
and one where It became less easy
to do right, whatever his IncMnu/ltms
(Acts 3:13) may have been, by not
acting resolutely at this point. It was
easy for this weak-willed man then to
yield to the determined willH of the
enemies of Jesus, v. 24 R. ▼. Pilate
found no fault In Johuh, neither did
Herod (v. 15), yet Pllute cuinvronils-
Ingly says, "nothing worthy of dfjafli,"
hence tho suggestion that ho t»ochas
tised and released. This is typtead oflhe
temporizing, compromising, ttaMn poli
ticians. These words at ouce mig
gested to tho Jews a custow o* liav
ing released unto them one whom they
choso at this period of the year, and
they cried out, "Away with thfc* man.
release unto us Uarabbaß." K was
thus that his accusers Repre
senting tho nation, "denied utfS ho/ljr
and just, and desirable a murderer,"
Acts 3:14.
Pilate Tried to Save Cbrfat.
11. Jeaus and Barabbaa, ««. 20-25.
Mutthowoadds to that swful OFJ, when
Pilate has washed his hands In token
of innocency, "Ills blood ho upon us"
(Matt. 27:25). The other writers
give us some suggestions as to who
Marabbas was, and makes tMs oboice
more appalling byway of ooatrasL
111. The Teachlnfl. This leason Is
Intended to center itself about Plhtte.
Inf it we see the struggle between con
science and personal ambition. Pi
late was impressed by the words of
Christ. He told the priestß and the
multitude that he found no fault in
him. It appears that up to a oertaln
point he tried to save Christ, and cer
tainly to the end he strove to avoid
the responsibility for his death. Sore
ly pressed he temporiaed and the
conversation recorded in John
shows how profoundly interested he
was in this prisoner before hlin.
Pilate knew whom he was dealing
with as a politician, but did not know
this "man of Galilee." He chose rath
er to be "Caesar's friend" than to per
form a righteous act according to the
dictates of his conscience. Pressed
by the clamor of those whom he de
spised, he sacrificed his conscience
rather than incur their anger.
The golden text focuses the personal
application of this entire lesson,
"What shall I do unto Jesus, whicfa is
called Christ?" As this question fell
from the lips of Pilate it was an
appeal to those who bad asked for
Rarabbas. "What then shall I do?** was
an acknowledgment of defeat, an
acquiescence to the will of the people,
and a desire to shift the responsibil
ity for the shedding of lnnoceat blood.
This is the question of all (piesCtcma
which men have to face. Met are stfli
following the course of either
they consent to his crscifisloa or to
hia crowning.