(SA) A Firing Squad for Christmas

Adventure! Ron Evans gives us a special Christmas adventure in his story, A Firing Squad for Christmas. Come in, Miss Webster. If I could have said you had an urgent matter, you wish to talk over with me.

Yes, Mr. I did. It's the beginning of December now. I've got a lovely idea for a Christmas series of articles. Oh, excellent. Excellent. Sit down and tell me all about it. That's what I like to see in the initiative from our junior reporters.

I'd like to go to France, sir. We'll visit the men in the trenches and let the people at home know how they spend in Christmas. Really, Miss Webster, the idea is bit postress. The woman can't go up the front line, the war office would never permit it. In fact, not even a male correspondent would be permitted.

Elvison is over there now, and the closest he can get is a village called O'Till. No, no, no, no. Take my advice, Miss Webster. Stick to the more gentle type of reporting. Wedding society and the like. The frontline is strictly for men, my dear.

You don't quite understand, sir. I've made up my mind. Then unmake it. Well, if you won't send me as an official correspondent, then I shall go as a freelance. I'm sure the globe, the herald and the mail won't reject my reports.

I see. So you're giving me an ultimate, huh? If that's how you wish to take it? Yes, sir. I'm going to see what it's like at the front line, line, and nothing, and nobody's going to stop me."

Miss Cathy Webster was a pretty young thing of twenty-two. She'd been with my paper for three years, and never not once had she ever shown the dogged determination she displayed at that interview in my office. I was shocked by her plan and equally shocked by her sheer stubbornness. There was something more to it than met the eye of that, I was fairly