The Children of France Part 2

"The fort was situated about a mile from the village on a rise of ground. It was the custom of the soldiers there to spend a good part of their days in the village, never dreaming that they were in the slightest danger, but the Germans were nearer than they thought.

"One night--it was not far from morning, then--two companies of mounted Germans rode up to the sleeping village, which they surrounded. The commanding officer sent an aide to the mayor, ordering him to see to it that not a person left his home on pain of instant death. The mayor refused to betray his people or the soldiers on the hill. The aide shot him then and there. That was nothing new for a German officer to do. Many worse acts than that have they committed. I know, for I have fought them, and I have seen many things. The people were then notified that disobedience meant further that the village would be burned.

"Not one of the villagers was bold enough to try to warn the French garrison of the peril that awaited them, for it was plain that the Germans were planning to lay in wait for the Frenchmen when they came to the village on the following morning.

"Soon German soldiers began entering the houses, one soldier to each house, in which he took his station, cowering the occupants by terrible threats.

"Little Mathilde, when she heard the soldier a.s.signed to their home bang on the door with the b.u.t.t of his rifle, fled to the kitchen, where she stood listening and watching. She nearly cried out when the soldier thrust the bayonet of his rifle at her father, and all the resentment of her race at such injustice rose up within her.

"'I shall save them,' she breathed.

"Mathilde slipped out through the kitchen door into the walled garden, and, climbing the wall, peered over. She could see German hors.e.m.e.n and German infantrymen everywhere, the moonlight flas.h.i.+ng on their helmets and rifles as they moved rapidly about. How she should be able to get over the wall without discovery she did not know. A heavy black cloud at this moment drifted across the sky, hiding the face of the moon for a few moments, and when the cloud had pa.s.sed Mathilde was no longer on the garden wall. She lay p.r.o.ne on the ground in a field on the opposite side of the wall. Hors.e.m.e.n were all about her. Now and then a horse narrowly missed stepping on her, and those Uhlans must have wondered that night why their horses were so skittish.

"Every time she saw an opening the little heroine would dart ahead; each time a cloud pa.s.sed between earth and moon she gained a little distance. Once a Uhlan's horse jumped clear over her and kicked viciously at her after it had landed on its feet. You see, the gra.s.s in the fields was high, there being no men to cut it. Had it not been for the gra.s.s, Mathilde never could have accomplished what she did.

"At last she was clear of them, and then how she did run; she fairly flew up the hill, stopping only when a French sentry halted her to demand what she wanted.

"'I would speak with your captain,' panted Mathilde.

"The sentry laughed.

"'Think you my captain sits awake all night that he may receive calls from the villagers?' he demanded.

"'But,' begged the girl, 'the Uhlans have come. They are even now in the houses that they may come out and shoot you down when you go to the village tomorrow.'

"'You are dreaming, my pretty miss. Go back to your sleep. It is a nightmare you are telling me. Return and dream no more.'

"Mathilde begged and pleaded, to the great amus.e.m.e.nt of the sentry.

The child grew angry. She stamped and raged. Then she adopted a new plan. Throwing herself on the ground the little girl rolled and screamed and screamed.

"'Stop it! You'll wake the garrison,' he commanded.

"'That is what Mathilde is trying to do,' answered the girl, then screamed louder than ever, and the sentry turned out the corporal's guard. The corporal sent a messenger to the village to see if the child was right.

"'If you believe me not, look yonder in the valley,' exclaimed the girl, impatiently. 'What see you?'

"'Nothing. Wait! I see the moonlight glistening on something, I should say on a tin sign on a tree.'

"Mathilde laughed ironically. 'It is indeed a sign, a bad sign, monsieur Corporal. What you see is the moonlight reflected on the helmet of a German Uhlan. Ha! Now believe you the little Mathilde?'

"'Call the captain,' commanded the corporal.

"The commanding officer came hurrying out. He questioned the child and ere he had finished the messenger came running back.

"'The Germans are in force in the village,' cried the messenger. 'They hide in the houses and their sentries guard the approaches to the village.

"'Summon the garrison to arms!' commanded the captain. 'You are a n.o.ble child, Mathilde.'

"While a small force was left to guard the fort the others of the garrison went down and surrounded the village. They surprised and captured the sentries without firing a shot. These prisoners were taken to the fort and locked up, after which the French in the village fired a volley into the air. As they expected, the Prussians guarding the houses rushed out and began shooting, but coming from the lighted houses into the darkness of the early morning, their eyes were not keen and only one volley from the French was necessary to fill the Germans with fear. The Germans very soon laid down their arms and surrendered. While some of the invaders were wounded, no one was killed. The entire German force was captured and marched, humiliated, to the fort on the hill.

"Next day, when the villagers came to a realization of what Mathilde had done, a purse was made up, everyone giving of his little savings.

This purse was presented to the child by the captain, in the presence of all his officers and many of his soldiers.

"Mathilde's eyes were bright. She held the bag of money in her arms for a moment, then, kissing it, placed it in the hands of the captain.

"'And I, monsieur le Capitaine, give it to our beloved France. She needs it more than does the Little Mathilde, and with it Mathilde sends her love to the brave poilus of her beautiful France.'"

CHAPTER IV

FRANCOIS OUTWITS THE PRUSSIANS

"This morning I shall tell you what little Francois did to the Germans, as well as what the Germans did to Francois," began Captain Favor at a following sitting on the lawn. "Joe, you will be thrilled when you hear the story of the desperate chances this little French boy of twelve took for his country.

"He, like all of his youthful friends, was a n.o.ble fellow and a hero, quick-witted and very bright. You would soon learn, were you in France, how keen and clever these French children are. Their wits have been greatly sharpened since the war began. But to our story--.

"The Prussians had reached a point on the west bank of the River R----, a narrow stream some distance back and to the left of the battle front. On the right side of the river, a few miles from it, was the little village in which Francois lived. A detachment of French infantry had arrived at the town, having come there on word that the Germans were threatening the village.

"'Where are the Prussians?' demanded the captain of the mayor. He was eager to get at them.

"'On the other side of the river. Other French detachments have driven them away twice, but each time the Boches return. We have not seen them here in several days now,' the mayor informed him.

"'I must know their exact location and the size of their force. I cannot send one of my own soldiers. Have you a man in the village who can pa.s.s the lines and obtain the information I seek?'

"'I fear there are none, sir,' replied the mayor.

"Francis, who had been an eager listener to this conversation, stepped forward at this juncture.

"'I will go, monsieur le Capitaine,' he said.

"'Ah! You know where they are?'

"'No, sir, but I know the country for many miles.'

"'But the Germans will catch you, and if they do you will be shot. I cannot permit one so young as you are to sacrifice himself.'

"Francois smiled. 'I have a grandmother living in the other village and she is sick. Should a lad not be permitted to visit his grandmother who is ill?' he asked.

"The French captain saw the point and smiled. 'Go, then, if you will, but be careful. If you succeed you truly will be a hero, my lad.'

"'Francois will find the Boches,' was the boy's confident reply.

"Without waiting for the captain to change his mind the lad set out and was soon out of sight of the village. Reaching the river, he crept along the bank until he found the bridge he was looking for.

Over this he crawled on hands and knees, and, reaching the other side of the river, he dodged along until he came to the village where the Prussians were supposed to be. Francois halted at a farmhouse where he was known. The farmer's wife was feeding the pigs, and she did not see him until he said:

"'Where are the Boches?'