The Children of France

id to Francois," began Captain Favor at a following sitting on the lawn. "Joe, you will be thrilled w

ry bright. You would soon learn, were you in France, how keen and clever these French chi

the battle front. On the right side of the river, a few miles from it, was the little village in which Francois lived. A det

manded the captain of the mayo

driven them away twice, but each time the Boches return. We have

I cannot send one of my own soldiers. Have you a man in the vi

re none, sir,' r

listener to this conversation, s

nsieur le Capit

know where

know the countr

ey do you will be shot. I cannot permit one

other village and she is sick. Should a lad not be per

'Go, then, if you will, but be careful. If y

the Boches,' was the

nd 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 whe

are the

t do you here?'

randmother. But I se

of them over yonder. Do not go on, I

across the fields in the direction indicated by the farmer's wife. Su

of the troop when they drew up

go to see my grand

ave been ordered to remain at home and that he who disobeys

n men and women, but for children wh

ut face! March! You will be

mother,' insisted the lad

ne guns, large numbers of cavalrymen and infantry. He estimated as best he could how many of them there were. H

elf. 'One would not think they could shoot so far as our village

oldiers who had picked him up and sent him sprawling on the floor. 'What less could one expect from a Boche?' he muttered. For aught he knew,

and heaps of knapsacks, helmets and blankets. The only light in the cell-like room into which he had been thru

nd the French troops there. He already had used his eyes to good advantage, and now had a very clear idea of the size of the German

to reach and to go out through the door meant that he surely would be shot or bay

eath the window. The pile grew slowly. At last it was high enough to permit the boy to rea

sily, for Francois was

, for the window is small even for a

d beyond that fields with hedges and bushes, but there was not a soldier in sight on th

ter a keen, sweeping glance about, the boy crawled out head first and let himself go. Francois nearly broke his neck in the fall to the ground, landing as he did on his head and shoulders. For a moment he lay where he had fallen, then staggered to his feet, dizzy and a little weak from the jolt. He s

other course for him to follow. Retracing his steps for some distance he finally struck off in the right direction. When he came

hey go!' German soldiers already were running toward the bridge, and he knew that his escape h

ap, jammed the helmet tightly over his head and rolled down the bank into the river.

and bushes. But discovery came at about the time he reached the middle of the river. The sun, reflected from his b

Bah! Shoot again.' O-u-c-h! A bullet had gone through the helmet, so low that it raked the top of his h

e boy. 'No Boche could shoot so true

there. A bullet struck him in the shoulder, spun him around and laid him flat o

ds were by now bleeding freely and his face was covered with blood from the scalp wound. He dashed on, not wholly certain of his direction, but, reaching

his village. A sentry, recognizing the German helmet, halted him some

om the Boches,' he cried, upon espying the commander. '

ounded. What has happene

an accident. The Pruss

wounds were being dressed Francois related to the

to come here s

think that?' as

what reason other than that do they wish to keep the villagers

e captain, enthusiastically. 'You may keep the ri

taine, but I shall be more proud a

but what can we

see my sick grandmother. I am much p

arnest way in which it was said, but Francois

Francois.' And he did, for, acting upon his information, the French forces were enabled to inflict heavy losses upon the Germans and drive them from that part of

is the story of another little hero