The Children of France Part 8

"'France has need of such as you,' said the commander approvingly.

'What shall you do now?'

"'I must return to my troops and make my report to my commanding officer,' was the simple reply. 'I shall wait for the night before starting, for the Boches this time cannot be so easily fooled.

Remember, I still have the orders in my stomach. Would it not be sad if the Boches discovered them and took them from me?' Henri grinned and the commander laughed heartily.

"Henri's return journey was made without disaster, though several times he narrowly missed being captured. Late on the following morning the plucky boy reached his regiment and made his report to his colonel, who warmly commended the child for his patriotism and courage."

CHAPTER IX

GENe AND THE BAVARIAN DRAGOONS

"The story of Gene and the Bavarian dragoons, is one of the best, to my mind, that has developed in this war," said Captain Favor, beginning a new story. "Such quick thinking as hers in the face of an emergency, is very rare in a child, which makes Gene's achievement stand out so prominently.

"Gene's mother had been ill for months. She had been bedridden all that time, leaving to the little girl the heavy work of the home, for the father, too, was in poor health. Gene, though only ten years of age, was a resolute and capable child, as you will see when I tell you the story of how she won two little battles of her own.

"After the battle of the Marne the Prussians were pressing northward, venting their rage on the defenseless inhabitants, killing many such and carrying others away with them. It was desperate business that these brutal Prussians were engaged in. Finding themselves unable to whip the Allied soldiers, they sought to terrorize old men, women and children.

"Gene's home was situated at the edge of a village, and though they knew the Germans were headed in their direction, they thought the soldiers would take pity on their sad condition and leave them alone.

"One day, however, a company of Bavarian dragoons entered the outskirts of the village and halted before the child's home. Tying their horses, they entered the house and began a systematic search of it. They ripped up carpets and tore beds to pieces, helped themselves to all the food in the house, then turned their attention to the husband, who had stood helplessly by. Not Gene. She stood trembling with anger, scarcely able to restrain herself.

"'We want your money!' demanded the captain of the dragoons, turning to Gene's father. 'Quick, or you shall suffer.'

"'I have none. I have spent it all on my poor wife,' replied the father.

"'Bah! The French always have money. We shall find it. Throw the old woman out of the bed. She is but pretending to be sick. She is in bed to hide the money of the household,' raged the captain.

"Obeying his orders, his men dragged the sick woman from the bed and dropped her on the floor, where Gene, with tears of anger in her eyes, bent over and clasped her parent's hand. The husband protested against their treatment of the wife and Gene pleaded with them to go away and leave her family in peace.

"'You would resist us, would you!' demanded the captain, drawing back a fist to strike the child's father. 'Ah! He shall be taken away for that. You shall see that it is not for cowardly French to thwart the will of the Bavarian dragoons. He directed his men to remove the father. Several soldiers grabbed Gene's father and dragged him from the house.

"'Now to the cellar!' cried the commander. 'There we shall at least find wine, for the French always have wine in their cellars. Perhaps you will tell us there is no wine there!' he said sneeringly, fixing his eyes on the child.

"'There is wine in plenty there,' she answered sweetly, favoring the captain with a smile. 'You will find the jugs in the front part of the cellar.' Gene lowered her eyes, that the officer might not read the thought that she felt certain was reflected there.

"'Come,' he said, leading the way to the cellar, which they gained by raising the trapdoor in the kitchen floor and descending a ladder, this being the customary way of getting to the cellar in a peasant's home.

"For several moments all was silent in the room where Gene and her mother sat on the floor, the child supporting her parent with one arm.

Down cellar the voices of the Germans could be faintly heard. At last Gene laid her mother down and tripped lightly to the kitchen.

Listening a moment she cautiously lowered the trapdoor in the floor and closed the opening, fastening it with its bolt. Not satisfied with this, the child moved a table to the trapdoor, on which she piled everything of weight in the kitchen.

"'All is well, mother,' she said, returning to the sick woman. Gene, for fear of exciting her mother, did not tell her what had been done.

The soldiers with the father having gone, the villagers soon appeared in the streets, and to them Gene explained that she had captured the captain of dragoons and several of his men. By this time there was a great uproar in the cellar. The dragoons were s.h.i.+fting and beating on the kitchen floor, raging and threatening. They had discovered that they were in a trap. It would fare hard with Gene and her mother if the soldiers succeeded in getting out, but of that the child had little fear. The villagers now offered to guard the imprisoned soldiers, but the child knew her people could do little in this direction.

"Early in the afternoon a battalion of French cha.s.seurs came galloping into town. The villagers set up a great shout, and, running out, the child recognized the soldiers of her own country. To the commander of the cha.s.seurs she quickly made known her situation.

"'Monsieur le Capitaine,' she said. 'There are in our house German soldiers. They are in the cellar. Some of their party have taken my father away, but the commander and some of his men I have locked in the cellar.'

"'Bravo!' cried the commander. 'Come, we shall see.'

"'There,' said Gene, pointing to the barricaded trapdoor. 'Hear them rage. They are furious, as they should be.'"

The officer quickly summoned some of his men to the kitchen, and, after the trap had been uncovered and thrown open, he bade them thrust their bayonets into the opening.

"'Come out of that cellar, you Bavarian hounds!' he shouted. 'You are prisoners!'

"The uproar in the cellar died out instantly. After a brief hesitation they came out one by one, being disarmed and herded in a corner as they emerged into the kitchen.

"'Take them away,' commanded the officer.

"'Monsieur le Capitaine,' said Gene, tugging at his sleeve. 'These soldiers not only have helped themselves to everything in the house, but they have, as you saw, abused my sick mother and have taken away my poor father. They have misused us. Please do not let them go until they have returned my father to our home. If you do not it will kill my mother, I fear.'

"'We shall do our best, my brave child.'

"'Ah, monsieur le Capitaine, I have an idea. Can you not exchange one of your prisoners for my father?' questioned the little girl.

"The commander reflected. 'How long have they been gone with him?'

"'Only a short time, sir.'

"'Good. Step forward!' he said sharply to the German officer. The latter obeyed silently. 'Captain,' said the Frenchman, 'you and your men have ransacked this house, abused a sick woman and carried away her husband. A fine business for those who call themselves men. You deserve to be shot, you and all your hounds. However, I will spare your life on one condition. It is that the father of this household shall be set at liberty and returned to his home before nightfall.

Your troops will not be far from here. Who in command?'

"'A captain.'

"'Then one of you will ride and rejoin your detachment--'

"'I will go,' interjected the commander of the dragoons."

[Ill.u.s.tration: A FRENCH DRAGOON DRAGGED HIM IN.]

"'Oh, no, captain; your presence is required here. Come here!' he ordered, beckoning to one of the Bavarians, 'and listen well to what I shall say to you. You will immediately mount your horse and as quickly as possible rejoin your detachment.'

"'Oui, monsieur le Capitaine.'

"'You will tell the commander that we have here seven dragoons and an officer as prisoners of the French cha.s.seurs. You also will say that the French commander sends warning to him that unless the father of this child, taken as a hostage, is returned to this village before eight o'clock this evening, your captain and seven Bavarian dragoons in the hands of the French will be shot immediately. Can you remember this?'

"'Oui, monsieur le Capitaine.'

"'Then go speedily.'

"The dragoon departed in haste. He was eager to get away from this stern-faced Frenchman, at whose hands he knew he could expect small mercy after what the Bavarians had done in that little peasant home.

"Gene had rejoined her mother, who had been tenderly placed in her bed by the tender-hearted French captain. The child sat clasping her mother's hand and comforting her.