“‘Shoot!  I fear not your bullets,’ he shouted.  The boy then ran skulking from shrub to shrub until he reached the forest, into which he dashed.  Both wounds 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 the other side of the forest, found himself not far out of his way.  From then on he trotted, keeping himself up by sheer pluck, for he was getting weak.

“Francois saw nothing more of the enemy, and finally he staggered into his village.  A sentry, recognizing the German helmet, halted him some distance away, and after questioning him sent the lad to the captain.

“‘Here, monsieur le Capitaine, see what I have taken from the Boches,’ he cried, upon espying the commander.  ’Thick-heads, all of them!  It is easy to fool the Boches.’

“‘But, my boy, you are wounded.  What has happened?’ demanded the captain.

“‘It is nothing; it was an accident.  The Prussians hit me by mistake.’

“The officer called a surgeon and while the lad’s wounds were being dressed Francois related to the captain all that he had seen in the Prussian camp.

“‘And they plan to come here soon,’ he added.

“‘What makes you think that?’ asked the commander.

“’Because they have made the villagers stay in their homes.  For what reason other than that do they wish to keep the villagers in?  Again, they are fast making preparations to go into battle!’

“‘You are a clever boy and a brave one,’ cried the captain, enthusiastically.  ’You may keep the rifle.  You will be proud some day that you own it.’

“’I am proud now, monsieur le Capitaine, but I shall be more proud after you have whipped the Boches.’

“‘That is good, but what can we do to reward you?’

“’Whip them quickly, that I may go to see my sick grandmother.  I am much put out, sir, that I did not see her.’

“There was loud laughter at this, and at the earnest way in which it was said, but Francois never changed the sober expression of his face.

“’It shall be done.  Reinforcements are coming and early this evening we shall go out to meet the Prussians.  I promise you that you shall soon see your grandmother, 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 the country.  A few days later Francois made the trip again, and this time did see his dear grandmother, but she was not so ill but that she could work in her garden.

“And that, my dear little friends, is the story of another little hero of France,” concluded Captain Favor.

CHAPTER V

THE SACRIFICE OF LITTLE PIERRE

“There are many like Francois among those youthful patriots,” began Captain Favor when his little friends had gathered about him on another occasion to listen to stories about the Children of France.  “They value neither their own safety nor their lives; they are willing and eager to make any sacrifice if by so doing they can serve their beloved France ever so little.