“‘Remi, soldier of France, the Army and your country salute you,’ began the colonel.  ’The hearts of both are filled with pride at your brave deeds.  You are an honor to the tri-color of our beloved France, under the folds of which you now are standing.  Were it possible for me to do so I should make you no less than a captain.  Your lack of years puts such a reward beyond my power to give.  I can, however, and I am authorized so to do, to confer upon you the cross of war, given only to men of proved heroism.  Remi, I decorate you with this cross,’ said the colonel, stepping forward and pinning the medal to the little soldier’s breast, his aides standing at attention during the impressive ceremony.  ’Wear it with honor, my son, for our beloved country.’

“The colonel then kissed the child on both cheeks.

“And Remi the bold, very pale and trembling, stammered his thanks, sat down heavily, and, burying his face in his hands, burst into tears.”

CHAPTER III

THE HEROINE OF FORT MONTERE

“I’ve been thinking about that boy Remi,” said Joe Funk next day when the children had gathered on the lawn to listen to another story.  “Of course, I know he was a hero, but wasn’t he something of a baby to sit down and cry like that?”

“Are you a baby, Joe?”

“’Course I’m not.”

“Very good.  You were wiping a tear out of the corner of one eye when I finished the story,” returned Captain Favor dryly.

“I—­I guess you are right, sir.  Please tell us another one like it.”

“Surely; but this one will be about a little French heroine named Mathilde.  Mathilde was of nearly the same age as Remi, very diffident, like yourself.”  Joe blushed and hung his head.  “She was as timid as she was diffident, but at heart she was a heroic little French girl.  They are all like Remi and Mathilde over there.

“This little woman lived in a French garrison town.  Not more than two hundred soldiers were stationed there, all the others being at the front fighting the Germans.  Quite near the village was an important fort, situated on the River Meuse.  It was called Fort Montere and was very carefully guarded by these soldiers.

“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.