“Tell us all about it,” urged Giraffe; while Bumpus leaned over and kept his eyes glued upon that wonderful medal which the dusty private bore upon the left bosom of his blue uniform.

“I do not know just how it happened,” continued the man, modesty. “They said we would charge. I shut my eyes, thinking that I might be tempted to run away, and sooner than have such a disgrace come upon me I meant to die. Then we were going in, and all around me men were struggling and striking and dying. I too gave and took and, most wonderful of all, found that I was not afraid. Then came the signal to retreat, for the enemy they were too many for us. As we fell back the cry arose that our colonel had fallen and was left behind. M’sieu, I do not know what possessed me to turn back and run into the mass of the enemy, striking right and left. They swarmed about me, but somehow I always seemed to escape death. Then I saw my colonel there upon the ground, wounded. He waved his hand to me, seeing the blue there; but I did not stop only long enough to snatch him up. Just then I seemed to have the strength of a dozen men. I fought my way through again, and staggering I reached our lines, where my comrades nearly smothered me with caresses. And after that my colonel pinned this to my coat, and said I was a brave man. The best of it to me is that he will live to lead his men again. That is all. And I, Jaques Leforge, did it.”

“You must get in here with us,” said Thad. “We will not take no for an answer. You are tired, you are almost spent, and your home may still be some miles away. Besides, we want to put you down there, so that we too may see what those neighbors will say, those who misjudged you all these years, when they see that splendid medal, and know that you have won it.”

“That’s the talk,” said Giraffe, promptly; and even Bumpus, much as he wanted to hurry along, would not have arranged it otherwise.

So the wounded hero was helped into the car, where they made room for him on the rear seat. It was not more than five minutes later when he pointed ahead with his uninjured hand and called out:

“There, you see the little church, M’sieu—my house is at the corner, and that woman who is coming out of the gate, she is my Janet, my wife!”

CHAPTER XXVII
CONCLUSION

As the car bore down and stopped in front of the humble cottage gate the little French peasant woman stared hard, as well she might. To see her “man” riding in such a fine vehicle alongside four strange young chaps was enough to make her believe in miracles.

Then, as some of the boys helped Jaques to alight, for he was trembling violently, and could hardly have managed it with one hand, she noticed that he had an arm bound up as though severely wounded. With a cry she flung herself upon him and clasped her arms about his neck.

Out of the cottage flew three children whom the soldier hugged as well as he could with that single arm. From neighboring houses flocked the inmates, so that presently there was quite a crowd assembled to see the strange return of Jaques Leforge, the man whom they had always believed to be so sadly lacking in the quality of courage.