“Will you please let us try?” he asked, and taking a worried nod from the Captain for answer, he sat down beside the dead mother, and for a long time, as it seemed to the watching group, stared idly ahead, without so much as a glance at the trembling children.
Then he turned, nodded as though he had just noticed them, and taking a cake of chocolate from his pocket, bit off a piece and then broke off a small corner for each child. It was only a taste, but as the delicious morsel melted on their tongues, they crept to Porky like a couple of starved kittens. He showed them the rest of the chocolate and hitched off a few feet. Beany came after. The children followed, and Porky broke off another small bit for each. Some one brought water from the cars for them to drink and in fifteen minutes the thing was done. Porky and Beany, each with a little skeleton in their arms, wandered well away from the spot where unaccustomed hands were awkwardly digging a grave for the dead young mother.
“This,” said Porky, as the child in his arms sagged on his shoulder and seemed to sleep, “this is the worst thing yet!”
“You bet!” said Beany dismally. “Say, did you see me cry back there? I did!”
“Well, what of it?” demanded Porky. “Didn’t everybody? I’d like to know how they could help it!”
“I wasn’t looking,” said Beany. “Oh, gosh, they didn’t have to do things like this.”
“Who, the Huns?” asked his brother. “Why, it’s all like this and a million times worse!”
“Well, I wish I was grown up,” mourned Beany. “To think we can’t do much of anything! I want to get even! I want to look some of those fellows in the face!”
“What’s your idea? Want to tell him what you think?” Porky laughed unpleasantly, as he shifted the weight of the child. “What’s worrying me now is what is going to be done with these poor little kids. Isn’t the one you have a pretty little thing? Even all the dirt and hunger can’t hide her looks. I suppose they will have to go into some asylum!”
“I don’t see why,” said Beany suddenly. “Do you remember Mom and Pop said they wished if we brought them anything from across, it would be something good and worth while? They didn’t want German helmets and junk like that. What do you suppose they would say to a couple of dandy little kids like these?”