"I shall be charmed," replied the colonel. "I should like nothing better than to have her settle in France permanently as a resident of our beautiful Auvergne, but I suppose that is too much to hope for. You have America in your blood."
"Yes," laughed Frank. "France is beautiful and great, but America is to me above all."
"I should think less of you if it were not so," answered Colonel Pavet. "Au revoir, then. Remember me to Madame Sheldon when you write."
With a cordial handshake they parted. The colonel vaulted into the saddle of his horse which an orderly was holding at the door, and Frank returned to his comrades, who he found busily preparing to return to Coblenz, in accordance with an order that had just come from the lieutenant.
"Why we've just got here!" objected Frank, when he heard the news.
"And now we're going back!"
"It's this way," explained Tom. "The lieutenant is anxious to get those prisoners off his hands and safe in jail at Coblenz. It seems that he pumped a lot of information out of one of the fellows who gave away his comrades, and he wants headquarters to go into the matter at once. We've been chosen among others to guard the prisoners because we took them and we may be wanted as witnesses. So back we go, and I'm glad of it."
"Same here," echoed Billy.
Bart and Frank looked at each other and laughed.
"'Alice, where art thou?'" quoted Bart.
"We know why you fellows want to get back to Coblenz in such a hurry," joked Frank. "Gee, it must be awful to have such a hankering. I will admit, however, that Alice and Helen are pretty girls. Bless you, my children, bless you."