"'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.'