"'Bah! That for the Fatherland!' The lad snapped his fingers in the Prussian's face. Pierre's courage, instead of further angering the German, appeared to amuse him.
"'We shall see. It is for you to shoot your friend the sergeant. Shoot him and you shall have your freedom and your life. It is well that a Frenchman should be put to death by his own. Can you shoot?'
"'I can.'
"'Then here is a rifle. It is loaded. Shoot and shoot true and freedom is yours, for yourself and the old woman yonder who insulted the officer of my Emperor.' The captain extended the rifle, butt first, toward the boy. Pierre was outwardly calm, but within his heart a storm was raging. Rather to the surprise of the spectators, he took the weapon, turned it over curiously in his hands, for it was the first German rifle he had handled, examined the mechanism of the lock, then raised his eyes to the motionless figure of the French sergeant.
"Pierre smiled and a new light sprang into his eyes.
"'Well?' demanded the captain impatiently. 'Do you shoot or do you die?'
"'I shoot!' cried the little French boy, his voice high pitched and shrill.
"Pierre turned like a flash and, raising the weapon, pointed it straight at the German captain and pulled the trigger.
"No report followed. The rifle had missed fire. And ere Pierre could make another try the weapon was snatched from his hands and a blow from the captain's fist again laid him low.
"'Dog!' raged the Prussian officer. 'Now you shall die, and yonder French sergeant shall be a witness to your punishment. Strip the blinder from that man's eyes! Bind this boy!'