shut his mouth close, and looked straight at the corporal. The
man laid down his pistol, and, seizing Frank, drew his hands behind
him, and tied them.

"Get ready, men," he said, as he drew the boy aside to a small tree,
putting him with his back to it.

Frank thought his hour had come. He thought of his mother and Willy,
and wondered if the soldiers would shoot Willy, too. His face twitched
and grew ghastly white. Then he thought of his father, and of how
proud he would be of his son's bravery when he should hear of it. This
gave him strength.

"The knot--hurts my hands," he said.

The man leaned over and eased it a little.

"I wasn't crying because I was scared," said Frank.

The kind looking fellow turned away.

"Now, boys, get ready," said the corporal, taking up his pistol.

How large it looked to Frank. He wondered where the bullets would hit
him, and if the wounds would bleed, and whether he would be left alone
all night out there in the woods, and if his mother would come and
kiss him.

"I want to say my prayers," he said, faintly.

The soldier made some reply which he could not hear, and the man with
the beard started forward; but just then all grew dark before his
eyes.

Next, he thought he must have been shot, for he felt wet about his
face, and was lying down. He heard some one say, "He's coming to," and
another replied, "Thank God!"

He opened his eyes. He was lying beside the little branch with his
head in the lap of the big soldier with the beard, and the little
corporal was leaning over him throwing water in his face from a cap.
The others were standing around.

"What's the matter?" asked Frank.

"That's all right," said the little corporal, kindly. "We were just
a-foolin' a bit with you, Johnny."

"We never meant to hurt you," said the other. "You feel better now?"

"Yes, where's Willy?" He was too tired to move.

"He's all right. We'll take you to him."

"Am I shot?" asked Frank.

"No! Do you think we'd have touched a hair of your head--and you such
a brave little fellow? We were just trying to scare you a bit and
carried it too far, and you got a little faint,--that's all."

The voice was so kindly that Frank was encouraged to sit up.

"Can you walk now?" asked the corporal, helping him and steadying him
as he rose to his feet.

"I'll take him," said the big fellow, and before the boy could move,
he had stooped, taken Frank in his arms, and was carrying him back
toward t