boys who--one of them limping
badly--went slowly down the street; stopping, occasionally, to look
in at the shop windows. It was not until they were fairly outside
the town, and out of sight of the German sentries, that they either
spoke or quickened their pace.

"The franc tireurs of Dijon may thank their lucky stars that they
sent down spies to Saverne today, Percy; and especially that we, of
all the members of the corps, were selected. If we had not been
where we were, just at that moment, and if we had not understood
English, it would have been all up with the corps, and no mistake."

"What an infamous scoundrel, as the major said, that schoolmaster
must be, Ralph! What do you think the commandant will do?"

"He has nothing to do but to retreat, as quickly as we can go,
Percy; but if it costs him half the corps, I hope he will hang that
schoolmaster, before he goes."

"I hope so, too," Percy said; and scarcely another word was spoken,
until they reached the village.

It was still early, scarcely two o'clock, and Major Tempe was
drilling the whole corps--the two detached companies having arrived
that morning--when the boys, having again put on uniform,
approached him.

Major Tempe nodded to them, as they came up.

"You are back early," he said. "You are excused from drill. I will
see you at my quarters, when it is over."

"If you please, major," Ralph said, respectfully, "you had better
dismiss the men, at once. We have news of the highest importance to
tell you."

The major looked surprised but, seeing by the boys' faces that the
news was very serious, he at once dismissed the men; telling them
to keep near, as they might be wanted. Then, calling his officers,
he proceeded at once with the Barclays towards his quarters.

"Excuse me, major," Ralph said, "but instead of going to your
quarters, would you move to some open space, where we can speak
without a possibility of being overheard by anyone?"

Still more surprised, Major Tempe led the way to some felled trees
at the edge of the forest, a short distance from the village. Here
he sat down, and motioned to the others to do the same. Ralph then
told his story, interrupted many times by exclamations of rage,
upon the part of his auditors; and giving full credit to Percy for
his idea of the plan by which, unnoticed, they had managed to get
within hearing of the German officers. The fury of the French
officers knew no bounds. They gesticulated, they sta