er, since these were Bavarian troops.

The Boy Scouts served as intermediaries between the Germans and the
French civil authorities. They carried messages, and, at the order of
the mayor, they submitted themselves to the orders of the German staff
when it was necessary to explain a new decree to the citizens. They had
many other things to do, also. It was largely the scouts who saw to the
gathering of the supplies requisitioned by the Germans. The enemy had
been inexorable in this respect; they set a definite time limit for the
filling of every requisition they made, and it was well understood that
drastic measures would be taken were they not satisfied.

Each day a new group of hostages was taken into the Hotel de Ville, now
occupied as headquarters by the German staff, rather than the buildings
formerly used by the Second Corps d'Armee of France. These hostages, it
was explained, would be shot at once if orders were not obeyed or if
Germans were attacked. There were many irksome rules. Every citizen was
required to salute a German officer whenever he saw him. Lights must be
out at a certain hour each night, and after that hour any citizen found
in the streets without a permit was liable to arrest and execution
without trial. They were under martial rule.

But always the sound of heavy firing in the southeast continued.

"I really believe the great battle is being fought at last, Henri!" said
Frank. "We have heard that firing now for three days. It comes from the
direction of the Marne. There is another thing. Since yesterday no troop
trains have gone south through Amiens."

"But empty trains go through!" cried Henri. "And they come back, loaded
with German wounded! You are right, Francois! We have begun to drive the
Prussians back to the Rhine!"

News they had none. All Amiens was cut off from the world. Whatever the
German invaders knew they kept strictly to themselves. It was only by
such inferences as they could draw from the sound of firing in the
direction of Paris and by the passage of trains through the city that
they were able to form any opinion at all.

"I feel sure that there's a real battle going on," said Frank. "The
firing is too heavy and too continuous for a rear guard action. But as
to who is winning, we can't tell. Sometimes the firing seems to be a
little nearer again, but that might be because of the wind. And as for
the trains that are going through, that doesn't really mean anything.
They