ed the lancers
within the enclosure. Having done this, she ran as fast as her nimble
feet would carry her for her own home.

"The tired lancers lay down to sleep while their commander strolled up
to the house and beat on the door with the hilt of his saber. To his
amazement the door was suddenly jerked open and a French dragoon
dragged him in by the collar. The commander was a prisoner.

"A detachment of French soldiers were secreted in the house, where
they had been waiting for some days for this very opportunity, knowing
that the Prussians were headed that way. Yet, though the German
commander had been deceived, little Jeanne had not told him an
untruth. She knew the French soldiers had been at the farmhouse three
days before, for she had taken food to them, but she did not know of
her own knowledge that they still were there. If she did not tell the
officer the whole truth it was because he had not asked her, and for
the sake of her beloved France she would not volunteer information
that would aid the Germans.

"'Betrayed!' raged the Prussian when he saw how neatly he had been
tricked. He groaned when a volley rang out from the house and several
of his lancers fell.

"His men made a frantic rush for their horses; then, when they
discovered that the gate was locked and that they were caught, they
threw up their hands and surrendered to the foe that they had not yet
seen.

"The French made everyone of the lancers a prisoner. Several had been
wounded, but none was killed.

"Credit was given to little Jeanne for placing the lancers in the
hands of the French soldiers, for had she not done this the French
would have attacked the Prussians in the open and might have lost many
men in the fight that would have followed.

"For her part in this fine capture little Jeanne in time received a
letter from the President of the French Republic, thanking her in the
name of France for her quick wit and for her heroism."

CHAPTER VIII

THE CHILD DESPATCH BEARER

"You already have heard of some of the heroic little despatch bearers
of France," said Captain Favor. "I shall now tell you of little Henri,
one of the bravest and most resourceful of them all.

"Despatch carrying is a desperate business, all of it exposing the
bearers to enemy fire at least part of the time, for most of the work
of these brave men is in the open where the enemy can see them. Some
go on foot, others on fast motorcycles. Ordinarily they tr