say, he carried
no rifle. One had been offered to him, but he shook his head. Instead,
he carried several canteens of water and his blouse was stuffed with
first-aid bandages. He knew what he wished to do and what he believed
he could do best.

"Soon men began to fall. The stretcher bearers were too few to give
quick attention to all, but Jean was there. With his bandages he bound
as best he could the wounds of his comrades, and quenched their thirst
from his canteens. Many were the suffering poilus who blessed the
little soldier of mercy that day.

"Jean's face was bleeding where a bullet had left a gash across it,
but to this he gave not the slightest heed. Time and time again he ran
back for more water; time and time again did he rush for the stretcher
bearers to get aid for a particularly badly wounded comrade. The child
seemed to be utterly fearless, or perhaps he did not even realize that
the air about him was thick with bullets and exploding shells. If he
knew he did not care.

"With nightfall the troops of both sides backed away to their own
trenches. Jean's work, however, was not yet done. He remained out on
the field where lay men who would never rise again, and many more who
were suffering and dying. All night long he worked with them, until
nearly daybreak, by which time the stretcher bearers had finished
their work.

"When day dawned his comrades found little Jean asleep on top of the
parapet of his own trench, with a storm of machine gun fire sweeping
over him. He was sleeping in a rain of steel. They hauled him in and
tucked him away in a dugout.

"Jean might have slept the day through had not a shell blown up the
dugout and literally blown the boy over the lip with it. He was
considerably bruised and shocked, but otherwise was unhurt.

"By the time he had collected his wits and got the dizziness out of
his head, his comrades were once more going over the top.

"'I must go,' was Jean's reply when an officer sought to hold him
back.

"Gathering up all the canteens he could carry, Jean filled them with
water and was over the top and out on the storm-swept field. His eyes
glowed with admiration when he saw his lieutenant leading and
encouraging the men of his company. Jean tried to keep close to him,
but this was not wholly possible, for the lad was still performing his
work of mercy.

"Suddenly he saw the lieutenant stagger and fall.

"With a little cry Jean sprang up from the wounded man he