ris, if it
should have a governor, will be a Frenchman. But the day is advancing,
Weber; what do you think we ought to do?"

"I've been thinking of your friend Lannes. I've an idea that he'll come
for you, if he finds an interval in his duties."

"But how could he possibly find me? Why, it's the old needle in the
haystack business."

"He couldn't unless we made some sort of signal."

"There's no signal that I can make."

"But there's one that I can. Look, Mr. Scott."

He unbuttoned his long French coat, and took from his breast a roll of
red, white and blue. He opened it and disclosed a French flag about four
feet long.

"If that were put in a conspicuous place," he said, "an aviator with
glasses could see it a long way, and he would come to find out what it
meant."

"The top of a tree is the place for it!" exclaimed John. "Now if you
only had around here a real tree, or two, in place of what we call
saplings in my country, we might do some fine signaling with the flag."

"We'll try it, but I think we should go a considerable distance from the
cottage. If Germans instead of French should come then we'd have a
better chance of escaping among the hedges and vineyards."

John agreed with him and they quickly made ready, each taking his
automatic and knapsack, and leaving the fire to die of itself on the
hearth.

"I'm telling that cottage good-bye with regret," said John, as they
walked away. "I spent some normal and peaceful hours there last night
and it's a neat little place. I hope its owners will be able to come
back to it. As soon as I open the stable door, in order that the horse
may go where he will, I'll be ready."

He gave the big animal a friendly pat as he left and Marne gazed after
him with envious sorrowful eyes.

They walked a full mile, keeping close to the Marne, where the trees and
bushes were thickest, and listened meanwhile to the fourth day's
swelling roar of the battle. Its long continuance had made it even more
depressing and terrifying than in its earlier stages. To John's mind, at
least, it took on the form of a cataclysm, of some huge paroxysm of the
earth. He ate to it, he slept to it, he woke to it, and now he was
walking to it. The illusion was deepened by the fact that no human being
save Weber was visible to him. The country between the two monstrous
battle lines was silent and deserted.

"Apparently," said Weber, "we're in no danger of human interference as
we walk here."