lay on a cot in the shadows, and his men were too fully occupied with
helping themselves to food to take heed of anything else. As for
little Pierre, the lad stood trembling with rage. He was not afraid,
but he was filled with righteous indignation.

"The sergeant's eyes were blazing as he fixed his gaze on the face of
the German captain.

"'You Prussian fiend!' shouted the sergeant.

"'What!' The captain wheeled like a flash.

"'For that you die! And ere the German could utter another word, the
soldier leveled his revolver at the officer and fired. There followed
a loud report, and Pierre's mother was avenged, for the Prussian
captain lay dead on the floor.

"For a few seconds following the shot the Prussian soldiers stood
mute, then, with one accord, they threw themselves upon the helpless
sergeant who already had twice fired his revolver at them, but without
effect. They beat him cruelly and dragged him out and before another
captain, to whom they told the story of what had occurred in Pierre's
home.

"The unfortunate sergeant was ordered to be taken to the village
square, where a dozen old men of the village were being held by the
Germans under sentence of death on the flimsy charge of having
resisted the Prussians. One by one these unhappy Frenchmen were being
lined up before a firing squad and shot down. The sergeant, who, of
course, was to share a like fate, was reserved for the last that he