"The Prussians departed, Jeanne watching them from the door. 'No,
there are no French soldiers here,' she chuckled. 'Perhaps there may be
just outside the village. And if so, alas for the Prussians!'

"A short distance beyond the village stood a large farmhouse in a vast
yard, the latter being surrounded by a high stone wall. Within were
trees and shade, so the place looking very attractive to the tired
Prussians. Their commander ordered a halt and, opening the gate that
led to the grounds, he ordered his men in for a rest. They tied their
horses to trees and threw themselves down on the grass in great
content.

"The place seemed deserted, but that some one was about was evidenced
when the gate through which they had entered was quietly closed and
locked by no less a person than the little Jeanne herself. She had
followed the Prussians at a distance, hoping to be able to give a
signal to her friends if they might still be in the farmhouse, but,
finding a better opportunity for serving them, had locked 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