which was his favorite hiding place when danger approached. Nor was he
partial to any particular tree. Any tree that was handy would answer
his purpose.

"On the afternoon that I have in mind, a farmhouse just outside the
village bore mute evidence that raiders had been there. All the
windows had been broken out, doors smashed in and blackened spots
about the windows and doors on the outside wall indicated that the
house had been set on fire on the inside, but for some reason had not
burned down. The scene was a cheerless one. Not a person was in sight.

"Along the road came a detachment of French soldiers. The officer in
command, a captain, halted his men for rest and, observing the
condition of the house, entered the yard to see if he could not obtain
some information from the occupants. But there were no occupants
there.

"'They must have been here recently,' he said out loud, meaning that
the Germans had visited the place. 'Perhaps I shall find that which I
seek in the village.'

"Strolling along, the captain halted under a large apple tree, from
which apples had fallen to the ground, though the tree had been pretty
well stripped already. He stooped over to pick up an apple and as he
did so a hard apple hit him squarely on the top of the head.

"The captain said 'Ouch!' and rubbed the spot where the apple had hit
him. But he forgot all about it in his enjoyment of the apple he was
now eating while stepping out from under the tree. He was munching
away at the fruit when another apple hit him, this time squarely on