The Children of France | Page 6

Company C was beyond the power
of words to express. What was better still, the raid was productive of
much more than prisoners and rifles. It proved to be the most important
raid so far made on that sector, for information was obtained from the
prisoners that proved of great value to the French army.
"A few days later the Territorials went back to their billets for rest. On
the morning following their arrival there, Company C was called out
with many other troops for review. Remi thought this was a queer thing
to do. He was puzzled and startled when his name was called out as he
stood in a rear rank. He was ordered to report to the colonel of the
regiment, who stood with his aides facing the lines of soldiers, the latter
at attention now. The heart of the little soldier, for once, was filled with
fear. He felt certain that the colonel was going to send him home.
"Approaching the stern-looking officer, Remi halted, came stiffly to
attention and saluted with precision. The colonel gravely answered the
little fellow's salute. Remi looked very small and childish beside the
commanding figure of his colonel, and he was very much embarrassed
at being so singled out.
"'Remi, soldier of France, the Army and your country salute you,'
began the colonel. 'The hearts of both are filled with pride at your brave
deeds. You are an honor to the tri-color of our beloved France, under
the folds of which you now are standing. Were it possible for me to do
so I should make you no less than a captain. Your lack of years puts
such a reward beyond my power to give. I can, however, and I am
authorized so to do, to confer upon you the cross of war, given only to
men of proved heroism. Remi, I decorate you with this cross,' said the
colonel, stepping forward and pinning the medal to the little soldier's

breast, his aides standing at attention during the impressive ceremony.
'Wear it with honor, my son, for our beloved country.'
"The colonel then kissed the child on both cheeks.
"And Remi the bold, very pale and trembling, stammered his thanks,
sat down heavily, and, burying his face in his hands, burst into tears."
CHAPTER III
THE HEROINE OF FORT MONTERE
"I've been thinking about that boy Remi," said Joe Funk next day when
the children had gathered on the lawn to listen to another story. "Of
course, I know he was a hero, but wasn't he something of a baby to sit
down and cry like that?"
"Are you a baby, Joe?"
"'Course I'm not."
"Very good. You were wiping a tear out of the corner of one eye when
I finished the story," returned Captain Favor dryly.
"I--I guess you are right, sir. Please tell us another one like it."
"Surely; but this one will be about a little French heroine named
Mathilde. Mathilde was of nearly the same age as Remi, very diffident,
like yourself." Joe blushed and hung his head. "She was as timid as she
was diffident, but at heart she was a heroic little French girl. They are
all like Remi and Mathilde over there.
"This little woman lived in a French garrison town. Not more than two
hundred soldiers were stationed there, all the others being at the front
fighting the Germans. Quite near the village was an important fort,
situated on the River Meuse. It was called Fort Montere and was very
carefully guarded by these soldiers.

"The fort was situated about a mile from the village on a rise of ground.
It was the custom of the soldiers there to spend a good part of their
days in the village, never dreaming that they were in the slightest
danger, but the Germans were nearer than they thought.
"One night--it was not far from morning, then--two companies of
mounted Germans rode up to the sleeping village, which they
surrounded. The commanding officer sent an aide to the mayor,
ordering him to see to it that not a person left his home on pain of
instant death. The mayor refused to betray his people or the soldiers on
the hill. The aide shot him then and there. That was nothing new for a
German officer to do. Many worse acts than that have they committed.
I know, for I have fought them, and I have seen many things. The
people were then notified that disobedience meant further that the
village would be burned.
"Not one of the villagers was bold enough to try to warn the French
garrison of the peril that awaited them, for it was plain that the
Germans were planning to lay in wait for the Frenchmen when they
came to the village