"It's not fair, and you _shan't_!" she cried. The astonished mob wavered in indecision. "'Not _fair_?'" echoed Luke with a jeer. "No," stormed Louise. "We didn't _ask_ him to come under the flag, and you shan't _make_ him do it!" "We'll see about that--" began Luke. "_That we will!_" put in Jimmie Fisher, but it was not to Louise that he spoke. He was talking to Luke, and he planted himself protectingly in front of Louise and the little German, and faced the third-grade bully. Never before in her life had Louise realized how beautiful was a shock of bristling red hair. The third-grade bully was growling now, but in a decidedly lower key. "Now, then"--Jimmie was speaking to Louise this time--"you are bossing this game. Say what you want done with that--that--" and he looked at the frightened Rudolph. Louise glanced up at the flag. It was floating now--broad and free enough to cover all who might come. "I am going to _invite_ Rudolph to come under our flag," she said. The children gasped as Louise held out her hand to the little alien. "Won't you come and be American with us?" she asked kindly. The boy drew back a moment while his blue eyes searched her face for whatever hidden cruelty might lurk beneath its seeming sweetness. Then he smiled--a timid, but trusting smile--and rising, took her extended hand. But Billy Hastings called jeeringly: "He's a sneak! He's just doing it to pretend!" "He knows I'd drag him if he didn't come!" exclaimed another. "Coward! _Coward!_" yelled Luke. "You're afraid to refuse!" And then, all suddenly, something in the German lad flamed up. He snatched his hand from Louise's. He stood to his full height with blazing eyes, and cried: "It's a lie!" The sound of the school-bell broke the startled quiet which followed the alien's spirited revolt. "_Please_," pleaded Louise, "don't mind them! You've time yet to come under the flag." But Rudolph stood indignant, immovable. "Get to your lines, children," and the principal's call-bell was heard tapping above on the porch. A group of boys came suddenly together into a tight bunch. "We'll fix him after school," Louise heard them threaten. And she knew that Rudolph heard it, too--knew by the sudden whiteness which swept over his face. The next minute the boys and girls were drawn up in parallel lines ready to march into the schoolhouse. Louise was at the end of her line and Rudolph Kreisler was the last on the boys' row. They were opposite each other. "Eyes front--march!" came the command, and the lines moved forward with one impulse. "Eyes front!" But to save her life Louise could not help stealing a sidelong glance at Rudolph. To her horror she saw the little alien slip quietly behind a rose-bush and drop out of sight into the bricked-up area which furnished window-space for the basement. With a flash Louise remembered that those windows communicated directly with the engine-room, and that the engine-room was directly under the third grade.