"Yes," replied the colonel proudly. "As one of our great orators has said: 'If the men are all killed the women will rise up; if the women are killed the children will rise; if the children are killed the very dead will rise and fight--fight for France." "But I must go on," he continued, motioning to his orderly to bring up his horse. "I have a long journey yet before I reach the headquarters of my division. I am more delighted than I can tell that I met you as I did. May we meet again soon." "In Berlin, if not sooner," interjected Frank with a smile. "Ah, that is it," said the colonel delightedly. "In Berlin! That is the way to speak. It may be a long time, but sooner or later the Stars and Stripes and the Tricolor will wave together _Unter den Linden_. May Heaven speed the day!" The French officer wrung Frank's hand warmly, sprang into the saddle, and with Frank's "_bon voyage_" ringing in his ears, galloped rapidly away. Twilight was coming on as Frank set out to rejoin his comrades, who were waiting for him at a little distance down the road. His heart was light, for he had news to write his mother that he knew would bring her pleasure. "Some swell," chaffed Tom, as Frank came up to his friends. "Talking to a colonel as though he were a pal. I wonder that you condescend to talk to us common privates." "It is a comedown," grinned Frank; "but I'll try to tolerate you for a while longer. But say, fellows, that colonel is a brick! Not a bit of side about him. And he's doing a lot for us in the matter of my mother's property that I've told you about." "That's bully!" exclaimed Bart heartily. "I'll forgive him," conceded Tom magnanimously, "even if he does talk in a lingo that I can't understand." "Why, I thought you were a finished French scholar by this time," chaffed Bart. "Do you remember the day Tom tried to ask for soup and got his tongue twisted around 'bouillon'?" gibed Billy, with a broad grin. "Well, I got the soup anyway, didn't I?" defended Tom. "Sure you got it," agreed Billy. "I could hear you getting it." Tom made a pass at him that Billy ducked. "Talking about soup makes me hungry," remarked Bart. "If you fellows stand talking here much longer we'll be late at chow." "I'd like to have one more look at that hut Rabig's guarding," said Frank a little uneasily. "We might stroll down this way again after supper if you like," suggested Billy, "but just at present a little knife and fork exercise seems the most pressing business I have to attend to." Just then their talk was interrupted by a single shot, followed by a volley of them, and looking back in the direction from which they had come, they saw men running in the direction of the hut that Rabig had been guarding. They turned and ran at full speed and were soon in the midst of an excited group gathered about the hut. "What's up?" asked Frank of one of the soldiers. "Prisoner escaped," replied the other briefly. "What prisoner?"