“I should think that nearly settled it,” said the officer. He laughed but there was a queer gleam in his eyes that looked suspiciously like tears. “I am going to report this to the General now,” he said. “Of course we cannot take the children with us, and some way must be found of sending them back to headquarters. I don’t see just how it is to be done, as it would be a pity to make you go back with them when this trip is only beginning and will be a wonderful thing for you.” “No, we hate to lose the trip,” said Porky wistfully. “I don’t suppose two other Boy Scouts in the whole world ever had such a chance and we sort of earned it.” “Stay here,” said the Captain, “and I will be back presently.” He walked away, and the two boys, holding the two children, sat quietly on the old bench planning in low tones for the future. “This girl is going to be a peach,” said Beany proudly. “See the way her hair crinkles up? She is rank dirty, but you wait till mother gets her cleaned up.” “My word!” said Porky. “She’s got to be washed before _that_! Why, they have to have a bath right off as soon as we get hold of a nurse or some woman who understands enough about kids to do it.” “Yes, it’s an awful job,” said Beany. “All the soap gets in their eyes and nose, and there’s the mischief to pay. And I want an expert to wash this kid. It makes their eyes red to get soap in ’em, and I don’t want hers spoiled.” “Wonder what their names are,” said Porky. “Oh, they are named all right. I suppose we didn’t get ’em soon enough to attend to that, but we can call ’em what we like. Don’t you know how it is with a registered dog? Don’t you remember the two collies Skippy Fields has, one named Knocklayde King Ben and the other Nut Brown Maiden, and Skippy’s folks called ’em Benny and Nutty. I bet they each have about thirteen names apiece, but while I’m bringing her up, this girl’s going to be called Peggy.” “And this is Bill,” said Porky without the least hesitation. “Bill. Just _Bill_ so you can yell at him good and easy.” They went on planning while behind them, over the soft, uneven ground the staff approached unheard and stood watching the little group. Presently, still unheard and unnoticed by the boys, they turned away. “And there are those,” said General Pershing solemnly, “who do not believe that a special Providence watches over children! The boys _shall_ take those two orphans home to that good mother of theirs, if it takes an Act of Congress. You say,” he continued, talking to the French officer in his own musical tongue, “you say that poor woman said that all her people were gone?” “All dead, all lost in this war,” answered the Frenchman. “Well, if this was only in a movie show,” said the great General, “we would presently see a car headed for the rear, coming around that bend ahead, and we would be able to--well, I declare,” he exclaimed, as one of the officers laughed and pointed. “That’s positively _too_ much!” as the group laughed with him.