But it was not even necessary to take the car by storm. The driver, struck in the chest, had had the presence of mind to apply the brakes and pull up. Seeing themselves surrounded, the Germans threw up their hands: "_Kamerad! Kamerad!_" And one of them, flinging down his arms, leapt from the motor and came running up to Paul: "An Alsatian, sergeant, an Alsatian from Strasburg! Ah, sergeant, many's the day that I've been waiting for this moment!" While his men were taking the prisoners to the village, Paul hurriedly questioned the Alsatian: "Where has the car come from?" "Corvigny." "Any of your people there?" "Very few. A rearguard of two hundred and fifty Badeners at the most." "And in the forts?" "About the same number. They didn't think it necessary to mend the turrets and now they've been taken unprepared. They're hesitating whether to try and make a stand or to fall back on the frontier; and that's why we were sent to reconnoiter." "So we can go ahead?" "Yes, but at once, else they will receive powerful reinforcements, two divisions." "When?" "To-morrow. They're to cross the frontier, to-morrow, about the middle of the day." "By Jove! There's no time to be lost!" said Paul. While examining the guns and having the prisoners disarmed and searched, Paul was considering the best measures to take, when one of his men, who had stayed behind in the village, came and told him of the arrival of a French detachment, with a lieutenant in command. Paul hastened to tell the officer what had happened. Events called for immediate action. He offered to go on a scouting expedition in the captured motor. "Very well," said the officer. "I'll occupy the village and arrange to have the division informed as soon as possible." The car made off in the direction of Corvigny, with eight men packed inside. Two of them, placed in charge of the quick-firing guns, studied the mechanism. The Alsatian stood up, so as to show his helmet and uniform clearly, and scanned the horizon on every side. All this was decided upon and done in the space of a few minutes, without discussion and without delaying over the details of the undertaking. "We must trust to luck," said Paul, taking his seat at the wheel. "Are you ready to see the job through, boys?" "Yes; and further," said a voice which he recognized, just behind him. It was Bernard d'Andeville, Élisabeth's brother. Bernard belonged to the 9th company; and Paul had succeeded in avoiding him, since their first meeting, or at least in not speaking to him. But he knew that the youngster was fighting well. "Ah, so you're there?" he said.