But Florette only shook her head again and stared. Ever since the war began she had lived under the shadow of the big prison camp. Many of her friends and townspeople, Alsatians loyal still to France, were held there among the growing horde of foreigners. Never had she heard of any one escaping. If two American boys could melt the wires and walk out, what would happen next? And one of them had blithely announced that these mighty invincible Prussians "couldn't even trail a mud turtle." She wondered what they meant by "looping our trail." CHAPTER IV THE OLD WINE VAT "We thought maybe you'd let us stay here tonight and tomorrow," said Tom after the scanty meal which the depleted larder yielded, "and tomorrow night we'll start out south; 'cause we don't want to be traveling in the daytime. Maybe you could give us some clothes so it'll change our looks. It's less than a hundred miles to Basel----" "My pappa say you could nevaire cross ze frontier. Zere are wires--electric----" "Electric wirres are ourr middle name," said Archer. "We eat 'em." "We ain't scared of anything except the daylight," said Tom. "Archy can talk some German and I got Frenchy's--Armand's--button to show to French people. When we once get into Switzerland we'll be all right." He waited while the girl engaged in an animated talk with her parents. Then old Pierre patted the two boys affectionately on the shoulder while Florette explained. "It iss not for our sake only, it iss for yours. You cannot stay in ziss house. It iss not safe. You aire wonderful, zee how you escape, and to bring us news of our Armand! We must help you. But if zey get you zen we do not help you. Iss it so? Here every day ze Prussians come. You see? Zey do not follow you--you are what you say--too clevaire? But still zey come." Tom listened, his heart in his throat at the thought of being turned out of this home where he had hoped for shelter. "We are already suspect," Florette explained. "My pappa, he fought for France--long ago. But so zey hate him. My name zey get--how old----All zeze zings zey write down--everyzing. Zey come for me soon. I sang ze _Marseillaise_--you know?" "Yes," said Tom, "but that was years ago." "But we are suspect. Zey have write it all down. Nossing zey forget. Zey take me to work--out of Alsace. Maybe to ze great Krupps. I haf' to work in ze fields in Prussia maybe. You see? Ven zey come I must go. Tonight, maybe. Tomorrow. Maybe not yet----" She struggled to master her emotion and continued. "Ziss is--what you call--blackleest house. You see? So you will hide where I take you. It iss bad, but we cannot help. I give you food and tomorrow in ze night I bring you clothes. Zese I must look for--Armand's. You see? Come." They rose with her and as she stood there almost overcome with grief and shame and the strain of long suspense and apprehension, yet thinking only of their safety, the sadness of her position and her impending fate went to Tom's heart.