The Children of France | Page 5

were hugging him delightedly.
They hurried the child off to the captain of his company, who, after
listening to the story, embraced Remi.
"'Ah, you are a true Frenchman,' cried the officer. 'Keep the gun and
use it for our beloved France.'

"'I will,' promised Remi solemnly.
"Two nights later he stole out and fetched back five more German rifles.
By this time the officers began to realize that the boy must be taken
seriously. From that night on almost every night found the intrepid lad
skulking about over 'No Man's Land,' many times with the enemy's
machine gun fire snapping about his ears, but to which he gave not the
slightest heed. Remi truly seemed to bear a charmed life.
"One night after his company had returned to the front-line trench, after
a night's rest in 'billets,' he went out with the patrol, as usual, but with a
new plan in mind. By now he knew the arrangement of the German
trenches almost as well as did the men who occupied them. There were
ten in the patrol, and so great was the confidence of the men in him that
they virtually permitted Remi to act as their leader. The patrol carried
no rifles, only revolvers and stout clubs, like policemen's night sticks.
When the lad ordered the men to secret themselves in a shell crater,
they obeyed willingly.
"Remi reached the German trenches, along which he crept with ears
and eyes on the alert.
"'Who goes!' came a sharp, low-spoken command in German. At that
instant a German rose from the ground, where he had been crouching,
apparently watching the crawling figure of the little Frenchman. Remi
rose at the same time, a Boche bayonet pressing against his stomach.
"When the German sentinel discovered that the 'man' confronting him
was only a child, he threw back his head and laughed silently, his bulky
form shaking with merriment. That laugh cost the Boche his liberty.
Like a flash little Remi swept the bayonet aside and jerked the rifle
from the sentry's hands. He sprang back and pointed the rifle at his
amazed adversary.
"'Now march!' he commanded in a low, sharp tone. Straight to the shell
crater the little Frenchman drove his prisoner, thence sent the captive to
the French trenches with an escort. He then returned to the German
trench. As he thought it over the situation became clear to him. The

Germans had placed the sentry outside the trench to keep watch while
they slept, the night being a quiet one, neither side having fired a shot
since sundown. Knowing exactly what he wished to do, the boy began
cautiously removing the rifles from the parapet, placing them on the
ground in front of the trench. He accomplished his purpose without
disturbing the snores of the Boches.
"Having secured the enemy's rifles, Remi crept back to the shell hole,
where his comrades were anxiously awaiting his return.
"'Come,' he urged. 'We shall now capture the stupid fellows. They sleep,
the thickheads. Their rifles I have taken, their heads our clubs shall find.
All shall have the big headache when we have finished with them.'
"The men of the patrol were amazed. They scrambled from the shell
hole, Remi already having explained what he proposed to do, ready and
eager for action. With the child in the lead they crept up to the German
trench. The Boches slept on, not a man was awake there. The patrol
spread out a little and gripped their clubs, for to use revolvers would be
to arouse the whole German line and start their rifles, machine guns and
artillery all going.
"'Now!' cried the little leader.
"The patrol sprang into the trench, Remi leading, encouraging his men
as they fought their way along with their stout clubs, the boy having
lost his when he slipped into the trench. He could plainly hear the
whacks of the clubs as the patrol brought them down on the heads of
the enemy, mingled with German growls and pleas for mercy, all of
which brought joy to the soul of little Remi.
"'Kamerad! Kamerad!' came cries along the length of the trench. This,
you children understand, is what the Boches say when they have had
enough.
"'Stop their noise! They'll have their whole army down on us. Over the
top and home with them as fast as you can. Gather up the rifles and
take them in,'" commanded the boy.

Prodded by the handy clubs, such of the Germans as had survived the
terrible beating willingly clambered over the top and were quietly
driven across 'No Man's Land' to the French trenches. Seventy-five
prisoners were taken in that raid, planned and executed by the fearless
little French boy.
[Illustration: "NOW MARCH!" HE COMMANDED.]
"The amazement of his comrades in