Tom Slade with the Boys Over There | Page 6

hearr of
them?"
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.
Old Pierre embraced the boys affectionately with his one arm, seeming
to confirm all his daughter had said.
"My pappa say it is best you stay not here in ziss house. I will show
you where Armand used to hide so long ago when we play," she smiled
through her tears. "If zey come and find you----"
"I understand," said Tom. "They couldn't blame it to you."
"You see? Yess."
To Archer, who understood a few odds and ends of German old Pierre
managed to explain in that language his sorrow and humiliation at their
poor welcome.

All five then went into an old-fashioned kitchen with walls of naked
masonry and a great chimney, and from a cupboard Florette and her
mother filled a basket with such cold viands as were on hand. This, and
a pail of water the boys carried, and after another affectionate farewell
from Pierre and his wife, they followed the girl cautiously and silently
out into the darkness.
Tom Slade had already felt the fangs of the German beast and he did
not need any one to tell him that the loathsome thing was without
conscience or honor, but as he watched the slender form of Armand's
young sister hurrying on ahead of them and thought of all she had
borne and must yet bear and of the black fear that must be always in her
young heart, his sympathy for her and for this stricken home was very
great.
He had not fully comprehended her meaning, but he understood that
she and her parents were haunted by an ever-present dread, and that
even