CHAPTER XXI
VIVE LA FRANCE!
The peasant listened in amazement to the story that they told him. Buthe was a real Frenchman, out of the army because of his age.
"Come with me," he said. "You shall have the best there is in myhouse--it is not much! Dry clothes, too. If you will wear a peasant'sblouse, there are the clothes my Jean left when he went to the war!"
"We have clothes in the boat," said Frank. "Until we knew we were safewe dared not change into them. But your food will be more than welcome!"
So it proved, indeed. It was rough fare, but it seemed to both the bestthat they had ever tasted. And while they ate, the peasant told themwhat news he had.
"We hear that the French and the English are winning now," he said. "Agentleman came past my house in an automobile this morning, and saidthat he had passed French troops ten miles away--cuirassiers riding thisway."
"Hurrah!" cried Frank. "Henri, we must try to join them as quickly aspossible. When we explain they will let us go through to where we shallbe safe until we can go back to Amiens. Come on! Farewell!" This to thepeasant. "We shall never forget your good food and your welcome!"
And with light hearts they set out, glad to walk, since it gave them achance to stretch the legs that had been cramped for so many hours inthe bottom of the boat.
Plainly there had been a great change in the character of the battleover night. The heavy thunder of the guns was greatly reduced in volume,though they should still have been able to hear it. And it wasunmistakably coming from further north. It must be that the Germans wereretreating. But they walked for three hours before they knew for certainthat they were right.
They did not meet the cuirassiers of whom they had heard. Instead acloud of dust that they saw for two miles before men emerged beneath itturned out to be a column of French infantry. They were in their BoyScout uniforms, and the men who first saw them at the side of the roadcheered them. Soon a captain came up to them.
"Eh bien, mes enfants!" he said. "What do you do here? Where do you comefrom!"
They told him Amiens, and he laughed.
"And it is there, precisely, that we are going!" he laughed. "TheGermans are out by now and our men were in there an hour ago!"
Frank and Henri cried out in delight at the news.
"May we go with you?" asked Frank. "We would like to go back as soon aspossible."
"As to that you must ask the colonel. He will decide--and, see, here hecomes now in his automobile! I will report to him that you are here."
But there was no need, for the officer who sat in the car was ColonelMenier himself, and at the sight of them he laughed aloud.
"Ah, my brave ones!" he cried. "So you are here! Ride with me! Did theGermans drive you from Amiens? I shall drive you back!"
They obeyed that order with delight. They sprang to their places in thecar.
"Now tell me everything!" said Colonel Menier. "How it is that you leftAmiens and how you came here?"
He leaned over first, however, and spoke to his driver, and the car shotforward, leaving the troops far behind.
And then they began the story, each telling the part of it that he knewbest. At the story of how the German officer had recognized Henri andcaused his arrest, he clenched his hand angrily.
"They make war even on boys!" he said, bitterly. "A brave enemyrecognizes the heroism of his foes. If I had been in that man's place Ishould have forgotten my own defeat and praised those who had causedit!"
Then came the story of Frank's discovery of the hidden vault and theboat, and of their voyage down the Somme and their lucky escape.
"Milles tonnerres!" he cried. "A thousand million thunders! That waswell done! Through all the German sentries! Eh, well, I have a surprisefor you when you reach Amiens with me, I think. Mind, I make nopromises! Only wait!"
Slow as had been their flight from Amiens, their return was swift.Already they were in the outskirts. From every window hung the tricolor.Everywhere the people were mad with delight. The Germans had gone. Atthe sight of Colonel Menier's uniform women leaned from their windows,shrieking their joy.
In the town itself French troops were everywhere, marching through. Gunsthundered along, and there were English troops as well as French. Amienswas in holiday mood. Straight through the cheering crowds the car spedon. It drew up at last before the Hotel de Ville. Sentries stood at themain door, but at the sight of Colonel Menier they saluted and gave himfree passage.
Inside Colonel Menier spoke to a staff officer, who smiled and went intoa room at the side. In a moment he returned.
"The general will receive you, my colonel," he said.
"Good!" He turned to Frank and Henri. "You are to meet the greatest manin France," he said. "Allons!"
They followed him into the room. By the window stood a man, not tall,but large rather than fat. He turned quiet eyes toward them. ColonelMenier saluted.
"Monsieur le General Joffre," he said. "I have the honor to present theBoy Scouts of whom you have heard--they who served General Smith-Derrienso well and who destroyed the Zeppelins near Abbeville."
"These are the ones?" said the general. "In the name of France, I thankyou! And in the name of France, and by order of His Excellency thePresident of the Republic, I hereby decorate you! For each, the cross ofthe Legion of Honor! Which is Francois Barnes?" glancing from one tothe other.
Frank stepped forward. General Joffre took the cross from his own breastand pinned it to Frank's. Then he turned to another officer, andreceived another cross from him. And this he affixed to Henri's breast.For a moment they were overcome. And then together they cried:
"_Vive la France!_"
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Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors have been repaired.
One instance each of LaFere and La Fere have been retained.
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