ir. The officer noticed this gesture. Two soldiers
had taken Dominique to a neighboring apartment, where they were to
keep watch over him. The young girl had fallen upon a chair, totally
overcome; she could not weep; she was suffocating. The officer had
continued to examine her. At last he spoke to her.

"Is that young man your brother?" he demanded.

She shook her head negatively. The German stood stiffly on his feet with
out a smile. Then after a short silence he again asked:

"Has he lived long in the district?"

She nodded affirmatively.

"In that case, he ought to be thoroughly acquainted with the neighboring
forests."

This time she spoke.

"He is thoroughly acquainted with them, monsieur," she said, looking at
him with considerable surprise.

He said nothing further to her but turned upon his heel, demanding that
the mayor of the village should be brought to him. But Francoise had
arisen with a slight blush on her countenance; thinking that she had
seized the aim of the officer's questions, she had recovered hope. She
herself ran to find her father.

Pere Merlier, as soon as the firing had ceased, had quickly descended to
the wooden gallery to examine his wheel. He adored his daughter; he had
a solid friendship for Dominique, his future son-in-law, but his wheel
also held a large place in his heart. Since the two young ones, as he
called them, had come safe and sound out of the fight, he thought of his
other tenderness, which had suffered greatly. Bent over the huge wooden
carcass, he was studying its wounds with a sad air. Five buckets were
shattered to pieces; the central framework was riddled. He thrust his
fingers in the bullet holes to measure their depth; he thought how he
could repair all these injuries. Francoise found him already stopping up
the clefts with rubbish and moss.

"Father," she said, "you are wanted."

And she wept at last as she told him what she had just heard. Pere
Merlier tossed his head. People were not shot in such a summary fashion.
The matter must be looked after. He re-entered the mill with his silent
and tranquil air. When the officer demanded of him provisions for his
men he replied that the inhabitants of Rocreuse were not accustomed
to be treated roughly and that nothing would be obtained from them if
violence were employed. He would see to everything but on condition that
he was not interfered with. The officer at first seemed irritated by his
calm tone; then he ga