one would ask
us any questions and, if we were asked, we should say we belonged
to some village in the mountains, and had come down to buy coffee,
and other necessaries. The risk of detection would be next to
nothing, for we speak German quite well enough to pass for lads
from the mountains."

Major Tempe was silent a minute.

"You know you would be shot, at once, if you were detected."

"No doubt, sir, but there is no reason in the world why we should
be detected. The Prussians can't know everyone by sight, even
within the town itself; and will not notice us, at all. If they do,
our answer is sufficient."

"I tell you frankly, boys, I was thinking only last night of the
matter; but--however much you may make light of it--there is, of
course, a certain amount of danger in acting as spies; and your
father--my friend Captain Barclay--might say to me, if evil came of
it:

"'I gave you my boys to fight for France, and you have sent them to
their death, as spies.'

"So I resolved to say nothing about it."

"But now we have offered, sir, the case is different," Ralph said.
"From our knowledge of the language, and from our age, we are
better fitted than anyone in the corps to perform this service; and
therefore it would be clearly our duty to perform it, were it
greatly more dangerous than it is. Our father said to us, at
starting:

"'Do your duty, boys, whatever the danger.'

"We will see about our clothes--there can be no difficulty about
that, there are several lads in the village whose things would fit
us. Shall we come in this afternoon, for instructions?"

"Thank you, lads," Major Tempe said, warmly. "I trust, with you,
that no harm will come of it. But your offer is of too great
advantage to the corps for me to persist in my refusal."

Upon leaving the quarters of the commandant, the boys went at once
to the house of a farmer a short distance from the village where,
the day before, they had noticed two boys of about their own size.
They explained to the farmer that they wanted to buy of him a suit
of the working clothes of each of his sons. Greatly surprised at
this request, the farmer had inquired what they could possibly want
them for; and Ralph--who thought it better not to trust him with
the secret--replied that, as the Prussian General had given notice
that he should shoot all franc tireurs he might take prisoners,
they wanted a suit of clothes, each, which they might slip on in
case of defeat or d