the places they had left.
Their conversation, of course, turned on the Prussian occupation,
and deep were the curses heaped upon the invaders. The only thing
mentioned in their favor was the smallness of their number. There
were not over two hundred men; and this amount weighed but lightly
upon Saverne, compared with the fifty, sixty, or a hundred
quartered at every little village along the line of railway.

The boys had now learned what they most wanted to know and, paying
for their refreshment, went out again into the street. Then they
walked to the railway station--where they saw several soldiers, on
guard--and then set off to a point where they could see the
entrance to the tunnel. There two soldiers were on guard; while
others were stationed, at short distances, all along the line.

The boys now went up to a wood whence, unseen themselves, they
could watch the trains passing. They came along nearly every half
hour; immensely long trains, filled with stores of all kinds. As it
became dusk, they saw a body of Prussian soldiers marching down the
line; relieving the sentries, and placing fresh ones at distances
of little more than fifty yards apart. These marched backwards and
forwards, until they met each other; then returning, until they
faced their comrade at the other end of their beat.

"We can be off now, Percy," Ralph said, rising. "Our news is bad,
for it will be by no means so easy to cut the line as we had
expected. These weasels won't be very easily caught asleep."

"No, indeed," Percy said. "The idea of cutting the line sounded so
easy, when we were at a distance; but it is quite a different
matter, now we are here."

Upon their return they found--with some difficulty--the place where
they had hidden their uniforms; again changed clothes, and
then--carrying those they had just taken off, made up into
bundles--they re-entered the village, and went straight to
headquarters.

Major Tempe was at dinner with the other officers, and received
them with great pleasure; for he had been anxious, all day, lest
any misfortune might befall them. Finding that they had had nothing
to eat, since early in the morning, he at once invited them to sit
down to dinner; for military discipline is far less strict in these
matters, in France, than it is in England; and among the corps of
franc tireurs especially--as among the English volunteers, where
the private is in many cases equal to, or superior to, his officer
in s