time.

When the list of volunteers was complete, a meeting was held at
which, for the first time, the future comrades met. Besides Ralph
and Percy, and their cousins, there were six or eight others of
their school friends, all lads of about sixteen. It was an
important moment in their lives, when they then felt themselves--if
not actually men--at least, as going to do the work of men. Upon
the table in the room in which the meeting was held was a document,
which each in turn was to sign and, behind this, Captain Tempe took
his seat.

As many of those present knew each other, there was a considerable
buzz and talk in the room, until Captain Tempe tapped the table for
silence, and then rose to speak.

"My friends," he began, "--for I cannot call you comrades, until
you have formally entered your names--before you irrevocably commit
yourselves to this affair, I wish you each to know exactly what it
is that we are going to do. This will be no holiday expedition. I
can promise all who go with me plenty of excitement, and a great
deal of fighting; but I can also promise them, with equal
certainty, an immense deal of suffering--an amount of hardship and
privation of which, at present, few here have any idea, whatever.
The winter is fast coming on, and winter in the Vosges mountains is
no trifle. Let no one, then, put down his name here who is not
prepared to suffer every hardship which it is well possible to
suffer.

"As to the danger, I say nothing. You are Frenchmen; and have come
forward to die, if needs be, for your country."

Here the speaker was interrupted by loud cheering, and cries of
"Vive la France!"

"Next, as to discipline. This is an extremely important point. In
our absence from military stations, it is essential that we,
ourselves, should keep and enforce the strictest discipline. I have
this morning received from General Palikao--under whom I served,
for many years--an answer to an application I wrote to him, a week
since. He highly approves of my plan of cutting the roads behind
the Prussians, and only wishes that he had a hundred small corps
out upon the same errand. He has already received other proposals
of the same nature. He enclosed, with his letter, my formal
appointment as Commandant of the Corps of Franc Tireurs of Dijon;
with full military authority, and power."

Great cheering again broke out.

"This power, in case of need, I warn you that I shall use
unhesitatingly. Discipline, in a c