ay or two afterwards, as Ralph and Percy were returning in the
evening from drill, they heard a great tumult in the streets. They
hurried forward to see what was the matter, and found an excited
crowd shouting and gesticulating.

"Death to the spy!"

"Death to the spy!"

"Hang him!"

"Kill the dog!" were the shouts, and two gendarmes in the center of
the crowd were vainly trying to protect a man who was walking
between them. He was a tall, powerful-looking man; but it was
impossible to see what he was like, for the blood was streaming
down his forehead, from a blow he had just received.

Just as the boys came up, another blow from a stick fell on his
head; and this served to rouse him to desperation, for he turned
round, with one blow knocked down the fellow who had struck him,
and then commenced a furious attack upon his persecutors. For a
moment they drew back, and then closed upon him again. Blows from
sticks and hands rained upon him, but he struggled desperately. At
last, overwhelmed by numbers, he fell; and as he did so he raised a
wild shout, "Hurroo for ould Ireland."

"He is an Englishman, Percy," Ralph exclaimed; "he is not a
Prussian, at all. Come on!

"Here, Louis, Philippe, help; they are killing an Englishman."

Followed by their cousins--who had just arrived at the spot--the
boys made a rush through the crowd; and arrived in another moment
by the prostrate man, whom his assailants were kicking savagely.
The rush of the four boys--aided by the butt-end of their rifles,
which they used freely on the ribs of those who stood in their
way--cleared off the assailants for an instant; and the two
gendarmes--who had been hustled away--drawing their swords, again
took their place by the side of their insensible prisoner.

The mob had only recoiled for a moment; and now, furious at being
baulked of their expected prey, prepared to rush upon his
defenders; shouting, as they did so:

"Death to the spy!"

The moment's delay had, however, given time to the boys to fix
bayonets.

Illustration: Rescue of a Supposed Spy.

"Keep off," Ralph shouted, "or we run you through! The man is not a
spy, I tell you. He is an Englishman."

The noise was too great for the words to be heard and, with cries
of "Death to the spy!" the men in front prepared for a rush. The
leveled bayonets and drawn swords, however, for a moment checked
their ardor; but those behind kept up the cry, and a serious
conflict would have en