ring a couple of guns into action! and shell the place. In five
minutes every house will be on fire, and they will shoot down the men
as they try to run from the flames. Wait! I'm going to see what I can
do!"

Arthur did not seem to be convinced. But when Paul ran forward and
stood before the crowd by the barricade, Arthur was by his side. He
was like a good soldier, obeying his superior officer, as he felt Paul
was, even though he neither understood nor approved the orders he
received.

Now, indeed, the khaki uniforms of the scouts attracted their share of
attention. There was a murmur of surprise; one or two lads laughed
aloud. But the chief emotion of the crowd was one of curiosity. As
Paul walked up to the big self-satisfied butcher, the noise behind the
barricade died away.

"Are you the leader here?" asked Paul.

"Yes--chosen by the Garde Civique of the village of Hannay, in this
time of danger!" announced the butcher, swelling up with pride.

"Then it is your duty to save the people entrusted to your care by
ordering them to go to their homes and to stay there quietly if the
Germans come," said Paul. "Also to call upon your guards and all
others in the village to give up their arms and on no account to fire a
shot against the Germans if they come."

"Eh?" said the astonished Raymond. "Is that the way to save the
village from the Germans?"

"Is it not better to give in to them and know that no one will be hurt
than to make it necessary for them to fire with their cannon? As for
your men, they can do nothing here. If they want to serve their
village and their country, let them enlist in the army."

"Eh?" said Raymond again. He was half angry and wholly puzzled. Paul
did not defer to him at all; he spoke aggressively, and as if he were
entirely sure of himself and of what he was saying. "Who are you, that
you come here giving orders?"

"I'm giving no orders," said Paul. "I am only telling you what the
government wishes. The Germans do not recognize the Garde Civique as
soldiers at all. They are treated as spies, or as outlaws. Any man
who bears arms against the Germans, or shoots at any German, will be
shot as soon as he is caught."

Paul spoke purposely in a loud tone. He saw that his words were making
an impression, not so much on Raymond as on some of the others.

"They won't make prisoners of war of you, you see," he said. "Those
who aren't killed by the shells will be caught,