gain to Max's
cheeks. He scowled, first at one and then at others of his comrades;
and, turning once more to the prisoner, and catching at that moment a
gleam of defiance from his eyes, struck out again with one hand and
almost floored the unfortunate and helpless Jules.

"That to commence with," he told him, "and then to finish the matter.
I don't forget, mind you, the blow that you landed on my body in that
forest the other night. No, believe me, I, Max, forget nothing of that
sort. Then I would have had you shot out of hand, though the occasion
was not convenient; but now there is no reason why the execution should
not be carried out. You are an escaped prisoner of war; you have
assaulted a German officer in the execution of his duty; and here you
are, captured, defying the captors of the Fort of Douaumont. March him
to the far end of the hall, and call out half a dozen of those guzzling
fellows to shoot him."

The armed sentry, who had stood by all this while, taking but little
notice of the scene, looking tired and bored and as if he longed to
join his comrades, pulled himself together, and, shouldering his rifle,
gave a husky order.

"Over there!" he called. "Stand up against the wall! Sergeant Huefer,
the officer requires a shooting-party."

The selfsame Sergeant Huefer, at that moment engaged in finishing a
hasty meal, looked round and scowled; and then, seeing the snappy
little German officer, called Max, looking at him, stood up promptly.

"A shooting-party, sir?" he asked.

"A shooting-party," came the abrupt answer. "Draw them up in front of
those two prisoners."

"Two!" exclaimed the big German officer, who with the others was
watching the scene.

"Yes, two," snapped Max, swinging round upon him, ready to vent his
anger on any one of them.

"But wait! Not two; one only--the escaped prisoner of war, who struck
you."

The big German and this snappy little fellow, Max, stared at one
another, the former looking urbane and jovial and unconcerned, whilst
Max was trembling with rage. He could have kicked this big German who
ventured to obstruct him, and who seemed about to thwart his purpose.
Yet Max was a careful individual, who had indeed worked his way upwards
in the German army, and obtained slow if certain promotion, by constant
observation of the regulations. The shooting of captured Frenchmen was
one thing--a common enough thing no doubt--but disobedience, defiance
of a senior offic