akes and
streams, memories of golden haired children waiting for father's or
brother's return from the wars. Wives came to claim their husbands,
mothers to bring away their boys, to gain again their strength at home.
And his own heart went back, and ever back, to the rugged farm on the
shores of the noble George.

In two weeks he was able to sit up. In three he could hobble, and he
moved about the town when the days were warm.

And now he made the acquaintance of the prisoners. They were closely
guarded and numbered over a hundred. It gave him a peculiar sensation
to see them there. It seemed un-American to hold a human captive; but
he realized that it was necessary to keep them for use as hostages and
exchanges.

Some of them he found to be sullen brutes, but many were kind and
friendly, and proved to be jolly good fellows.

On the occasion of his second visit, a familiar voice saluted him with,
"Well, Rolf! Comment ca va?" and he had the painful joy of greeting
Francois la Colle.

"You'll help me get away, Rolf, won't you?" and the little Frenchman
whispered and winked. "I have seven little ones now on La Riviere, dat
have no flour, and tinks dere pa is dead."

"I'll do all I can, Francois," and the picture of the desolate home,
brought a husk in his voice and a choke in his throat. He remembered too
the musket ball that by intent had whistled harmless overhead. "But," he
added in a shaky voice, "I cannot help my country's enemy to escape."

Then Rolf took counsel with McGlassin, told him all about the affair
at the mill, and McGlassin with a heart worthy of his mighty shoulders,
entered into the spirit of the situation, went to General Macomb
presenting such a tale and petition that six hours later Francis bearing
a passport through the lines was trudging away to Canada, paroled for
the rest of the war.

There was another face that Rolf recognized--hollow-cheeked,
flabby-jowled and purplish-gray. The man was one of the oldest of the
prisoners. He wore a white beard end moustache. He did not recognize
Rolf, but Rolf knew him, for this was Micky Kittering. How he escaped
from jail and joined the enemy was an episode of the war's first year.
Rolf was shocked to see what a miserable wreck his uncle was. He could
not do him any good. To identify him would have resulted in his being
treated as a renegade, so on the plea that he was an old man, Rolf saw
that the prisoner had extra accommodation and out of his own