tation. She began to talk feverishly and with many gestures.

"Here, Sheldon," said the corporal, "you speak French. See if you can
understand what the girl is saying."

Frank stepped forward.

"_Que voulez-vous, Mademoiselle?_" he asked.

The relief of the girl when she heard her own language was evident.

"These are English soldiers, Monsieur?" she asked.

"No," said Frank, "they are Americans."

"Oh, _les braves Americains_!" she exclaimed. "How glad I am! I know
you will help me."

"Be sure of that," replied Frank. "But tell me now just what has
happened."

"The boches," she answered. "They are at our house."

"How many are there?" asked Frank with quickened interest.

"About thirty," she replied. Then as she saw Frank glance at the ten
who made up his party, she went on: "But you can capture them, I am
sure. They are drugged."

"Drugged?"

"Yes. They came to our house early this morning. They upset
everything. They smashed the furniture. They tied my father and
brother in chairs. They said they were going to burn the house when
they got ready to go away."

"But how were they drugged?"

"They made me get them all the food and wine there was in the house. I
did so. I put some laudanum in the wine. They ate and drank. Then
they got sleepy. They dropped off one by one. Then I ran out to find
help. I find you. Heaven is good."

Frank consulted the corporal as the others crowded around in great
excitement.

The corporal meditated.

"It may be a trap," he said cautiously.

"I don't think so," replied Frank. "Look at the girl. She's no
actress. I think she's telling the truth."

"But even if they were drugged, they may have recovered from the
effects by this time," pondered the corporal.

Then he made up his mind.

"We'll take a chance," he decided. "Ask the girl how far the house is
from here."

"About a mile," the girl answered to Frank's query. "And there is one
other thing," she added. "They have a prisoner with them. He is young
and he has a uniform like yours, only it is torn and soiled. They
threw him on the floor in a room upstairs. He was tied with ropes."

"What does he look like?" asked Frank. "Tell me as well as you can."

She described the prisoner amid the growing excitement of the Army Boys.

"Tom, for a thousand dollars!" cried Frank.

"It must be!" echoed Bart.

"Sure as guns!" chimed in Billy.

"Do you know him, then?" asked the girl, w