the company were much more deeply concerned.

"You had a prisoner here?" asked the corporal.

"Yes."

"Where is he now?"

"He was placed upstairs."

"He is not there now. What have you done with him?"

"Nothing."

"What were you going to do with him?"

The officer moved uneasily.

"Take him back to my quarters," he finally answered.

"Why did you have that rope put over the tree by the well?"

There was no answer, but the officer grew red in the face.

"Did you hear the question?"

"It was to frighten him," the lieutenant finally blurted out. "Anyway
he was a spy and deserved to be hung. He had come into our lines in
disguise."

The corporal motioned to Frank.

"Ask the girl again if she is sure the prisoner had on an American
uniform," he directed.

Frank did so.

"_Oui, oui,_" she affirmed emphatically.

To make sure, Frank repeated the question to the farmer and his son and
received the same answer.

He reported to the corporal.

"These people all say that the prisoner was not in disguise,
Lieutenant," said Wilson. "Do you still wish to insist that he was?"

"Yes."

"That is enough," replied the corporal with quiet scorn. "Line up the
prisoners, men," he commanded.

This was quickly done, and the homeward march commenced, but not until
another search had been made for the missing captive of the Germans.

It had the same result as the previous one and the boys were full of
questionings and forebodings as they marched back guarding their
prisoners. But there were some elements of comfort in their perplexity.

In the first place, they had saved some American soldier, whether Tom
or another, from a horrible death. Then, too, they had in their power
the brute who had planned that death. It was not impossible, too,
that, under further questioning of the lieutenant and his men at
headquarters, more might be learned of what they wanted so badly to
know.

Another subject of congratulation also was that the prisoner, if he had
escaped, was not far from the American lines. He might find his way in
at any time.

But there was one thing that bothered Frank considerably, and he
mentioned it that night when he found himself alone with Bart and Billy.

"Do you remember the minute at the edge of the wood when the corporal
gave the order to fix bayonets?" he asked.

"Sure thing," replied Bart. "What about it?"

"Just this," replied Frank. "At that minute I caught sight of a man
run