glittering in the sunlight.

"Soldiers," cried Phil, excitedly. "I know. I can see the bayonets on
their guns. It must be my father's men."

"In blue coats, Phil?" said the Doctor, sadly.

The boy was silent for a few moments, as he stood with his brow knit,
before saying slowly:

"No; their coats are red, and they have white leggings."

There was nothing for it but to turn back and then strike off in another
direction, which they followed till evening, when the bread was eaten,
the milk having been finished at noon, and the basket and pitcher placed
together in a tree.

"I should like to come and find them again some day and take them back
to her," said Phil. "We may come here again, mayn't we?"

"Perhaps," said the Doctor, with a sigh; and then, "Phil, my child, are
you very, very tired?"

"Not so tired as I was last night. Why do you ask?"

"Because we must not sleep in a wood to-night; we must walk on till we
come to some farm and ask for a lodging there."

"No, no," cried the boy, quickly, "the man will drive us away. I would
rather sleep under the trees."

"We must risk being driven away, boy." And just at dusk, where all was
strange to them both, they approached another lonely cottage-like place,
with barn and sheds and cattle near, Phil shrinking but taking heart as
he found that a woman was the only person in sight.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she said, scanning them suspiciously.

"Travellers," replied the Doctor, "trying to get where there is no war."

"Ah!" cried the woman, quickly. "Yes. It is too dreadful; and you with
that brave little man tramping like that. Soldiers--hundreds,
thousands, have been by here to-day."

"French or English?" cried Phil, excitedly.

"I could not tell," said the woman, smiling, and patting the little
fellow's cheek. "Yours?" she added, to the Doctor, "or are you his
grandfather?"

"No; he is my little pupil. I am his teacher."

"And you are going away from the war because of him?"

"Yes," said the Doctor, simply. "Will you give us a bed to sleep in, or
clean straw in one of your sheds, with supper? I will pay you."

"Pay me!" said the woman, angrily. "What would my good man say if I
took money for doing that?"

"Your husband?"

"Yes; he had to leave me to go and fight."

Phil drew a deep breath, for the woman's words seemed to go through him.
She spoke in French, and he expected that she would look upon them
directly as enemie