door and let them enter.

The threatening voices, accompanied by louder blows, continued to sound
as Rod hastened downstairs again. He realized that they must do
everything possible to keep those rough raiders out until the French
zouaves had a chance to arrive on the field.

There were several old men among those who, in the first excitement, had
sought refuge in the house that temporarily sheltered the young
Americans whom the simple French peasants and villagers considered real
heroes. Although far from sturdy in build, and with trembling,
half-palsied hands, these old chaps had proceeded to arm themselves as
best they could.

One had found a big carving knife which he brandished as though it were
a sword, and he a captain leading a charge; a second was swinging a
cudgel, as though filled with a hope that it might yet be laid up
against a German head; while the last of the trio had taken down a gun
of the vintage of '71, which, together with its glistening sabre
bayonet, had hung on the wall in memory of the good man of the house,
who doubtless made the right kind of use of it in other days.

Altogether they presented quite a curious collection as they gathered
there by the door, and waited to see if the enemy would carry out those
loud threats to break in. Rod was reminded of accounts he had read about
the patchwork army gathered together by one Falstaff in early English
days, which consisted of the lame, the halt and the blind. All the same,
those old fellows had the right sort of spirit, and acted as though
quite willing to yield up their own lives in defense of the village.

Things were going from bad to worse outside. Smoke could easily be
detected now, as if to prove that those awful threats made by the Uhlans
were not idle ones; and that some cottage was already in flames.

Rod was almost counting the seconds. He found himself wondering whether
the oncoming zouaves could possibly reach there before the door was
broken from its hinges and the wolves without rush in to use their heavy
sabres against the defenders. How long could they hold the aggressors in
check? Those weak old men would be swept aside as though they were
pigmies; and what could he and his two chums do against half a dozen big
cavalrymen, bent on pillage?

The very first thing Rod did do was to possess himself once more of that
revolver. He believed he could make better and more judicious use of
such a dangerous weapon than Josh might--J