A BRAVE LITTLE COWARD
"He was a fine fellow, that Jean," observed Joe Funk, "but for myself
I think I should have shouldered a gun and sailed in to get some of
the Boches."
"That was for the soldiers to do," replied Captain Favor. "Jean's
heroism was as great as that of any man who ever went into battle with
rifle or sword. Now I will tell you about another hero who was both
coward and hero, but, in the last analysis, was all hero. Lucien, he
was named, and, though he did not know it, he was a very funny fellow.
Listen to the tale of little Lucien."
"Lucien's home was in a village not far from Verdun, where such
terrible fighting had been indulged in for so many, many weeks.
Battles, in fact, had been fought not far from the boy's home, and
even now angry Prussian parties were raiding these towns and robbing
the inhabitants of whatever appealed to their appetites or their
greed. Parties of them had already visited the village and Lucien was
in the habit of observing their movements from high up in a tree,
which was his favorite hiding place when danger approached. Nor was he
partial to any particular tree. Any tree that was handy would answer
his purpose.
"On the afternoon that I have in mind, a farmhouse just outside the
village bore mute evidence that raiders had been there. All the
windows had been broken out, doors smashed in and blackened spots
about the windows and doors on the outside wall indicated that the
house had been set on fire on the inside, but for some reason had not
burned down. The scene was a cheerless one. Not a person was in sight.
"Along the road came a detachment of French soldiers. The officer in
command, a captain, halted his men for rest and, observing the
condition of the house, entered the yard to see if he could not obtain
some information from the occupants. But there were no occupants
there.
"'They must have been here recently,' he said out loud, meaning that
the Germans had visited the place. 'Perhaps I shall find that which I
seek in the village.'
"Strolling along, the captain halted under a large apple tree, from
which apples had fallen to the ground, though the tree had been pretty
well stripped already. He stooped over to pick up an apple and as he
did so a hard apple hit him squarely on the top of the head.
"The captain said 'Ouch!' and rubbed the spot where the apple had hit
him. But he forgot all about it in his enjoyment of the apple he was
now eating while stepping out from under the tree. He was munching
away at the fruit when another apple hit him, this time squarely on
the neck.
"This was a keen as well as a cautious captain, and this time he did
not pretend to have noticed the incident, but kept on munching his
fruit. While doing so he squinted up at the tree out of the corner of
one eye. He knew he was too far from the tree for the last apple to
have fallen on him. While he was taking a cautious look another apple
came out from the foliage of the tree and fell toward him, but the
officer, stepping slightly to one side, avoided being hit by it.
"He deliberately drew his revolver from its holster and, turning,
aimed at the tree.
"'I think I can shoot the apples off easier than I can shake them
down,' he announced in a loud tone.
"'Don't shoot, monsieur l'Officer,' cried a voice from the tree.
"'What! Some one up there?'
"'Yes, yes. It is I, Lucien,' was the reply from the tree.
"'Come down, Lucien. I would like to have a look at you,' ordered the
captain.
"A very young boy, red of face and very much frightened, came sliding
down the trunk of the tree and landed on all fours at its foot. The
officer eyed him sternly.
"'What do you mean, boy, by bombarding me with apples?' he demanded.
"Lucien hung his head. The officer jerked him to his feet.
"'Answer me! What were you doing up in that tree? Spying on us, eh?'
"'No, monsieur l'Officer, I am a Frenchman. Frenchmen do not spy on
their own people.'
"'That is true. But how do I know you are not spying on us just the
same, for the Germans have been here?'
"'Yes, monsieur le Capitaine, they have been here. See, they have
spoiled my beautiful home. I lived there with the farmer for whom I
worked--sometimes.'
"'Where were you when the Germans came?'
"'Up in the top of the apple tree. I always climb a tree when I am
scared. I saw them coming and I hid myself, and I saw them when they
beat in the windows and the door and carried away the food and tried
to burn down the house. I shall fight them some day for that.'
"'Hm-m-m-m,' mused the officer. It was his idea that Lucien was not so
stupid as he appeared.
"'Yes, monsieur, I saw them and I wish to see them again. Shall you go
and fight the Boches?'
"'Of course, when we catch them. How long since they were here?'
"'Maybe an hour or an hour and a half.'
"'How many of them?'
"'About as many as you have here, maybe another company more.'
"'Which way did they go?'
"'That way.' Lucien indicated the direction taken by the Germans by a
jerk of his thumb to the right. 'And Lucien knows pretty well where
they have gone.'
"'Oh, you do? Kindly tell me where you think the Boches went?'
demanded the captain, now amused at the boy's queerness.
"'They have gone to cut off the road from Etain. I saw them going that
way.'
"'How do you know this?'
"'Did I not hear them talking just before I dropped an apple on the
head of the Herr Major, the apple that stuck on his helmet and made
him very angry? It was well for Lucien that the Herr Major did not
know he threw the apple. Wait while I laugh, Captain. No, Lucien did
not throw another at the Herr Major. He saved the next one for
monsieur le Capitaine.'
"'See here, child, do you know this country well?' demanded the French
Captain.
"'Yes, monsieur, I know it well, as well as I know my own pocket, and
I wait only for an opportunity to serve you and my country.'
"'Well spoken. My son, the opportunity is at hand. From what you tell
me I take it that the Germans went toward the forest yonder where the
road from Etain passes. Is that right?'
"'Yes, monsieur, the big road from Verdun. But there is still another
road to Etain. It follows along the woods to the left near the river.'
"'So?' The officer consulted a map. 'You speak truly. I thank you, my
son. Now, would you like to lead us, to show us the way?'
"'Yes, monsieur.'
"'What if we are surprised by the Germans--what will you do in that
event?'
"'I shall climb a tree,' replied the lad promptly. 'I do not fear the
Boches so long as there are trees to climb.'
"This caused a great laugh, but the officer was satisfied that Lucien
could do all and more than he had promised.
"'You shall show us the way,' he decided, and ordered his men to fall
in and proceed. They passed through the village, which they now
observed had been much abused by the Prussians, and on out into the
country, with the lad marching beside the captain with a swagger that
amused all who saw him.
"'See, the road is there to the left,' finally said the little guide.
It leads to the bridge which we shall cross and take a short cut in
that way. Thus, my officer, we may reach Etain before the Boches do.'
"'That will be fine,' said the captain.
"'Yes, monsieur. But what if the Boches should change their mind and
wait for us? Surely you will not blame the little Lucien? He cannot
read the mind of a Boche when the Boche is out of sight.'
"'No, we shall not blame you. You have told us well and we are
grateful, but what you say gives me a thought. We shall halt and send
out scouts.'
"This was done immediately. A short distance ahead of them were a
number of farm buildings. Trees were scattered all about, giving
plenty of shade, which the troops were quick to take advantage of.
"A scout came running back toward the resting detachment.
"'The Prussians are coming!' he shouted.
"Lucien made a mad dash for a tree nearby, up which he shinned and hid
far up in the foliage. There were brief smiles, but the soldiers had
other things to think of at that moment. The French moved forward
about five hundred yards and began digging themselves in; in other
words, digging temporary trenches.
"The Germans already had begun shooting, the French quickly
retaliating. The former were in larger numbers than the French captain
had believed them to be. Lucien was still up the tree, peering out,
his eyes large and frightened. Bullets were clipping the foliage all
about him. He did not realize this at first, but finally, when he did,
he slid down the tree in a hurry and hid behind it.
"Scouts were hastening back to the rear with messages from the
captain, who had sent for assistance, seeing that the German force was
too large for him to hold off indefinitely.
"Night came on and the firing died down. There had been very few
losses. During the night a large detachment of French troops joined
the captain's force and early on the following morning the battle was
resumed with great fury. Lucien had slept in a tree all night. His
captain told him to go back home, but this the boy, for some reason of
his own, did not care to do.
"Early in the day the Germans, who also had entrenched themselves,
came over the top and drove the French back, taking some prisoners and
killing many. Lucien, who was hiding up in a tree, found himself
between the lines, high and dry, as it were. He made himself as small
as possible up there and gazed wonderingly at the furious battle that
was being fought beneath him. Late in the forenoon the French drove
the Prussians back. The boy took advantage of the opportunity to get
down from the tree and get behind his own lines. It was observed,
however, that he kept always within reach of a tree.
"Men were falling out there on the field. Plucking up courage, Lucien
went out with some stretcher bearers and helped gather up the wounded,
but there were not enough of the stretcher bearers to properly care
for the wounded; even stretchers were scarce. In the excitement of the
work Lucien forgot his fears. The lad was resourceful and, recognizing
the necessity for getting the wounded from the field, began to cast
about for some means of solving this problem.
"'Ah! A wheelbarrow. The very thing,' he cried. The wheelbarrow
belonged to the farmhouse near the field, from which the occupants had
run away when the troops came. Lucien quickly possessed himself of the
barrow and proudly marched out on the field pushing the barrow ahead
of him. By tipping it up on one side he was able to roll a wounded man
in, not very gently, but he loaded his man in just the same and, red
of face, pushed the vehicle ahead of him and back to the first-aid
dressing station, where he slid his passenger to the ground, leaving
him for the surgeons to attend to and then trotted back to the field.
"Artillery had been brought up by both sides and shells were bursting
overhead, though none had fallen near the little Frenchman.
"Lucien picked up a wounded man near the edge of the battlefield and
began wheeling the victim down the road. The going was better there
and he was enabled to make more rapid progress. Pausing for a rest he
eyed his passenger suspiciously.
"'Who are you?' he demanded.
"'I am a Prussian officer.' The officer was so wounded in both legs
that he could not stand.
"Lucien's face flushed.
"'A Prussian officer!' he cried. 'I ought to dump you out and leave
you. A Prussian--bah!'
"'I am losing strength. Please give me help,' urged the officer.
"'Yes, Herr Officer, I'll help you. You are a human being even if you
are a Prussian. Here we go again.' Grasping the handles of the
barrow, the lad started on a run with the wounded man.
"A shell burst in the road just ahead of him. Quickly dropping his
homely vehicle, little Lucien ran for a tree and shinned up it without
loss of time. His passenger had slid out into the road when the barrow
tipped over on its side.
"'Herr Officer, who did that?'
"'It was a Prussian shell. Take me away before they hit me,' begged
the officer.
"'Why don't you tell them to stop? It's your people who are shooting
at you. They must want to be rid of you. I--'
"A shell struck the tree, well down toward its base. The jolt nearly
shook the boy from his perch in a crotch of the tree. Very slowly at
first, then with increasing speed the tree began to fall. It came down
with a mighty crash, hurling little Lucien some distance ahead of it.
He was bruised and shaken and for a few minutes he lay where he had
fallen, groaning.
"Suddenly he sprang to his feet and started to run toward the rear.
The faint voice of the German officer called to him to come back,
which brought Lucien to a standstill.
"'Maybe he is afraid, too,' reflected the lad. 'I must get him.' And
get him he did. Running back, he loaded the wounded man on the barrow
and ran with him all the way to the rear.
"'See! I have taken a Boche,' he cried, staggering up to the dressing
station. 'I shall now go get another one.' This he did. He was taking
a new interest in his work, and thereafter made no distinction between
Germans and Frenchmen in his work of mercy.
"All during that desperate fighting little Lucien was a familiar
figure on the battlefield. He really performed many heroic deeds. Now
and then, overcome by fright, he would dash for a tree, but these
flights were becoming fewer. He began to feel a pride in the work he
was doing and this pride of achievement and the new spirit of
patriotism that had been aroused within him served to keep him up and
gave him new courage. Before that day of suffering came to an end
there was none on the battlefield more heroic and courageous than
little Lucien.
"How many wounded men the lad had rescued from the field of battle no
one knew, but there were many of them, among them two majors and three
captains.
"Just before nightfall the French made a great charge. Lucien was well
out between the lines when the charge started. The Germans put down a
'curtain of fire,' hoping in this way to stop the charge. And little
Lucien and his wheelbarrow were fairly caught in it. A shell hit the
barrow and blew it, with a wounded soldier, into bits. Lucien was
hurled into the air and fell several yards away. His own comrades
charged right over him as they passed. Those near enough to hear
caught a faint cry from the lad.
"'Vive la France!' were the words they heard him utter.
"Stretcher bearers, following the charging men, picked the lad up and
tenderly bore him back. They saw that he was mortally wounded. While
they were dressing his wounds, Lucien tugged feebly at the surgeon's
blouse. The surgeon leaned over, for the little fellow's voice was
very weak.
"'Lucien will climb no more trees,' murmured the lad.
"'No, my brave boy,' answered the surgeon.
"'Is Lucien brave, monsieur?'
"'There are no braver. The deeds of valor you have this day performed
will live long after you, little soldier.'
"A smile that was radiant with happiness appeared on the face of the
dying boy.
"'Lucien is no longer a coward,' he repeated several times. 'No longer
a coward. Vive la France!' he cried, half raising himself.
"The surgeon gently laid him back and kissed the lad on both cheeks,
but Lucien did not know. He was beyond the touch of human sympathy."