CONCLUSION
"My dear children," said Captain Favor, "there are not many more
things to tell you. I knew of one brave little French lad who was
mortally wounded, when the Germans took the town in which he lived and
shot many of the inhabitants.
"The little fellow I refer to refused the aid of the German surgeon,
declaring that he preferred to die rather than to accept the aid of a
hated Prussian.
"Another child lost his life for his refusal to tell a German
commander in which direction a detachment of French troops had gone.
He did this with full knowledge of what would happen to him if he
refused this information. Death were preferable to betraying his own
people.
"The full story of the deeds of heroism of the children of France
never will be fully told. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
incidents such as I have described to you, that have occurred over
there.
"These deeds, this spirit of patriotism and self-sacrifice should be a
great lesson to us in America, whether we be young or old. You
children who are growing up have a grave responsibility to help your
fellows make patriotism a part of their lives. I know you will do,
with the lesson of the French children in mind, all you can. America
has need of patriotism, and she will have need of more in the years to
come. Start something, boys and girls, and keep the fires of
patriotism burning."
"We will!" cried the children, with Joe Funk's voice heard above all
the rest.
"Perhaps one of these days I shall have some other stories to tell
you. I think I have told you enough stories to last for some time. I
have told you only such little stories as I know to be true, and here
we will stop. Come in to see me any time you feel like it. I shall go
to New York in a few days to see a big, big surgeon who thinks perhaps
he may put my leg in shape so that I shall walk as well as ever."
"Then, then," said Joe, "I'll bet that you will be going back to the
army."
"I'll bet you win, Joe," answered the captain, laughingly. "For the
present, au revoir."
THE END