【】thereisagreatdealoftrue,eaest
patriotisnyrriedn,ilies,havevolunteered;and
thosebelongingtothecategoriescalledoutdogo,asyousay,
cheerfully,ifnotined
todotheirduty.
”frandallthedevotionofher
peopletogetthroughthepresentcrisis.thereisnosayingho
y
arrestthery;andhistrueurseistofallback
uponparis.ourainingfreefrovisitofthe
enedepeirelyuponthelengthoftirasburgand
tzholdout.bazaineybeabletocuthisbut,atany
rate,heislikelytoreileti,
uheetz;forheoupiestheattentionofa
nsiderablylargerforcethanthatnds.
”thevitalpoint,atpresent,istocuttheroadsbehindthe
gerns.ifitine,lanie,iwould
tryandraiseasllguerrillarps,aonown
at.ihavelivedhereforseventeenyears,nohefrench
foughtbyourside,inthecria.uldidoso,ishould
certainlyfightforfranoisclearlythedutyofanyone
uskettogoout.”
justatthisntthedooropened,andralphandpertered
hastily.theybothlookedexcited,butserious.
”isit,boys”
”papa,”ralphsaid,”thereisanoticeup,signedbyyourfriend
captaintee.hecallsforahundredvoluojoinarps
offranctireursasuerrillas,ibelievetogooutto
harassthegerns,andcuttheirnication.thoseanare
toprovidetheiroeetingistobeheld,
tonight,forsubscribingtheneyforthoseaffordto
doso.
”etoaskyoutoletusjoin,papa.louisandphilippe
havejustgooaskunclesleave.”
captainbarclaylistenedinsilence,haverygraveface.their
thersatdohaeface.
”oh,boys,youaretooyoung,”shegaspedout.
”aa,thanyofthenwhohavebeen
calledout;andtallerandstouter,ineveryanwalk
betterthanthegreaterportionoftheedto
exerany
youngnhere.yousaidyourself,a,that
everyoogoout.”
”butyouarenotfrenrs.barclaysaid,piteously.
”aa.notlegally,butithasbeenhoto
us,sincebeenfrench,we
oughttofightforher.”
s.barclaylookedatherhusbandforassistacaptain
barclayhadleanedhisfahishands,andsaidnothing.
”ah,ralph;butpercyatleast,heisonlyfifteen.”
”iaearlyasbig,nearlyasstrongasralph,a.besides,
ertohavetwoofusifoneisilloror
,youknow.
”a,dearest,alkeditover,andhinkto
gfes;anditisstrength,notyears,
atters.a,yousaidafrenshouldne
thoseshelovestofrandthatiffrancewasinvadedall,even
theen,shouldgoout.”
s.barclay.sheuldnotspeak.shewassodeadly
pale,andherfaisery,thattheboys
felttheirresolutionwavering.
captainbarclaylookedup.
”boys,”hesaid,verygravely,”ihaveoiontoask;h
youetruly,uponyourfaithandhonordoyouo
gorelyorpriand
theadventureofaguerrillabecauseyou
desireeaestlytodoyourbest,todeferyinh
youosufferanyhardship
and,ifitistheodieforher”
”hboyssaid.
andralphon:
”alkedoverthepossibilityofeveryonebeingcalled
outandoing,tooasacaseoffun
aent;bute,serious
ituchitaandwe
haveaskedyou,hadfeltthattogo,even
ifwekneeshouldbekilled.”
”inthatnly,risingand
layingonehandontheshoulderofeachofhissons,”inthatcase,
good.itisyourduty,andthatofeveryoofightforhis untry.igiveyoufullogo.ishouldnothave advisedit.atye,thereeduty.still,ifyou feelitso,istandinyourway. ”gothen,boys,andygodchoveryou,andkeepyou,and sendyousafehoagain.” sosaying,hekissedtheothontheforehead,andthe roooutsayinganotherword. thentheboystuedtotheirther,lyand, fallingupoheykissedherandcriedhher.itwas uoodthatherheirfathers. lly,inginandhearingatter,satdownin suddengriefandastonishntontheried bitterly.itostined tretthattheyhadaskedforleavetogo.hoherewas nodraother,theyon totelltheirusinsthattheyweregoing. theyfoundlouisandphilippeinastateofgreatdisappointnt, becausetheirfatherhadaltogetherrefusedtolistentotheir eies.uponhearing,hohatralphandpercyweregoing, theygainedfreshhope;fortheysaid,ifenglishboysuldgoand fightforfraefulthatfrenchboysshouldstayat ho,inidleness. captainbarclay,aftergivingperssiontohissonstogoasfranc tireurs,firstself,tothihe nsequencesofhisdecisiohendoodijon,and pe.theheproposedrpshad servedfornyyearsinthezouaves,andobeanable aifficer.hehadlefttheservice,fiveorsixyears previously,uponhisrriage.helivedashortdistanly, froaptainbarclay;andafriendshiphadsprungupbetween the upon, captainteeexpressedhissatisfaatthedecisionofthe youngbarclays. ”ihavealreadythenasofole,ifany,older thanyoureldestboy,”hesaid;”andalthoughtheotheris certainlyveryyou,asheisverystoutandstrongforhis age,ihavenodoubthehefati ...