CHAPTER XII.

A TRAITOR APPEARS.

Hal turned to Chester.

"When they fail to find us," he said, "they'll come back, inquiring all along as they return. They are sure to ask for us here." He turned to the woman. "Have you a place where we can hide?"

"Yes," she replied, "there is a secret trap-door to the attic. You may go up there and no one will be the wiser."

"Then we had better get up there at once," said Chester, "for there is no telling how soon they may return."

A few moments later and they were safe in a little room at the very top of the house. After showing them to their retreat, the good woman departed, saying that she would return in a few minutes with water and food.

"You'll need it," she said, when Hal protested against putting her to so much trouble. "And, besides, I should be a poor Frenchwoman could I not aid the friends of my own country."

She was back in a few moments, and the lads ate hungrily of the food she brought them, for it had been long hours since food or water had passed their lips.

After their benefactress had departed, Hal said to Chester:

"This is bound to be a tedious day. I guess we had better try and put it in sleeping. Besides, we'll need all the rest we can get for our journey to-night."

"Just what I was thinking," said Chester, "and I'm ready to go to sleep right this instant."

He stretched himself out on the floor and in a few moments was fast asleep. A short time later and Hal also lay in the arms of Morpheus.

How long the lads had slept, they did not know, but they were awakened by the sound of voices directly below them.

"No, I have seen nothing of them," came the voice of the woman who had given them refuge.

"But we have searched every place else," came another voice, speaking in French, but with a heavy German accent. "They must be here. We found the bicycles a short distance from this house, and have scoured the woods. They must be here."

"I say they are not," came the woman's voice, raised in anger.

"Well, I must search the house, at any rate," said the German, "and, if I find that you have been aiding the enemies of Germany, it will go hard with you. Stand aside, please."

"I tell you there is no one here," cried the woman.

"Stand aside!" came the German's voice again, and there was the sound of a struggle, followed by the voice of the German: "Search the house, men."

Then came the sounds of heavy feet tramping through the house. Hal and Chester were both wide awake now and lay silent, listening. For an hour the heavy footsteps continued to ring through the house, and there was the sound of slamming doors and moving furniture.

And finally came the voice of the woman again: "I told you there was no one here."

But apparently the German officer in command was not yet satisfied.

"Have you searched the attic?" he demanded of his men; "and the cellar?"

"There is no one in the cellar," came a voice in reply, "and there is no attic."

"I'll have a look for myself," came the reply, and heavy footsteps ascended the stairs into the room directly beneath Hal and Chester. There came to the lads' ears the sounds of heavy blows against the floor on which they lay. Evidently the German officer was making sure that there was not an opening in the ceiling of the room below. But after a while he desisted. The boys heard him descend the stairs, and a few moments later the sound of his voice:

"There is no one up there."

Both lads drew a breath of relief. A moment more and a slamming door gave evidence that the Germans had departed.

"I was afraid he would locate the trap-door," said Hal to Chester, after they had gone.

"Same here," replied Chester. "But I wasn't going to let them take me without a fight. Only one man could get up here at a time, and we could certainly dispose of him."

"Yes, but they could starve us out, or set fire to the house or something, which would be worse than being captured. Besides, we couldn't let the woman who has aided us come to harm."

"No, that's so, too," agreed Chester. "I hadn't thought of that."

Further conversation was interrupted by a sound of some one at the trap-door. Chester and Hal both jumped to their feet, and stood ready above the opening in the floor to seize the intruder should it prove to be an enemy.

But when the trap-door came away the head of their benefactress appeared through the opening.

"You can come down now, if you want to," she said. "The Germans have been here and gone. I am sure they will not return."

Chester turned to Hal.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Shall we go down, or had we better stay up here?"

Hal considered for a moment.

"I guess we might as well go down," he replied at length. "I don't believe there is any likelihood of their coming back. Besides, it's too cramped and stuffy up here for comfort."

Accordingly both boys descended from their refuge, and a few moments later were sitting in the living room with their hostess.

"We can never thank you enough for what you have done for us," Chester told her, after she had related her experiences with the Germans.

"No, indeed; we can never thank you enough," agreed Hal. "Had it not been for your kindness we should have been in the hands of the Germans right now, and there is no telling what they might have done to us."

The good woman waved aside their thanks.

"Pooh! pooh!" she said. "And why shouldn't I help you? Surely no thanks are necessary because I did my duty."

"But women----" Hal began, when she interrupted him.

"I have a son of my own in the war," she said, her voice growing very low and tears dimming her eyes.

"And I hope," said Hal gently, "should he ever be in a situation similar to ours, that another good woman may be the means of saving his life, and that some day he may return to you."

"Just so he does his duty I shall be satisfied," said the woman, who now introduced herself as Mrs. Madeline Dersi. "He has been a very wild boy, but I am sure that his heart is true and that he will fight to the last for his country, as did his father before him."

"And I am sure of it, too," said Chester. "When we return to our lines we shall make it our business to hunt him up."

And at that moment there was a hasty step outside, the door to the room in which they were sitting was flung open, and a young man, in civilian garb, burst in.

Mrs. Dersi was across the room in a moment, her arms wrapped about the newcomer. Tears streamed down her face, as she repeatedly kissed the young man, who seemed to take no great interest in the procedure.

Finally Mrs. Dersi turned to Hal and Chester.

"My son," she said proudly, "of whom I was just talking to you."

Now the newcomer freed himself from her embrace and stepped forward.

"Who are these?" he demanded, pointing to the two lads.

Mrs. Dersi explained.

"And we were just talking of you," she added; then stopped and surveyed her son critically. "Why are you not in uniform?" she demanded.

"Why, I--I--I----" stuttered young Dersi, "I am on a scout, and it was thought best for me not to go in uniform." He turned suddenly to Hal: "Are you expecting any of your men here?" he demanded.

"Why, no," replied Hal. "We are going to try and make our way back to our lines to-night."

Young Dersi appeared to breathe easier, and this fact was not lost upon either Hal or Chester.

"Well," he said, after a pause, "I haven't time to stay here. I just dropped in a moment to see you, mother. You say the Germans went north? How long have they been gone?"

"About an hour," said Chester.

"Good. Then it will be safe for me to continue on my way."

He bowed to the two lads, kissed his mother, and a moment later had left the house, his mother accompanying him to the door.

"There is something queer about him," said Chester to Hal, as Mrs. Dersi and her son left the room. "He's not telling the truth."

"I know it," said Hal. "I don't like to say it, but it is my belief he is fleeing from the French lines to give information to the Germans."

"You mean you think he is a traitor?"

"I told you I didn't like to say anything," replied Hal, "but I am afraid you have hit the nail on the head."

"In that event he is likely to tell of our presence here," cried Chester.

"I'm sure he'll tell," said Hal quietly.

"Then what shall we do?"

"We shall leave at once--or, as soon as Mrs. Dersi returns. That is the best return we can make for her kindness to us. It would break her heart to know that her son is a traitor to his country."

"It would, indeed," was Chester's reply; but further talk was prevented by the return of Mrs. Dersi.

"And is not my son a fine, brave man?" she asked, with justifiable pride.

"He is," said Hal and Chester both, hoping that they were telling the truth.

"Mrs. Dersi," said Hal, "we have decided that it probably will be better for us if we take our departure at once. I am sure there are no Germans near right now, and the sooner we get started the sooner we shall reach our own lines."

"But would it not be safer to wait until dark?" questioned the woman anxiously.

"I am afraid not," replied Hal, with a meaning glance at Chester. "We think we had better take our departure at once."

Mrs. Dersi offered further objections, but at length, seeing that they were all in vain, she bade the two lads a sorrowful farewell, enjoining them to be sure and look her son up and to return to see her should the opportunity offer. This they gladly promised, and, leaving the friendly shelter of the good Frenchwoman's home, continued on their weary journey toward the British lines.