"No, but I fancy the owner is," said Roger. "Look!"
He pointed to the figure of an old man, with white hair, seated at a table in what was evidently the kitchen. The man's head was bowed on his arms which were resting on the table.
"Beg your pardon, sir," said Bob, "but we're Americans. May we stay here out of the rain, and perhaps for the night?"
There was no answer. The figure did not move.
"He doesn't understand anything but French, very likely," said Franz. "Can't you take a hand, Blazes?"
"Yes," assented Jimmy. "But it's funny he didn't wake up when Bob spoke, even if he didn't understand. I'll go ahead. But let's get in out of the wet."
They entered the room. The white-haired occupant of it did not stir from his position of bowed-down grief.
"He sleeps very soundly," remarked Jimmy in a low voice.
Stepping forward he touched the old man on the shoulder, and then Jimmy knew what had happened.
"Come on--let's go into the other room," suggested Jimmy.
There was another room opening out from the kitchen. Into this the Khaki Boys filed silently.
"Do you suppose the Germans killed him?" asked Roger.
"Very likely. Or he may have died from old age, fright or shock. We'll leave him where he is."
"Sure! Why not? We're out of the rain. The poor dead man can not harm us, and we have seen enough of death, in worse forms than this, to be afraid now."
"Oh, it isn't that I'm afraid!" exclaimed Bob. "But if the Germans did that to--him--they may come back and--"
"I fancy not," said Jimmy. "I believe they think they have cleaned out this place. It's the safest spot for us with the old man as a silent sentry. Come, fellows, well spend the night here with the dead to guard us."
It was said reverently--piously--and there was a strange feeling in the hearts of all the boys as they closed the door on the silent, pathetic figure and stood together in the other room, while the rain beat down on the roof, and dashed against the windows.
And so they began their bivouac of the with death as a sentry on guard.
"Well, we've got to be thankful that we had a place to stay all night where we were out of the wet," remarked Jimmy, as he and his chums awoke the next morning in the lonely cottage of the dead Frenchman.