"What is your papa's name?" asked the captain.
"He name Bauer -- Monsieur Bauer --" The child suddenly stopped.
"What is the matter, little one?" asked Byers, pulses thrilling under a
vague suspicion. But here the sentry, forgetting the captain's
caution, interposed with:
"I know him, Sir! Hermann Bauer, our assistant quartermaster -"
'Hush-h-h!" admonished Byers, frowning, shaking his head and pointing
at the child, now staring at him wonderingly, then pouting as she
queried:
"You no hurt my papa?"
The door of a nearby house suddenly flew open and a fleshy,
round-shouldered man appeared. He saluted, then said:
"Good evening, Messieurs! I see you have my little girl with you."
"Monsieur Bauer!" The captain stood up, ignoring the other's salute.
"I suppose you know that you are now under arrest?"
"It is what I feared. May I take my little girl inside?"
"Yes, provided the sentry and I go with you."
"You may as well: you'll go anyway. Please do not give me away."
With remarkable nerve, Bauer lifted the wondering child to his arms and
led the way inside.
Five minutes later he emerged, the captain and the sentry on either
side, and set out amid childish protests from within.
"She overtook me while I was on my way," he confessed. "It is fate, I
guess."
Then the three started on the way to aerodrome headquarters.
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