Unconscious Heroism

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It is the third month of the siege of Paris by the Germans, and provisions are already very scarce. Gappard, a soldier of the ranks, leaves the ramparts and goes to his home for the dinner his wife has ready for him. His little infant son is crying for milk of which there is none left, but hardened by the horrors and privations of the siege, Gappard is almost callously indifferent to the baby's cries. His elder son is, however, greatly distressed at the infant's cries, and accompanying his father back to duty, slips out of one of the gates unobserved, determined, if possible, to obtain the precious milk. The German sharpshooters seem to be everywhere, but by crawling on his hands and knees, and taking advantage of every bush and tree he manages to progress safely. Once he has a very narrow escape from discovery by a German picket whom he only just manages to elude by covering himself with some brushwood that were at hand. At last he reaches a farmhouse, and opening the yard door finds himself in the custody of a German sentry, the farm having been converted into German divisional headquarters. He is led before the German general, who had but a few minutes previous received a letter from his wife and his little son Fritz. The grizzled warrior, with the memory of his own boy still fresh in his mind, is touched by the lad's earnestness and simplicity and believes his story. Admiring his heroism he orders a meal to be provided for him, and after a bottle of milk has been given to him, orders that an orderly see him safely through the German lines. Leaving his guide, the lad makes his way stealthily back to the gate, but just as he is approaching, one of the French soldiers on duty sees him and fires. The youth falls wounded still clasping the bottle, and the French guard seeing him writhing in the roadway rushes out and carries him in. He is recognized in surprise by his father and it is found that he is practically unhurt, the bullet having only grazed him. His bottle of milk is safe, and unconsciously he has performed the part of a hero in order to satisfy the wants of his baby brother.