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THLE STRAND A1 ZINL

CUTHEY CAME IN, FOWDERED Wil sNow,”

that aiso to the stew. The cves ol the six men followed her cvery movement with an - air - of awakened hunger. They had sct their guns and helmets in corner, and sat waiting on their benches, like well-hehaved school children. T'he mother had begun to spin again, but she threw terrificd glances at the imvading soldicrs. There was no sound except the slight purring of the wheel, the

crtackle of the fire, and the bubbling of

the water as it grew hot,

But all at once a strange noise made them all start—something like a hoarse breathing at the door, the hreathing of an animal, deep and snorting.

One of the Germans had sprung towards the guns. "T'he woman with 4 movement and a smile stopped him.,

“It1s the wolves,” said she. “They are like you; they are wandering about, hungry.”

The man would hardly believe, he wanted to see for himsell: and as soon as the door was opened, he pereeived two great urey beasts making off at a quick, long trot.

He came back to his scat, murmuring : “1 should not have believed it.”

And he sat waiting for his meal,

They ate voraciously ; their mouths opened from car to car to take the largest of gulps ;

then round eyes opened sympathetically with then jaws, and their swallowing was like the gurgle of ram in a water pipe.

The two silent women watched the rapid movements of the great red beards 5 the potatoes scemed to melt away into thesc moving flecees,

Theny as they were thissty, the keepers wife went down into the collar o draw cider for them. She was a long time gone ; it was a little vaulted cellar, said to have served both as prison and hiding-place in the days of the Revolution, The way down was by i narrow winding stair, shut i by o trap- door at the end of the Kitchen.

When Berthine canme hack, she was laugh- g, laughing slyly to herself, She vave the Germans her pitcher of drink. Then she too had her supper, with her mother, at the other cid of the kitehen,

The soldiers had finished cating and were lallmg asleep, all six, around the whle. From tme to time, a head would fall heavily on the board, then the man, starting awake, would SIL up. |

Berthme said to the officer: “You may just as well ie down here before the fire, ‘There's plenty of room for six. I'm gomg up to my room with my mother.”