courtyard. The soldier from whom his brassard was taken was considered
dead.

"Guynemer, who was somewhat weak and sickly, always remained a private
soldier. His comrades, appreciating the value of having a general with
sufficient muscular strength to maintain his authority, never dreamed of
placing him at their head. The muscle, which he lacked, was a necessity.
But when a choice of soldiers had to be made, he was always counted
among the best, and his name called among the first. Although he had not
much strength, he had agility, cleverness, a quick eye, caution, and a
talent for strategy. He played his game himself, not liking to receive
any suggestions from his chiefs, intending to follow his own ideas. The
battle once begun, he invariably attacked the strongest enemy and
pursued those comrades who occupied the highest rank. With the marvelous
suppleness of a cat, he climbed trees, flung himself to the ground,
crept along barriers, slipped between the legs of his adversaries, and
bounded triumphantly off with a number of brassards. It was a great joy
to him to bring the trophies of his struggles to his general. With
radiant face, and with his two hands resting on his legs, he looked
mockingly at his adversaries who had been surprised by his cleverness.
His superiority over his comrades was especially apparent in the battles
they fought in the woods of Bellevue.[7] There the field was larger, and
there was a greater variety of chances for surprising the enemy. He hid
himself under the dead leaves, lay close to the branches of trees, and
crept along brooks and ravines. It was often he who was selected to find
a place of vantage for the flag. But he was never willing to act as its
guardian, for he feared nothing so much as inactivity, preferring to
chase his comrades through the woods. The short journey to the Bellevue
woods was passed in the elaboration of various plans, and arguing about
those of his friends; he always wanted to have the last word. The return