And so watching he judged that they were honest youths, ready to like or hate, according to orders from the men higher up, but by nature simple and direct.

He did not feel any fear of them.
"Halt!" said the officer, whom John judged to be a Saxon--he had seen his kind in Dresden and Leipsic.
John stopped obediently, and raised his hand in a clumsy military fashion, standing there while they looked him over.
"Now you can come forward, still with your hands up," said the officer, though not in any fierce manner, "and tell us who you are." John advanced, and they quickly searched him, finding no weapon.
"You can take your hands down," said the officer.

"Unarmed, I don't believe you'd be a match for our rifles.

Now, who are you ?" "Jean Castel, sir, of Lorraine," replied John in German with a strong French accent.
"And what have you been doing here between our lines and those of the French ?" "I took some cattle across the mountains for the army and having sold them I was walking back home.

In the storm last night I wandered through the lines into this very rough country and got lost." "You do look battered.