diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-0.txt | 398 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-0.zip | bin | 107622 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-8.txt | 6211 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-8.zip | bin | 107336 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-h.zip | bin | 606559 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-h/39150-h.htm (renamed from 39150-h/39150-h.html) | 370 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-rst.zip | bin | 591556 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-rst/39150-rst.rst | 5909 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-rst/images/img-054.jpg | bin | 107063 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-rst/images/img-143.jpg | bin | 97513 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-rst/images/img-221.jpg | bin | 110891 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-rst/images/img-cover.jpg | bin | 77498 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150-rst/images/img-front.jpg | bin | 97256 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150.txt | 6211 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 39150.zip | bin | 107292 -> 0 bytes |
15 files changed, 4 insertions, 19095 deletions
diff --git a/39150-0.txt b/39150-0.txt index ceb4f59..60e9e48 100644 --- a/39150-0.txt +++ b/39150-0.txt @@ -1,27 +1,4 @@ - A HERO OF LIÉGE - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Title: A Hero of Liége - -Author: Herbert Strang - -Release Date: March 14, 2012 [EBook #39150] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HERO OF LIÉGE *** - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 39150 *** Produced by Al Haines. @@ -5831,375 +5808,4 @@ Pariset in Berlin. PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, BRUNSWICK ST., STAMFORD ST., S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HERO OF LIÉGE *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39150 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the Project -Gutenberg™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered -trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you -receive specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of -this eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this -eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, -reports, performances and research. They may be modified and printed and -given away – you may do practically _anything_ with public domain -eBooks. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially -commercial redistribution. - - - -The Full Project Gutenberg License - - -_Please read this before you distribute or use this work._ - -To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or -any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at -http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use & Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works - - -*1.A.* By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the -terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all -copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you -paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ -electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this -agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you -paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -*1.B.* “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things -that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even -without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph -1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help -preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See -paragraph 1.E below. - -*1.C.* The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the -Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of -Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in -the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you -from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating -derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project -Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the -Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works -by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms -of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated -with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others. - -*1.D.* The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the -copyright status of any work in any country outside the United States. - -*1.E.* Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -*1.E.1.* The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on -which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase -“Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, -viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with - almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away - or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License - included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org - -*1.E.2.* If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with -the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, -you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through -1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project -Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -*1.E.3.* If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -*1.E.4.* Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. - -*1.E.5.* Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg™ License. - -*1.E.6.* You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than -“Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ web site -(http://www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or -expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a -means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original -“Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include -the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -*1.E.7.* Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless -you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -*1.E.8.* You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided -that - - - You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you - already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to - the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to - donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 - days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally - required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments - should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, - “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary - Archive Foundation.” - - - You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. - You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the - works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and - all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works. - - - You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - - - You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. - - -*1.E.9.* If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth -in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from both the -Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael Hart, the -owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3. below. - -*1.F.* - -*1.F.1.* Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. -Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the -medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but -not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription -errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a -defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer -codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. - -*1.F.2.* LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES – Except for the “Right -of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability -to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE -THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF -WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. -YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR -UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, -INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE -NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. - -*1.F.3.* LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND – If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -*1.F.4.* Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS,’ WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -*1.F.5.* Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -*1.F.6.* INDEMNITY – You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ - - -Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals -and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely -available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and -permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn -more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how -your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the -Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org . - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state -of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue -Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is -64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf . Contributions to the -Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the -full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. - -The Foundation’s principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. -S. Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation’s web site and official page -at http://www.pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - - -Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without wide spread -public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the -number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely -distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest array of -equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to -$5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with -the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where -we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state -visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any -statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside -the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways -including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, -please visit: http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic -works. - - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. unless -a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks -in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook’s eBook -number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII, -compressed (zipped), HTML and others. - -Corrected _editions_ of our eBooks replace the old file and take over -the old filename and etext number. The replaced older file is renamed. -_Versions_ based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving -new filenames and etext numbers. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including -how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to -our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 39150 *** diff --git a/39150-0.zip b/39150-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 24b23b1..0000000 --- a/39150-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/39150-8.txt b/39150-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 680bc28..0000000 --- a/39150-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6211 +0,0 @@ - A HERO OF LIGE - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Title: A Hero of Lige - -Author: Herbert Strang - -Release Date: March 14, 2012 [EBook #39150] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HERO OF LIGE *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - -[Illustration: Cover art] - - ---- - -[Illustration: THE SPY UNMASKED] - - - - A HERO OF LIGE - - _A STORY OF THE GREAT WAR_ - - - - BY - - HERBERT STRANG - - - - _ILLUSTRATED BY CYRUS CUNEO_ - - - - LONDON - HENRY FROWDE - HODDER AND STOUGHTON - - - - _First Printed in 1914_ - - - - - HERBERT STRANG'S WAR STORIES - -SULTAN JIM: A STORY OF GERMAN AGGRESSION. -THE AIR SCOUT: A STORY OF HOME DEFENCE. -THE AIR PATROL: A STORY OF THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER. -ROB THE RANGER: A STORY OF THE GREAT FIGHT FOR CANADA. -ONE OF CLIVE'S HEROES: A STORY OF THE GREAT FIGHT FOR INDIA. -BARCLAY OF THE GUIDES: A STORY OF THE INDIAN MUTINY. -THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY ROCHESTER: A STORY OF MARLBOROUGH'S CAMPAIGNS. -BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE: A STORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR. -KOBO: A STORY OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR. -BROWN OF MOUKDEN: A STORY OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR. - - - - - ---- - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I--THE OPENING OF THE GAME - CHAPTER II--THE FIRST TRICK - CHAPTER III--THE SECOND TRICK - CHAPTER IV--IN NEUTRAL TERRITORY - CHAPTER V--A CLOSE CALL - CHAPTER VI--THE OLD MILL - CHAPTER VII--A HORNET'S NEST - CHAPTER VIII--A FIGHT IN THE MILL - CHAPTER IX--IN THE TRENCHES - CHAPTER X--BROKEN THREADS - CHAPTER XI--THE CENTRE ARCH - CHAPTER XII--A FIGHT WITH A ZEPPELIN - CHAPTER XIII--THE GREAT GUNS - CHAPTER XIV--HUNTED - CHAPTER XV--HUNS AT PLAY - CHAPTER XVI--THE CARETAKER - CHAPTER XVII--A BARMECIDE FEAST - CHAPTER XVIII--RUNNING THE GAUNTLET - CHAPTER XIX--'A LONG, LONG WAY----' - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - -THE SPY UNMASKED -THE PEASANTS SCATTERED OUT OF ITS PATH -THE END OF THE ZEPPELIN -CLEARING THE ROAD - - - - - - - -CHAPTER I--THE OPENING OF THE GAME - - -At nine o'clock on Tuesday morning, August 4, Kenneth Amory walked into -the private office of the head of the well-known firm of Amory & -Finkelstein, gutta-percha manufacturers, of Cologne. Max Finkelstein, -the head of the firm, swung round on his revolving chair, moved his hand -backward over his brush-like crop of brownish hair, and looked up -through his spectacles at Kenneth, his stout florid countenance wearing -an expression of worry. - -"I sent for you to tell you to pack up and get away by the first train," -he said, in German. "Things are looking very black; the sooner you are -home, the better." - -"Our dear Max is jumpy," came in smooth tones from the third person in -the room, the ends of his well-brushed moustache rising stiffly as he -smiled. He was tall and slim--a contrast to his cousin Finkelstein, who -had reached that period of life when good food, a successful business, -and Germanic lack of exercise, tend to corpulence. "I tell him he need -not worry," the speaker went on. "It will be as in '70." - -"Provided that England----" Finkelstein was beginning, but Kurt Hellwig -broke in with a laugh. - -"Oh, England! England will protest a little, and preach a little, and -take care not to get a scratch." - -"Don't you be too sure of that," said Kenneth, rather warmly. - -"No? You think otherwise?" Hellwig was smiling still. "Well, we shall -see. Perhaps you have private information?" - -His mocking smile and ironical tone brought a flush to Kenneth's cheeks. - -"I don't want any private information to know what England will do," -cried the boy. - -"True, the public information is conclusive. England is helpless; she -suffers from an internal complaint; she is breaking up." - -"That will do, Kurt," said Finkelstein, anticipating an explosive word -from Kenneth, who was quick-tempered, and apt to fall out with Hellwig. -"Really, Ken, you will be safer at home, and if you don't go now you -will lose your chance; all the trains will be required for the troops." - -"I'd rather wait a little longer," replied Kenneth. "It's all so -interesting. I've never seen a mobilisation before." - -"It will do him good to see how we manage things in Germany," said -Hellwig. "And since England will remain neutral, he will run no risk." - -Finkelstein, easygoing and indolent where business was not concerned, -yielded the point. - -"Very well," he said. "Do as you please. But I recommend you to pack -up in readiness for a sudden departure. For my part, I hope Kurt is -right; I think of my business." - -"We all think of our business," said Hellwig, with a slight stress upon -the pronoun. - -"Our business--yes," said Finkelstein. "We shall all suffer, I fear. -But if it is as in '70----" - -Kenneth did not wait to hear further discussion on the chances of the -war. Remarking that he would see the others at lunch, he hurried away -into the street. Awakened very early that morning by the rumbling of -carts and the tramp of horses, he had got up and gone out, to watch the -continual passage of regiments of infantry and cavalry, batteries of -artillery, pontoon trains, commissariat and ammunition wagons, through -the streets and the railway station. Everything was swift and -systematic; the troops, though a little hazy as to their destination, -were in high spirits; the war would soon be over, they assured their -anxious friends. - -It was all very new and exciting to Kenneth Amory, who had only vague -memories of the English mobilisation for the South African war, when he -was a child of four. His father had founded, with Max Finkelstein, an -Anglo-German business which had attained great dimensions. Finkelstein -controlled the German headquarters at Cologne; Amory looked after things -in London. The latter died suddenly in the winter of 1912, leaving his -son Kenneth, then nearly seventeen years of age, to the guardianship of -Finkelstein, in whom he justly placed implicit confidence. - -Since then Kenneth had spent much of his time in Germany, learning the -business under Finkelstein's direction. He had a great liking for his -father's partner, who was a keen man of business, scrupulously exact in -his duties as guardian, and a "good fellow." Finkelstein had announced -that Kenneth, as soon as he came of age, would be taken into -partnership. The firm would still be Amory & Finkelstein. - -When Kurt Hellwig spoke of "our business," his use of the first personal -pronoun must be taken to have implied a commendable feeling: he had no -actual share in the business. His connection with it was a proof of his -cousin Max's kindness of heart. Hellwig had brilliant abilities; in -particular, remarkable linguistic powers; but he had never been able to -turn them to account in the various careers which he had successively -attempted. Finkelstein had more than once lent him a helping hand; -since Mr. Amory's death he had employed him as occasional representative -in England. Needless to say, he did not entrust any matter of -importance to his erratic cousin; and the salary he paid him was -proportionate rather to relationship than to services. - -Kenneth returned to Finkelstein's house for the midday lunch. Neither -Finkelstein nor Hellwig was present. - -"Father sent word that he was detained," said Frieda, Finkelstein's -daughter, a little younger than Kenneth. "We are not to wait for him." - -"He seemed very worried when I saw him this morning," said Kenneth. "Of -course business will be at a standstill, especially if we come into the -war." - -"It will be hateful if you do," said the girl. "But you won't, Kurt -says. We have done nothing to you." - -"Kurt knows nothing about it. He thinks we are afraid to fight. He's -wrong. Of course we are not concerned with your quarrel with Russia; -but when it comes to your attacking France, quite unprovoked, and -bullying Belgium to let you take the easy way, you can hardly expect us -to look on quietly. But we won't talk about that, Frieda; you and I -mustn't quarrel." - -Frieda and Kenneth were very good friends. One bond of union between -them was a common dislike of Kurt Hellwig, whose sarcastic tongue was a -constant irritant. Kenneth related what had passed at the office that -morning. - -"Why has he come back?" said Frieda. "He has been away for weeks; I -wish he would stay away altogether." - -"Do you?" - -"Of course I do. What do you mean?" - -"I fancy Kurt thinks you admire him--because he wants you to, I -suppose." - -"Will you take me to Cousin Amalia's after lunch?" asked Frieda, with a -disconcerting change of subject. "I promised to spend the rest of the -day with her. And you'll fetch me this evening, won't you?" - -After escorting Frieda to her cousin's, Kenneth strolled about, watching -the war preparations, then turned homewards to pack his bag, as he had -promised Finkelstein to do. On the way he bought a copy of the _Cologne -Gazette_ containing a mangled version of Sir Edward Grey's speech in the -House of Commons on the previous day. When he had finished packing, he -sat down with the paper at the open window of his room. Having risen -early, he was rather tired, and the heat of the afternoon soon sent him -to sleep. - -He was wakened by voices near at hand. There was no one but himself in -the room; after a moment's confusion of senses he realised that the -sounds came up from the balcony beneath his window. It was reached from -the drawing-room, and since it was shaded by a light awning, someone had -evidently gone there for the sake of fresh air. - -The awning concealed the speakers from Kenneth's view, but in a few -moments he recognised Hellwig's voice. The other speaker was a man and -a stranger. Kenneth at first paid no attention to them; Hellwig had -many acquaintances, and was fond of entertaining them. But presently he -caught a sentence that made him suddenly alert. - -"The bridge has been mined." - -It was the stranger speaking, in German. Kenneth rose silently from his -chair, and leant out of the window, so that he should not miss a word. - -"The train can be fired at any moment, thanks to our forethought in -tunnelling between the mill-house and the bridge." - -"That is well," said Hellwig, in the tone of a superior commending the -report brought him by a subordinate. "Get back as quickly as you can, -and tell them to be ready to act instantly on receipt of a marconigram." - -"The stations are closed to private messages," remarked the visitor. - -"Yes: but mine will get through. What news have you?" - -"When I left yesterday the Belgians were becoming alive to their danger. -They are mobilising feverishly. The forts at Lige are fully manned. -But many people refuse to believe that we shall go to extremes and -invade their territory. They say that its inviolability is guaranteed -by treaty." - -Hellwig laughed. - -"Keep in touch with London," he said. "In a few hours I shall be cut -off from London except through Amsterdam, and I shall have to move my -headquarters there. You remember the address?" - -"As before?" - -"Yes. Send there any information that comes through from London, and -keep me informed of your whereabouts." - -"There was talk, as I came through, of possible English intervention. I -learn that crowds clamoured for war in front of Buckingham Palace last -night." - -"A mistake: they were shouting against war. The British government will -not dare to strike: even if they do, they will be too late. We are -ready: they are not. Before they have made up their minds we shall be -across the Belgian frontier and into France." - -The conversation continued for a few minutes longer, then the visitor -rose to go. Acting on impulse, Kenneth ran out of his room, and was -nearing the foot of the staircase as the two men came from the -drawing-room. He had the _Cologne Gazette_ in his hand. - -"Have you read Sir Edward Grey's speech?" he asked Hellwig. - -"Not yet. Is it worth the trouble?" replied Hellwig in his smooth -mocking tones. - -"I thought you hadn't, or you wouldn't be so cock-sure," Kenneth -returned. "I rather think the British government have already made up -their minds." - -"So you have been eavesdropping?" said Hellwig quickly. - -"You are a spy!" cried Kenneth--"you and your friend." - -"Is that any concern of yours?" - -"Only to this extent; that I'll have nothing more to do with you," said -Kenneth hotly, conscious at the moment that it was a foolish thing to -say, and feeling the more irritated. - -"That will kill me," sighed Hellwig. - -"And Max shall know it," Kenneth went on. "He doesn't know that you've -been up to this sort of thing, I'm sure." - -"Certainly; Max shall know that I am doing something for my country. You -are, no doubt, doing wonders for yours." - -"I wouldn't do such dirty work as yours," cried Kenneth, more and more -angry under Hellwig's calmness. - -At this moment the outer door opened, and Frieda came in from the -street. - -"What is the matter?" she asked, looking from Kenneth's flushed face to -Hellwig's smiling one, upon which, however, there flickered now a shade -of embarrassment. - -"The fellow is a spy!" Kenneth burst out. - -"I was explaining, my dear cousin, that I am doing at least something -for my country," Hellwig said. - -"We should have preferred that it were anything else," said Frieda -coldly. "Come, Ken, I've something to say to you." - -She hurried along the corridor, not heeding Hellwig's bow as she passed. -Kenneth followed her. Hellwig shrugged, and left the house with his -friend. - -"How did it come out?" asked Frieda, when Kenneth was alone with her in -the drawing-room. - -"They were talking under my window. He accused me of eavesdropping. I -couldn't help hearing them at first; and when I found out what they were -at, of course I listened. You have come back alone?" - -"Yes. I met Father. He says that your government has sent us an -ultimatum, and war is certain. You must go home at once. Father sent -me to tell you." - -"All right. He sneered about my doing wonders for my country. I'll do -something better than spying. I'll volunteer for the Flying Corps." - -"Oh, don't do that! It's so dangerous." - -"No more dangerous than being in the firing line." - -"But why do anything at all--of that sort, I mean? War is -horrible--horrible!" - -"It is, for everyone. I'm sure none of our people wanted it. But if -we're in for it, every fellow who can do anything will be required, and -you wouldn't wish me to skulk at home while others fight?" - -"I'd rather you should fight than spy. You must make haste. Martial -law is proclaimed. Father called at the station, and found that there -will be a train at half-past nine to-night: it will probably be the -last. And the stationmaster said that anyone who wanted to secure a -seat must be early, for there's sure to be a great rush. Have you done -your packing?" - -"Yes; there's only one bag I need take. The less baggage the better. -I'll run down to the station and get my ticket now, to make sure of it." - -"Don't be long. Father will be back to dinner, and he wants to say -goodbye to you, and to give you some messages for business friends in -London." - -Kenneth hurried to the station. There were signs of new excitement in -the streets. Newsvendors were shouting that Belgium was invaded. People -thronged the beer-shops, eagerly discussing the situation. Already there -were cries of "Down with the English!" Tourists of all nationalities -were flocking to the station and to the landing-stage for the Rhine -steamers. Soldiers were everywhere. - -At the station ticket office there was a long queue of people waiting. -Kenneth saw little chance of obtaining a ticket for some time; but being -well acquainted with the stationmaster, he sought his assistance and was -provided with a written pass. - -"I can't guarantee that you will get beyond Aix-la-Chapelle," said the -official. "You must take your chance." - -Kenneth set off to return. Attracted by a crowd at the door of one of -the hotels, he went up to discover the cause of the assemblage. A -mountain of luggage was piled on the pavement, and the distracted -owners, turned out of the hotel, were vainly seeking porters to convey -it to the station. The riff-raff of the streets were jeering at them. -Kenneth turned away, feeling that the scene was ominous. - -He had walked only a short distance from the spot when a hand touched -his shoulder from behind. - -"You are under arrest, sir," said a police sergeant, who was accompanied -by two constables. - -"Nonsense," said Kenneth, good-humouredly. "You have mistaken your -man." - -"Your name is Kenneth Amory?" said the sergeant. - -"Something like that," said Kenneth, amused at the man's pronunciation. - -"There is no mistake, then. You are arrested." - -"Indeed! On what charge?" - -"As a suspect." - -"Suspected of what?" - -"Of spying." - -This took Kenneth's breath away. Mechanically he walked a few steps -beside the officer, the two constables following. Then realising the -nature of the charge against him, he stopped short. - -"It is false!" he cried. "I am no spy. Where is your warrant? What -right have you to arrest me?" - -"No warrant is needed," replied the sergeant, courteously enough. "You -will no doubt clear yourself if you are innocent." - -"Of course I am innocent. My friends will prove that. Oh! I won't -give you any trouble: the sooner I get to the police-station, the -better." - -"That is reasonable," said the sergeant. - -They marched on. Kenneth looked eagerly at all the passers-by in the -hope of finding a friend who would vouch for him; but he recognised no -familiar face. On reaching the station he was searched, but deprived of -nothing except his pocket-book and the letters it contained. - -"They are only private letters," he explained. "The whole matter is -ridiculous. You will let me write a note to a friend, who will speak -for me?" - -"Certainly," said the officer, "provided I see what you say." - -Kenneth quickly scribbled a note to Max Finkelstein, and handed it to -the officer, who remarked that it had nothing suspicious about it, and -placed it in an envelope which Kenneth addressed. - -"I shall be released as soon as Herr Finkelstein comes?" asked Kenneth. - -"That is doubtful," replied the officer. "It will probably be necessary -to bring you before the magistrate to-morrow." - -"But I am going to England to-night." - -"To England! That is suspicious. Herr Finkelstein may have influence. -We shall see." - -A short conversation, carried on in low tones, ensued between the -sergeant and his superior officer. They were consulting as to where the -prisoner should be placed: the cells, it appeared, were full. Ultimately -Kenneth was taken to a room on the ground floor. The window was barred -and shuttered on the outside, and light entered only by two small round -apertures in the shutters. - -"A black hole, this," he said to the sergeant. - -"It will not be for long, if you are innocent," replied the man. - -Then he shut and locked the door; Kenneth was left to himself. - - - - -CHAPTER II--THE FIRST TRICK - - -With the door shut, the room was almost wholly dark. It contained no -furniture but a plain deal table and a wooden chair. Kenneth sat down -and ruminated. His position was annoying, but also mildly exciting. It -would be something to tell his people when he got home, that he had been -arrested as a spy. - -It was now five o'clock. Dinner was at seven: his train left at -half-past nine, and the stationmaster had advised him to be at the -station at least an hour in advance. He had addressed his note to -Finkelstein at the office, and expected that his friend would arrive -within half an hour or so and procure his release. In the absence of -any evidence against him a prolonged detention would surely be -impossible. - -Perhaps half an hour had passed when he heard footsteps on the passage; -the key turned in the lock, and he started up, expecting to see -Finkelstein. But there entered a constable, bringing a mug of beer and -a piece of rye bread. - -"My friend Herr Finkelstein has not come?" Kenneth asked. - -"Nobody has come for you," replied the man. - -"My note was taken to him?" - -"If you wrote a note, I daresay it was." - -"Aren't you sure?" - -"I have only just come on duty, sir." - -The constable set the food on the table and went out, locking the door. - -Anticipating dinner, Kenneth was not tempted to eat the coarse fare -provided. He was still not seriously alarmed, though his annoyance grew -with the passing minutes. Finkelstein never left his office until -half-past six; there was plenty of time for him to have received the -note--unless there had been delay in delivering it. This possibility -was somewhat perturbing. - -Kenneth began to wonder what had led to his arrest. He was quite -unknown to the police; nothing in his appearance was aggressively -English. So far as he knew he had no enemy in Cologne, so that it -seemed unlikely that anyone had put the police on his track out of sheer -malice. - -His thoughts reverted to the incident of the afternoon. The discovery -that Hellwig was in the German secret service, surprising as it was, -made clear certain things that had puzzled him. During his frequent -visits to London, Hellwig was accustomed to stay at the Amorys' house, -and had many callers who came to see him privately, on the firm's -business, as Kenneth had supposed. It seemed only too probable now that -they were agents in the work of espionage. - -A sudden suspicion flashed into Kenneth's mind. Was it possible that -his arrest was due to Hellwig? From what he had overheard it was clear -that Hellwig was a man of considerable authority in the secret service. -A word from him would no doubt suffice. But what could his motive be? -Kenneth was under no illusion as to the man's character. He had always -thoroughly disliked and distrusted him, and felt instinctively that the -dislike was mutual. Could it be that Hellwig, knowing himself -discovered, and fearing that Kenneth, on his return to London, would -inform the authorities, had taken this step to save himself? It seemed -an unnecessary precaution, for if war broke out between Britain and -Germany, Hellwig would make no more journeys to London for some time to -come. - -The more Kenneth thought over the matter, the more convinced he became -that Hellwig, whatever his motive might be, had caused his arrest. The -conviction destroyed his confidence in an early release. The man would -stick at nothing. He would have foreseen an application to Finkelstein, -and taken steps to forestall it. What if the note should never reach -Finkelstein? - -Kenneth was now thoroughly alarmed. The Germans had a short way with -spies, or those they regarded as spies, even during peace; it was likely -to be shorter and sharper than ever on the outbreak of war. The -prospect of being taken out and shot sent cold thrills through him. - -Contemplating this dark eventuality he heard heavy footsteps overhead. -He looked up, and for the first time saw a glint of light from the -ceiling in one corner of the room. The footsteps passed: all was silent -again. - -Kenneth sat thinking. If his suspicions were well founded, he felt that -his doom was sealed. It would be easy for a man like Hellwig to -fabricate evidence against him. In default of Finkelstein's assistance, -which Hellwig would take care to prevent, his only means of safety lay -in flight. But what chance was there of escaping from this locked and -shuttered room? An examination of the window showed the hopelessness of -it. - -The faint streak of light above again attracted his notice. Noiselessly -drawing the table beneath it, he mounted to examine its source. A -portion of the plaster had fallen away from the ceiling, and the light -filtered through a narrow crack in the flooring above. This discovery, -under pressure of circumstances, gave him a gleam of hope. Taking out -his pocket knife, he began to scrape quietly at the plaster, gradually -enlarging the hole. What there might be above he could not tell; -judging by the passing in and out of the footsteps the room was -unoccupied. - -While he was engaged on this work he heard steps in the passage without. -Springing down, he swept on to the floor, and under the table, the -plaster he had scraped from the ceiling, then stood waiting eagerly. -Perhaps it was Finkelstein at last. - -The door opened. A man was thrust into the room, and the door again -locked. The newcomer swore. - -"You're an Englishman?" cried Kenneth. - -"Do I find a companion in adversity?" said the man. "We can condole." - -"Who are you?" - -"What is your father? How many horses does he keep? Bless me, how this -reminds me of my innocent childhood! 'More light,' as Goethe said. But -I can see well enough to know that you are a youngster. Sad, sad!" - -Peering at the stranger, Kenneth saw a man of about thirty-five, with -hair _en brosse_, Germanic moustache, and a German military uniform. - -"I should pass in a crowd, one would think," the man went on, smiling -under Kenneth's scrutiny. "But Fate is unkind." - -"You are a spy?" said Kenneth. - -"And you, my friend?" - -"No. They say so, but I'm not." - -"They say so, and they will have their way. Ah, well! They say also, -that it is a sweet and comely thing to die for one's country. I always -thought I should die in my boots." - -"Can they prove it against you?" - -"A scrap of paper! They can't read it, but what matters that? A note -in cipher is evidence enough. But I shall not die unavenged: they are -crying in the streets that war is declared, and I fancy that Emperor -William has bitten a little more than he can chew. What brings you to -this deplorable extremity?" - -"I don't know: a private enemy, I think." - -"Well, the rain falls on the just and the unjust. I'm sorry for you. -Haven't you any friend, though, who can get this door unlocked?" - -Kenneth explained briefly what had happened. Then, feeling a strange -liking for his companion, he added: - -"When you came in, I was wondering about the chances of escape." - -"A waste of brain tissue, unless you have some talisman. But tell me, -you have some definite idea?" - -"You see that hole in the ceiling? I was enlarging it." - -"Ha! A man of action! Nil desperandum, eh? Let me have a look at it." - -He mounted on the table, and thrust his hand into the opening. - -"I say, youngster," he said, a note of eagerness in his voice, "there is -a chance, on my life there is. The boards above are not over firm. We -may be skipping out of the frying-pan into the fire, but one can only -die once. Continue with your work; I'll mount guard and warn you of -anyone approaching." - -Kenneth scraped away with his penknife, until the hole was large enough -to admit his head and shoulders. The light, coming through a single -crack, did not increase, so that the enlargement of the hole might -easily escape notice if a constable entered. The stranger put the chair -on the table. - -"Mount on that," he said; "put your back against the boards, and -shove--gently." - -Kenneth did as he was instructed. The pressure of his back started the -nails, and a plank rose, with an alarming creak. - -"That won't be heard through the rumble of traffic outside," said the -man. "Wait a little. You don't know anything of the room above?" - -"Nothing. I heard somebody go in and out a while ago; I think it is -empty." - -"Well now: let us keep cool. We can get into the room: that is certain. -Can we get out of it? We shall have to descend the stairs. Our chance -of life depends on one half-minute. 'Can a man die better than facing -fearful odds?' Look here: we'll toss. Heads: we'll go up; tails--why, -hang it, we'll still go up! Fortuna fortibus! Wait till we hear the -rumble of the next artillery wagon; then! ..." - -They had not long to wait. Heavy traffic passed at short intervals. - -"Now!" said the stranger. - -Kenneth gave a heave. In a moment two planks were removed. Resting his -arms on the edges of those on either side of the gap, he hoisted himself -up. His companion quickly followed. They stood in the room. - -The next half minute was filled to breathlessness. It was a bedroom. A -street lamp outside threw a little light into it. Hanging from a peg on -the door was a policeman's tunic and helmet. - -"Fortune's our friend," murmured the stranger. - -In ten seconds he had helped Kenneth to don the uniform. They crept out -of the room, and peeped over the stair rail. The way was clear. All -sounds within were smothered by the noise in the street. They stole -downstairs, past the closed door of the guardroom, through the outer -door, and into the open. "War with England!" shouted a newsman at the -corner. - -"We win the first trick!" chuckled the stranger, as they hurried along. - - - - -CHAPTER III--THE SECOND TRICK - - -"The first trick--yes: but what are trumps?" said Kenneth, in reply to -his companion's remark. - -"Toujours l'audace!" the stranger answered. "But my life isn't worth a -moment's purchase. I owe you a few minutes; 'for this relief much -thanks.' Leave me now, and make for your friends. They will look after -you. I have none." - -"Not a bit of it," replied Kenneth instantly. "We stick together. I -know a quiet place where we can consult. Step out briskly, as if we -have important business on hand." - -"There's nothing hypothetical about that," murmured the other. "On, -then!" - -They hurried along the street, which was crowded with persons of all -ages, some talking excitedly, others cheering and singing patriotic -songs. Now and then there was a cry of "Down with England!" The two -fugitives walked quickly, dodging among the crowd to avoid the wearers -of military or police uniforms, their own uniforms clearing a way for -them. As they passed a beershop, the outside tables of which were -thronged, the drinkers cheered them and broke lustily into the song of -Deutschland ber Alles. - -As soon as possible they turned into a side street, less populous; and -Kenneth, who knew the city well, directed his course towards the river, -to a little secluded nook, where he hoped it would be possible to hold a -quiet consultation. In the hurry of escape and the anxious transit of -the streets he had been unable to devote a moment's thought to their -future action. It was clear that their safety hung by a thread; their -only chance was to lay their plans calmly, taking due account of the -present circumstances and future contingencies. - -They reached their destination. There was nobody about. - -"We may have a few minutes to ourselves," said Kenneth. He took out his -watch. "It is nearly ten o'clock. My train has gone, so that's out of -the question." - -"You were leaving?" - -"Yes; my friends thought I had better go; that was before war with -England was certain. I suppose it is true?" - -"The time limit has not expired, certainly; but there can't be any doubt -about it. Germany can't afford to yield about Belgium, and we can't -afford to let her have a walk over. We may be quite sure that no -Englishman of fighting age will get away now without trouble. But your -friends will protect you; again I say, don't consider me." - -"That's all right. In any case I don't want to get Max Finkelstein into -a row." - -"Of Amory & Finkelstein?" - -"Yes; I'm Kenneth Amory. Do you speak German, by the way?" - -"Like a native. I was at school at Heidelberg." - -"That's a help. But for the life of me I can't think of a way of -getting out. When they discover our escape they'll watch the stations, -the piers, and the roads. Our uniforms won't be a bit of use." - -"Oh! for the wings of a dove!--or an eagle would be more to the -purpose." - -"By Jove! that gives me an idea. I've done some flying; I was going to -try for a place in our Flying Corps. If we could only bag an -aeroplane!" - -"A sheer impossibility, I should say." - -Kenneth stood silent in the attitude of one deep in thought. Every now -and again his right eyelid twitched--a little involuntary mannerism -which came into play at such times. His companion watched him -curiously. At last a look of resolution chased the doubt from his face. - -"It's the only way," he said; "we must have a try. There are plenty in -Cologne. They've been using a new aviation ground lately; the regular -aerodrome was too small for them. They don't fly at night. All the -machines will be in their hangars. Of course they'll be under guard; -but we might get hold of one by a trick. Give me another minute or two -to think it out: I know the place well." - -After a few minutes' silence there ensued an earnest conversation -between the two. The upshot of it was that they hurried by unfrequented -roads to the new aviation ground. It was a large enclosure defended by -a wooden fence about eight feet high, with barbed wire along the top. A -sentry stood at the gate near the sheds. The whole place was in -darkness, but a little beyond it, on the far side of the road, shone the -lights of a beershop. - -Leaving his companion in a dark corner, Kenneth hastened alone to the -beershop. At the tables outside sat several men, mechanics in -appearance. Kenneth slackened his pace to a policeman's walk, and -passed by, throwing a keen glance at the men, who gave him a perfunctory -salute. On reaching the remotest table he whispered a word or two to -the man drinking alone there. The man left his bock, and rising, joined -Kenneth, who had drawn back into the darkness. - -"You can be discreet?" he said. - -"What is it, Herr Policeman?" the man replied, doubtfully. - -"It is a question of a spy. One of the mechanics is suspected. Do you -know a short dark man who has recently come in?" - -The question was a bait cast at a venture; Kenneth was elated at the -man's reply. - -"Yes, to be sure; there is a new fellow, mechanic to Herr Lieutenant -Breul. None of us liked the look of him. If he is a spy! ... Not that -he is particularly short." - -"Well, not so very short." - -"Nor more than common dark." - -"Not a gipsy, perhaps; but still, rather dark and certainly not tall." - -"That's the fellow to a hair. He's a boor: why, he called me a stupid -pig only this morning. That's suspicious in itself; for I'm not a -stupid pig; I can prove it by my school certificates." - -"Of course; you wouldn't be employed here if you were a stupid pig. Well -now, Herr Lieutenant Breul ought to be warned." - -"That's true. The Herr Lieutenant is not here now; he has gone for the -night with the other officers. But it would be better to arrest the man -at once. A spy! We'll do for him, me and my mates." - -"Not so fast. We must make sure of the man. I ought to hold him under -observation. But it is important to keep the matter quiet. The -question is, can you manage to let me have a sight of the man without -attracting attention?" - -The man scratched his head. - -"You don't want to enter by the gate, Herr Policeman?" - -"No. It would never do to let it get about that a spy was found here." - -"Well, it's not an easy matter, but I'll go to the sheds and see what -can be done." - -The man went away, Kenneth hastened to the spot where he had left his -companion. - -"Things look possible," he said. "But your uniform is a difficulty. A -German officer mustn't enter the enclosure like a thief, and without the -password you can't go in by the gate." - -"I must simply bluff it out. I'm a friend of Lieutenant Breul. I've -played many parts in my time--not without success." - -"Come along then. There's no time to lose." - -They hurried back to the dark corner in which Kenneth had interviewed -the mechanic. In a few minutes he returned. - -"This is a friend of the Herr Lieutenant's," said Kenneth. "I met him -just beyond the gate, and he agrees with me that this disgraceful matter -must be kept secret. Have you had any success?" - -"The fellow is overhauling the Herr Lieutenant's engine in preparation -for a start to-morrow. He is the only man at work." - -"That's very suspicious," said Kenneth. "Don't you think, Herr Captain, -that we had better climb the fence and keep a watch on the man? Who -knows what mischief he may be doing?" - -"I'll go back to the gate and meet you inside," replied his companion. - -"I think you had better come with me, Herr Captain," said Kenneth, "Your -presence would guarantee me if any soldier within chanced to suppose -that I was intruding." - -"Very well," returned the other, with seeming reluctance. "But you also -must guarantee me against damage to my clothes." - -"That is easily done. This man will throw his coat over the wire." - -"Certainly, Herr Policeman," said the mechanic, whom the presence of an -officer had quite reassured. - -They moved off to a spot beyond the sheds. The mechanic laid his coat -upon the wire, and assisted the fugitives to mount. Then he hurried -back to the gate, entered the enclosure, and met them near the furthest -shed. The whirring of a propeller was audible. - -"That's the shed," he said, pointing to the half-open door through which -a bright light was streaming. "He's at work there, running the engine." - -"Very well," said Kenneth. "You had better get your coat and make -yourself scarce. You won't want to appear in this." - -"Not I," said the man. - -"The Herr Lieutenant will reward you," said Kenneth's companion. He -knew German officers too well to tip the man in the English way. - -The mechanic slipped away into the darkness. The Englishmen went to the -shed. They opened the door and entered boldly. A man was bending over -the engine, spanner in hand, adjusting a nut on the carburetter. He had -not noticed the opening of the door or the entrance of the strangers. -Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looking up, was amazed to -hear an officer say, through the noise of the propeller: - -"Villain, you are under arrest." - -Dumbfounded, he stared stupidly at the officer, and feebly protesting, -stood back from the machine. Meanwhile Kenneth had taken a tin of -petrol from a cupboard in the corner of the shed, and was filling up the -tank. When this was done, he ran his eye rapidly over the monoplane, -tested the stays, and finding all in good order, said in English: - -"We'll lock this fellow in the cupboard. Then you throw the door open, -come back quickly, and get into the seat beside me. The engine is -running well, and it will only take a few seconds to get off." - -At the first words of English the mechanic shouted with alarm; but his -cry was drowned by the whirring of the propeller, and before he could -repeat it he was locked into the cupboard. Then the Englishman carried -out Kenneth's instructions. As soon as he was in his place, Kenneth -threw the engine into gear, and the machine glided forward out of the -shed into the dimly lit open space beyond. In a few yards it began to -rise. There were shouts of surprise from the few men about the grounds -and the mechanics in the beershop outside, scarcely heard by the airmen. - -The monoplane soared up and up, unnoticed by the noisy multitudes in the -crowded streets below. It was soon out of sight. Suddenly a beam of -blinding light flashed upon it from some point high above the ground. - -"The searchlight on the cathedral steeple," shouted Kenneth to his -companion. "But there's no danger; they'll recognise it as a Taube." - -The searchlight followed its course for a few minutes; then was shut -off. - -"The second trick is to us!" cried the passenger. - -But Kenneth did not hear him. His whole attention was given to the -machine. - - - - -CHAPTER IV--IN NEUTRAL TERRITORY - - -The sky was clear; there was very little wind; and Kenneth realised that -the conditions could hardly have been more propitious. For some minutes -he was too closely occupied with the mechanism to consider direction. -The monoplane was strange to him. His experience of flying had been -almost wholly gained in the machines of his friend Remi Pariset, son of -the manager of the Antwerp branch of Amory & Finkelstein. Pariset was a -lieutenant in the Belgian flying corps, and Kenneth had frequently -accompanied him in flights, at first as passenger only, afterwards being -allowed to try his hand in the pilot's seat. It had long been his aim -to gain the pilot's certificate in England, and, as he had told Frieda -Finkelstein, he hoped on the outbreak of war to get a commission in the -Royal Flying Corps. - -Though he had never before managed a monoplane of the type of that which -he had appropriated, he had often watched the German airmen, and after a -little uncertainty in his manipulation of the controls, he "felt" the -machine, and recognised that it would give him no trouble. Then he had -leisure to determine his course. - -His first idea had been to make all speed to the Belgian coast, and take -ship for England. But recollection of the conversation overheard -between Hellwig and his visitor suggested that he might possibly do some -preliminary service to the Belgians. A bridge was to be blown up. There -could be no doubt that this operation was part of the German plan of -campaign, and if it could be frustrated, this would represent so much -gain to the defending force. The river spanned by the bridge had not -been named, but there was a clue in the fact that the bridge was near a -mill. His intention now, therefore, was to alight somewhere in Belgium -and communicate his discovery to the military authorities. - -In the hurry of departure he was quite oblivious of the direction of his -flight. Now that he had time to consider it, he saw by the compass that -he was flying towards the north-east. Bringing the monoplane round, he -set his course for the south-west, hoping to pick up in half an hour or -so the lights of Aix-la-Chapelle. He failed to locate the railway line -from Cologne to Aix, and the few scattered points of light in the black -expanse below gave him no landmarks. - -After a while it occurred to him to switch on the electric light that -illuminated the dial of a small clock. It was a quarter to eleven. He -must have been flying for nearly half an hour, but neither to right or -left nor straight ahead was there any sign of the expected lights of -Aix. The country over which he was passing seemed to be hilly; it was -possible that the lights of the city were hidden by the shoulder of a -hill. - -Presently his companion shouted that he heard the sound of big guns away -to the left. Kenneth listened, but could hear nothing through the -droning whirr of the propeller. - -Every now and then he glanced at the clock, the only indication of the -distance he had covered. When midnight was past, he felt sure that -unless he had completely miscalculated his direction he must by this -time have crossed the German frontier. He was thinking of landing and -trying to discover where he was, when he caught sight in the starlight -of a broad river flowing immediately beneath him from south-west to -north-east. This, he had no doubt, was the Meuse, but he knew nothing -of the course of the river, and could not determine whether he was in -Belgium or Holland. At any rate he was out of Germany. - -Dropping a few hundred feet, and seeing below him a broad expanse of -fields, apparently flat, he thought it safe to risk a descent. No -lights were visible. A rapid swoop brought the machine into a meadow of -long grass ripe for hay, and he came lightly to the ground. - -"I make you my compliments," said his companion, as they climbed out of -their seats. "It is my first aerial voyage, and I am pretty sure that -no one has ever tempted the empyrean under such exciting circumstances. -But why did you come down? I hoped we should find ourselves at Ostend." - -"I'll tell you my reason. I don't know where I am, but we had better -camp here till morning, and then explore. Keep a look-out while I -glance over the engine; we must be ready to get off again at a moment's -notice." - -He switched on the light and made a careful examination of the engine; -then, rubbing his dirty hands on the grass, he threw himself down beside -his companion. - -"We've had uncommon luck," he said. - -"You under-estimate the personal equation," returned the other. "I -consider myself supremely lucky in having met you. Your daring is as -great as your ingenuity, Amory. By the way, I have the advantage of -you. I have as many names as the chameleon has colours, but the names -given me in baptism were Lewis Granger. Now we're quits on that score." - -"Thanks. You are a spy, I suppose?" - -"Well, that rather opprobrious term would cover me, I presume. A -sensitive person might prefer to call himself a secret agent. What's in -a name?" - -"It's pretty dangerous work, anyhow, and I'm jolly glad you're out of -the Germans' clutches. You asked why I came down. It's because I'm a -sort of secret agent too." - -"You don't say so!" - -"Oh, it's quite involuntary. I happened to overhear a conversation a -few hours before I was nabbed. I'll tell you about it." - -"Wait. I have no credentials. Do you think it wise to confide in a -stranger?" - -"That's all right," said Kenneth, who had taken an instant liking to the -man. "We're in the same boat. What I overheard was a scheme for -blowing up a bridge somewhere in Belgium, and I thought that before -going on to England I might put the Belgians up to it." - -"That's worth a few hours' delay. What you say confirms my own -knowledge of the extraordinary minuteness of the German plans. -'Somewhere in Belgium,' you say. You don't know where?" - -"No. The name of the river was not mentioned either by Hellwig or----" - -"Hellwig! Does his Christian name happen to be Kurt?" - -"Yes. Do you know him?" - -"I have crossed swords with him--not literally, you understand, though -nothing would please me better than a bout with him with the buttons -off. I have one or two scores to settle with him. His Christian name -would be more truly descriptive with the loss of a T. But how in the -world did you come across him? He's not the kind of man I should expect -to meet in your company." - -"He's the cousin of my poor father's partner, Max Finkelstein. Max -gives him a salary; he doesn't earn a penny of it, but Max is a -kind-hearted beggar. He wouldn't do it if he knew that Hellwig was -a--secret agent." - -"Don't mind my feelings, my dear fellow," said Granger, with a laugh. -"We're a very mixed lot, I assure you. Do you mind repeating what you -overheard, as nearly as you can remember it?" - -When the story was told, Granger acknowledged that ignorance of the -position of the bridge was an obstacle to forewarning the Belgian -authorities. - -"Still, they ought to know every inch of the probable theatre of war," -he said, "and may spot the place at once." - -"We'll see in the morning," said Kenneth. "Meanwhile we had better take -watch and watch about during the rest of the night. I don't suppose any -one will come by while it's dark, but it's as well to be on the safe -side. I'll take first watch." - -"Very well. It will be light in less than five hours. I'll snooze for -a couple of hours; wake me then." - -The night was warm, and Kenneth, in his policeman's coat, suffered no -discomfort. His watch passed undisturbed, and he was very sleepy when -he roused Granger. - -About five o'clock he was wakened from a sound sleep by a nudge from his -companion. - -"Sorry to disturb you," said Granger, "but there's a group of peasants -approaching with scythes. Evidently they are going to mow the meadow." - -Kenneth started up. - -"Belgians?" he asked. - -"Or Dutch," replied Granger. "We shall soon know." - -The peasants, more than a dozen in number, came straight towards the -aeroplane. Recognising the German uniforms, as the two men rose from -the ground, they halted, consulted for a moment or two, then advanced, -holding their scythes threateningly. - -"I fancy they're Dutch," said Granger. "My good friends," he called in -Dutch, "will you tell us where we are?" - -On hearing their own tongue the men consulted again. Then one of them -left the party, and hurried back by the way he had come. The rest -advanced slowly, keeping close together, not replying to the question, -and wearing an air of suspicion and hostility. - -"They have sent a man back to his village to warn the authorities," said -Granger. "We must find out where we are." - -The peasants halted at a little distance, and stood in an attitude of -watchfulness. - -"We are not Germans, in spite of our dress," Granger continued. "As a -matter of fact, we are Englishmen who have lost our way." - -The stolid Dutchmen looked round upon one another with a knowing air as -much as to say "We have heard that story before." Granger tried again. - -"Come, come, it is the truth, I assure you. All we want is to know -where we are; then we will pursue our journey." - -There was again a consultation among the group. Then one of them said, -pugnaciously: - -"You are near Weert, as you know very well." - -"Weert is some few miles north-east of Maestricht," Granger remarked to -Kenneth. "We don't want to know any more. I think we had better be -off. They don't believe we are not Germans, and as neutrals they will -hold us up if we wait until the village authorities arrive. I hope they -won't show fight, for we are absolutely unarmed, and those scythes are -rather formidable implements." - -"We're in an awkward hole, certainly," said Kenneth. "By the look of -them they'll set on to us as soon as they see us making ready to go." - -"The police took my revolver when they searched me," said Granger; -"otherwise we might intimidate them." - -"I wonder--" began Kenneth, thrusting his hand into the inner pocket of -his coat. "By Jove! What luck! Here's the policeman's revolver. Keep -them back with that while I start the engine. I shall only be a minute -or two." - -Granger took the revolver unobtrusively. Kenneth went to the front of -the aeroplane and swung the propeller round, the peasants watching him -at first without understanding. When the engine began to fire, however, -they realised the meaning of the movements, and came on brandishing -their scythes. Granger, standing close by the seat, lifted the -revolver. - -"Now, my good men," he said amiably, "we are going to leave you, as you -appear not to relish our company. If any of you come within a dozen -yards of us I shall fire." - -The men came to a halt, scowling at the little weapon pointed at them by -a steady arm. Kenneth got into his seat. - -"I'm ready," he said. - -Granger slowly backed and handed him the revolver, with which Kenneth -covered the peasants as his companion clambered up beside him. Even -before Granger was seated the aeroplane began to move. The peasants -scattered out of its path, cursing the German pigs. It rose into the -air; Kenneth swung it round to the south-west, and in half a minute it -was sailing away out of danger. Glancing round, Granger smiled as he -caught sight of a half squadron of Dutch cavalry galloping into the -meadow behind them. - -[Illustration: "THE PEASANTS SCATTERED OUT OF ITS PATH"] - - - - -CHAPTER V--A CLOSE CALL - - -Remembering that they had crossed the Meuse the night before, Kenneth -steered to the left until he sighted the river, then deflected -southward, and followed its course, keeping on the side of the left -bank. - -There was no means of telling at what point he would cross the northern -frontier of Belgium. Ascending to a great height, in order to escape -shots from either Belgian or Dutch frontier guards, he soon discovered a -town of some size extended on both banks of the river. This could only -be Maestricht. Within twenty minutes of passing this he came in sight -of a much more considerable town through which the river flowed spanned -by several bridges. - -"Better land now," shouted Granger, "or they'll be taking shots at us -from the forts. This is Lige." - -Almost before he had finished speaking the monoplane began to rock like -a ship at sea, and Kenneth had to exert his utmost skill to preserve its -equilibrium. A shell had burst a few hundred yards below them. Some -seconds later they heard the dull thunder of the gun's discharge. -Clearly it was no longer safe to continue the southward course. Kenneth -swerved to the right, and making a steep vol plane, swooped into the -cornfield of a farmhouse close by the high road. - -The people of the farm, at the sight of the German uniforms, fled -precipitately for shelter. Already "the terror of the German name" had -become a by-word in the countryside. - -"We are in hot water, I'm afraid," said Granger. "Strip off your coat; -you're all right underneath." - -Kenneth had hardly taken off his coat and helmet when there was a sound -of galloping horses. A dozen Belgian mounted infantrymen dashed up the -road, leapt the low wall of the farm steading, and shouted to them to -surrender. Granger whipped out his pocket handkerchief and waved it in -the air. The Belgians dismounted, and part of them advanced, the -lieutenant at their head with revolver pointed, the men covering the -fugitives with their rifles. - -"You are our prisoners," said the officer in bad German. - -"Charmed, my dear sir," replied Granger in excellent French. "Contrary -to appearances, we are not Germans, but Englishmen." - -"Ah bah!" snorted the lieutenant. "You wear German uniforms." - -"L'habit ne fait pas le moine," said Granger with a smile. "The fact is -as I state it: we are Englishmen who have escaped from Cologne." - -"The aeroplane is German," the officer persisted. - -"We commandeered it, there being no English machine available. Unluckily -we have no papers on us to prove our nationality; they were taken from -us by the Germans who arrested us as spies." - -"Bah!" said the lieutenant again. That two Englishmen arrested as spies -should have been able to escape on a German monoplane laid too great a -strain upon his imagination. "You are my prisoners. Hand over your -arms." - -Granger at once gave up the revolver, and Kenneth allowed himself to be -searched. The officer rummaged the aeroplane for plans and other -incriminating documents, then ordered two of his men to mount guard over -it, and marched the prisoners through the farmyard to the road, under -the gratified glances of the farm people at their windows. Kenneth -carried his policeman's uniform. - -After walking about a mile, they came to a regiment encamped in a field -beside the road. The lieutenant led his prisoners to the commanding -officer, and explained the circumstances of their capture. - -"You say you are English?" he said, scanning the two men. - -"I assure you that is the truth," replied Granger. "We were both -arrested as spies in Cologne, but by an ingenious stratagem of my friend -here we obtained possession of a German aeroplane, and are delighted to -find ourselves in Belgian territory, among a friendly people." - -"You speak very good French." - -"Which is not to our discredit, I hope," said Granger with a smile. - -The Colonel was plainly even more incredulous than his subordinate. A -man who spoke such good French must be a German spy! He took up the -receiver of a field telephone. Ascertaining that an aide de camp was at -the other end of the wire he said: - -"Two men, one in police, the other in military uniform, German, have -landed from a Taube monoplane west of Liers. They say they are English, -but they are clearly German spies. I await orders." - -The prisoners, who had heard all, watched his face grimly set as he held -the receiver to his ear. - -"It's extraordinary, the persistence of a fixed idea," said Granger in a -low tone to Kenneth. "If he heard us speaking English I suppose he -would take it as a clinching proof that we are Germans! The uniforms, -our salvation in Cologne, are here our damnation." - -"They'll send us to the General, won't they? He won't be such an ass." - -"We shall see." - -A few minutes passed. Then the look of blank expectancy on the -Colonel's face gave way to a look of satisfaction. He laid down the -receiver. - -"Shoot them!" he said laconically, turning to the lieutenant. - -Granger smiled at Kenneth, whose cheeks had gone red with indignation -rather than pale from fear. - -"What rot!" said the boy. - -"I said I should die in my boots," remarked Granger. "My fate has been -hanging over me these ten years. But there's a chance for you. Why not -tell them about the bridge?" - -"They'd only think I was funking, and wouldn't believe me. I won't do -it." - -They were led away towards a clump of trees on the outskirts of the -camp. The lieutenant was selecting his firing party. A crowd of -troopers, some in uniform, others in their shirt sleeves, came flocking -around. One or two officers moved more leisurely towards the scene. -Suddenly one of these started, and hurried forward with an exclamation -of surprise. - -"Mon Dieu, it's you, Ken!" he cried, seizing Kenneth's hand. - -"Hullo, Remi," said Kenneth, his face lighting up. "Just tell your -colonel I'm not a German, will you?" - -"Of course I will. And your friend?" - -"As English as I am. This is my pal, Remi Pariset," he said to Granger. - -"I am delighted to meet you," said Granger, bowing, "even though our -acquaintance should prove of the shortest." - -Pariset, asking his fellow lieutenant to delay, ran to the Colonel, and -returned immediately with him. - -"I beg a thousand pardons, gentlemen," said the Colonel. "I am -desolated at the injustice I have unwittingly done you. Pray accept my -apologies." - -"Not at all, Colonel," said Granger. "Appearances were against us. You -were quite justified in your suspicions; it was our misfortune that we -couldn't change our dress on the way.... I've had many a close shave," -he added in an undertone to Kenneth, "but was never quite so near my -quietus." - -"I was feeling rather rummy," Kenneth confessed: "a queer feeling, not -exactly fear; a sort of emptiness." - -When the troopers learnt the truth, they broke into cries of "Vivent les -Anglais! Vive l'Angleterre!" and the prisoners found themselves the -idols of the camp. They were invited to join the officers at lunch, and -ate with good appetites, having had no food but rye bread and beer since -the previous midday. The officers drank their health with hilarity when -Granger had related the trick by means of which they had escaped from -Cologne, and Kenneth was toasted with embarrassing fervour. - -"The bridge! That will be a clincher," whispered Granger in his ear. - -Kenneth's French was not so good as his German, but he managed, even -though haltingly, to convey to his interested auditors the gist of the -scheme he had overheard. The officers were much concerned. None of -them was able to identify the place from the bare description which was -all that Kenneth could give them. The bridge was clearly not in the -line of the Germans' probable advance; its destruction could only be -meant to assist them. But the clues, slight though they were, must be -followed up, and the Colonel declared that he would communicate with -headquarters about the matter. - -After lunch he took Kenneth aside. - -"I gather that you have not known your companion long?" he said. - -"That is true," replied Kenneth. "I met him for the first time -yesterday." - -"You will pardon me, I am sure. Lieutenant Pariset's voucher for you is -sufficient; but in such times as these I should not be doing my duty if -I allowed Mr. Granger to be at large without enquiry. Will you explain -that to him, and ask him to give me a reference to a British authority?" - -"Certainly. I am sure you will find things all right." - -"The dear man!" laughed Granger when Kenneth told him this. "He needn't -have been so careful of my feelings as to ask you to break it to me. -I've no doubt I can satisfy him." - -He mentioned the name of an official high in the British Foreign Office. - -"A telegram to that address will bring me a character," he said. -"Meanwhile I am out of work, and a sort of prisoner on parole. I am -sorry, because I fear it means that we shall be separated for a time. -You, I suppose, will want to be up and doing." - -"Yes. I've talked things over with Pariset, and he wants me to go with -him in his aeroplane in search of that bridge. But we'll meet again -before long. I'm jolly glad we came across each other." - -They shook hands cordially and parted. - -Meanwhile Lieutenant Pariset had been in consultation with the commander -of the Belgian Flying Corps. It had been decided that Pariset, -accompanied by Kenneth, should make a reconnaissance in his aeroplane -along the railway lines with a view to discover the bridge that was -threatened. The German monoplane, though faster than his own, was -discarded: it would certainly have been fired upon as it crossed the -Belgian lines. There was no clue as to the direction in which the -bridge lay, whether north, east, south or west of Lige. But it seemed -certain that the Germans would not wish to blow up any bridges on the -east. They would rather preserve them, in order to facilitate their -advance. It was more probable that the bridge in question was on a -section of the railway by which reinforcements, either French or -Belgian, might be despatched to Lige. It was therefore decided to -scout to the west and south. - -Early in the afternoon Pariset and Kenneth started, working towards -Brussels by way of Tirlemont and Louvain. Kenneth had been provided -with field-glasses, through which he closely scanned every bridge and -culvert, while Pariset piloted the machine. Flying low, they were able -to examine the line thoroughly. All that Kenneth had to guide him was -the knowledge that the bridge was near a mill. There was a tunnel -between them. It was therefore pretty clear that the bridge and the -mill could not be far apart. - -They flew over the main line as far as Brussels without discovering any -bridge that fulfilled the conditions. Then they retraced their course -and scouted along the branch lines running south from Louvain, Tirlemont -and Landen respectively. Within a few hours they had examined the whole -triangular district that had Brussels, Lige, and Namur at its angles. -At Namur they descended for a short rest, then set off again, to try -their luck on the lines running from the French frontier. - -Both felt somewhat discouraged. To trace the many hundreds of miles of -railway that crossed the country between the Meuse and the Somme -promised to be work for a week. Indeed, it was getting dark by the time -they had run through the coal-mining and manufacturing district between -Mons and Valenciennes. Alighting at the latter place, they heard that -great numbers of German troops had already crossed the Belgian frontier, -and the forts of Lige were being attacked. There was much excitement -in the town, and Pariset had some difficulty in getting petrol to -replenish his tanks. - -Next morning they set off early along the line running eastward through -Maubeuge to Charleroi. It seemed unlikely that they would find the spot -they sought in the midst of a manufacturing district, but if they were -to succeed, nothing must be left untried. - -Towards ten o'clock they were crossing a stream to the south-east of -Charleroi when Kenneth suddenly gave a shout. He had noticed on the -stream a water-mill, between which and a larger river, apparently the -Sambre, the railway crossed the stream on a brick bridge of four arches. -The mill was at least two hundred yards from the bridge, a distance that -seemed too great to have been tunnelled; but it was the first spot he -had seen that in any way conformed to the particulars he had overheard, -and it appeared worth while to examine the place more closely. - -The importance of the bridge was obvious. Its destruction would -seriously delay the transport of any French troops that might be sent -northwards to support Namur or Lige, and correspondingly assist the -Germans in an attempt to take either of those towns by a coup de main. - -At Kenneth's shout Pariset turned his head, understood that some -discovery had been made, and nodded. He did not at once prepare to -alight. If Germans were in possession of the mill they would notice the -sudden cessation of the noise of the propeller, which they must have -heard, and might take warning from the descent of the aeroplane in their -neighbourhood. Luckily he had been flying low, so that the course of -the machine could not be followed for any considerable distance. Having -run out of sight beyond a wood, he selected an open field for his -descent, and alighted a few hundred yards from a farmhouse. - -"Have you found it?" asked Pariset eagerly. - -"I saw a mill and a railway bridge," replied Kenneth; "but we were going -too fast for me to be sure it's the right place." - -"Well, we shall have to find that out. We'll get the farmer to help us -run the machine into his yard, and then reconnoitre." - -The farmer and a group of his men were already hurrying towards them. In -a few words Pariset enlisted their help. The aeroplane was run into the -yard, and placed behind a row of ricks that concealed it from the -outside. - -"We should like some bread and cheese and beer," Pariset said to the -farmer. "May we come in?" - -"Surely, monsieur," was the reply. "Come in and welcome. Ah! these are -terrible times. I don't know how long I shall have a roof over my head. -But they say the English are coming to help us. Is that true?" - -"Quite true. My friend here is an Englishman." - -"Thank God! Oh! les braves Anglais! All will be well now. Come in, -messieurs; you shall have the best I can give you." - - - - -CHAPTER VI--THE OLD MILL - - -Sitting in the farm-kitchen, and eating the farmer's homely fare, -Pariset talked a little about the war, and led the way discreetly to the -questions he was eager to ask. - -"The mill, monsieur? 'Tis twenty years since it was used. I used to -send my corn to it, but nowadays I send it to Charleroi, where a -steam-mill grinds it more cheaply. The old miller is a good friend of -mine, but he retired twenty years ago; he's a warm man, to be sure. -That's his house yonder:" he pointed to a cottage half a mile away -across the fields. "We often have a gossip over a mug of beer." - -"It's just as well he made his money before steam-mills became so -common," said Pariset. "I suppose it wasn't worth any one's while to -keep the water-mill going?" - -"No; there's no money in milling of the old sort now. But it goes to my -heart to see the old mill idle. Such a loss, too. But the miller can -stand it; he's a warm man, as I told you. And after all, he has made a -little out of it lately. But it's a come-down, that's what I say." - -"It is idle, you said." - -"Yes, to be sure, and always will be. But the miller has let it for two -years past. He makes a little out of it, and so do I, not so much as I -should like, for the gentleman is only there now and then. He's a Swiss -gentleman that keeps a hotel in Namur. A great fisherman, he is; he'll -fish for hours in the millpond, and I wonder he has the patience for it, -for there's not much to be caught there since the grinding stopped. -Still, I don't complain; he buys my eggs and butter when he comes there, -two or three times a year perhaps. He's there now, with a few friends -of his." - -"I should like to have a chat with your friend the miller," said -Pariset. - -"He'd like it too, monsieur. He doesn't have much company, and he'd -like to hear about things from an officer; you can't believe what you -read in the papers. I'll take you across the fields." - -In a few minutes they were seated in a cosy little parlour, opposite a -sturdy countryman, hale and hearty in spite of his seventy odd years. He -asked shrewd questions about the war, foresaw great trouble for his -country, but, like the farmer, was cheered by the news that "les braves -Anglais" were coming once more to her rescue. When Pariset led up to -the subject of his mill he became animated. - -"Ah! the old mill is a rare old place," he said with a chuckle. "The -things I could tell you! There was more than milling in the old days. -Times are changed. We're all for law now. But in my grandfather's -time--why, monsieur, he's dead and gone this forty years, so it will do -him no harm if I tell you he was a smuggler. Many and many a barrel of -good brandy used to get across the border without paying duty. Why, -underneath the old mill there are cellars and passages where he used to -store contraband worth thousands of francs. I used to steal down there -when I was a boy, and ma foi! it made my skin creep, though there was -nothing to be afraid of. But 'tis fifty years since my old grandfather -closed them down, and they've never been opened up since." - -"Your present tenant is a hotel-keeper, I hear. He would be interested -to know about the smuggling." - -"That he was, to be sure. He laughed when I told him about it. 'We -can't get rich that way nowadays,' said he. He seems to have plenty of -money, though; pays me a good rent. 'Tis strange what whims gentlemen -have. A month's fishing in the pond wouldn't feed him for a week. He -calls it sport; well, in my young days I liked something more lively. -But the fishing is just an excuse; he comes there now and then for a -change and quiet, though he's not a solitary, like some fishermen. He -has a party of friends sometimes; all Swiss like himself." - -"French Swiss?" asked Pariset. - -"No, German Swiss. For my part, I've no great liking for German Swiss. -They're only one remove from Germans. But his money is good, and it's -something to make a little money out of the old mill after all these -years." - -The old man spoke quite frankly, and evidently had no suspicions about -his tenant. Pariset thought it safe to disillusion him. - -"Would you be surprised to learn that your fisherman is actually a -German?" he said. - -"But that is impossible," said the miller. "He would have gone back to -Germany, because of the war." - -"Unless he is a spy! We have reason to believe that he is, and that he -is using your mill for the benefit of the enemy. That is what has -brought us here." - -"Sacre nom de nom!" the old man ejaculated, and the farmer thumped the -table and swore. "Is that the truth, monsieur?" - -"We suspect him of intending to blow up the railway bridge at a given -signal." - -"Ah! the villain! And he will use the underground passages. That is -why he pays me a high rent, parbleu! But he has come to the end of his -tether. You are here to arrest him?" - -"No. We have no men with us. We came to learn whether our suspicions -were justified. We are not sure of our man yet." - -"Bah!" shouted the old man, red with fury. "It is certain. He has -fooled me. I will raise the countryside. We will fall on these -Germans. Before night they shall lie in the dungeons of Charleroi." - -"Do you think that is the way to go to work?" Pariset asked tactfully. -"They would hardly allow themselves to be caught napping; at the first -alarm they would no doubt blow up the bridge, and I take it that to -prevent that is even more important than to seize the men -themselves--though our aim should be to do both." - -"It is true, monsieur. I am an old man. This is the day of young men. -Oh that I were forty years younger and able to serve my country! But -you will not let them go? You will bring some of our brave soldiers -here and capture the villains?" - -"There may not be time for that. We must meet craft with craft. If we -could only reconnoitre the mill we might be able to hit upon a plan. My -uniform would give me away, if I approached the place as I am; you could -no doubt lend me some clothes to disguise myself?" - -"Surely, monsieur; but----" - -He broke off, eyeing Pariset's face, with its small military moustache, -doubtfully. - -At this moment they heard the rumble of a heavy vehicle on the road. - -"It is the beer, compre," said the farmer, glancing out of the window. - -"Ah! the beer!" repeated the miller. "I might have known they were -Germans! Every week they have a barrel delivered from Charleroi, and it -is not the local brew, but the Lion brew from Munich." - -He had moved to the window, followed by his visitors. A heavy dray -laden with beer was lumbering down the road. As it came opposite to the -house the drayman hailed the miller, pulling up his horses. - -"The Germans are shelling Lige," he said. "Maybe 'tis the last time I -shall come this way. Your good tenants had better clear out." - -"Good tenants!" cried the old man explosively. - -"Quiet!" said Pariset, touching him on the sleeve. "Don't tell him they -are Germans." - -"Ah! You are right, monsieur. But my blood boils. You are going to -the mill?" he asked the drayman. - -"Yes. 'Tis only a small barrel to-day--not the big one they usually -have. There aren't so many of them, seemingly. I was just loading up -the usual nine gallons when the order came from the office to take a -four-and-a-half instead." - -Pariset glanced quickly at Kenneth. - -"They're going to clear out soon," he said in a low tone. "It looks as -though we're only just in time." - -They drew aside from the others while the miller gossiped with the -drayman. - -"I say, you talked of disguising yourself," said Kenneth. "Why -shouldn't you take the drayman's place and deliver the beer? You could -then take stock of the place and the people." - -"A capital notion! I must take the drayman into my confidence. Wait a -minute," he called out of the window, as the man was about to drive on. -In a few words he explained the plan to the miller. - -"Parbleu, monsieur, but look at his size!" said the old man. - -"Yes, that's a difficulty, I admit," said Pariset ruefully. "He would -make three of me. The Germans aren't fools, and if they saw me with his -smock flapping about me they would smell a rat." - -"And your face and hands, monsieur--no, decidedly you could not pass for -a drayman." - -Pariset bit his nails in perplexity. Kenneth stared musingly at the -dray. - -"I've an idea!" he said. "Pretend that the drayman has been called up. -The brewer is short-handed, and has to send clerks out of the office to -deliver the beer: two clerks equal one drayman. Besides, if I go with -you, I may catch sight of that fellow I saw with Hellwig, and make sure -he's our man." - -"The very thing! Your clothes are all right; I must borrow a suit from -the miller. But wait: won't Hellwig's man recognise you?" - -"I'll guard against that--smear my face with rust off the cask-hoops, -and borrow a slouch hat which I'll keep well down over my eyes. It's -worth trying." - -Delighted with the plan, the miller furnished them with the necessary -garments. In a few minutes Pariset, got up passably as a clerk, went -out to the drayman, who was becoming impatient. The man swore when he -learnt that his customers were suspected to be spies, and readily agreed -to remain in the miller's house and await the issue of the stratagem. -Meanwhile Kenneth had rubbed his cheeks and hands with rust, and in the -low flopping hat lent him by the miller would hardly have been -recognised by his friends, much less, he hoped, by a man who had seen -him for only a few minutes. - -"I had better drive," said Kenneth; "then I can keep in the background -while you are delivering the cask, if you can tackle it alone." - -"That will be easy enough. I see there's a ladder or inclined plane or -whatever they call it on the dray. I've only to roll the cask down and -trundle it to the door. I don't suppose they'll let me carry it -inside." - -Kenneth took the reins, and drove off, Pariset, who also had smeared -face and hands, dangling his legs over the tail of the dray. They -jogged down the road, passed under the railway bridge, and came in due -course to the mill. - -The premises were surrounded by an old and dilapidated wall, but they -noticed that along its top ran a row of formidable spikes, apparently of -recent date. The front door of the mill-house faced the road. It was -stoutly built of oak studded with nails, and was flanked on both sides -by barred windows. The smuggling miller who built the place had -evidently made himself secure against surprise. - -When the dray drew up before the door, Pariset sprang down and jerked -the iron bell-pull. From the driver's seat Kenneth saw a face appear -for an instant at one of the windows. After a short interval the bolts -were withdrawn, the door opened, and a man stood on the threshold. -Kenneth tingled; he had recognised him instantly as the man who had been -in conversation with Hellwig. He turned his head so as not to show his -full face, pulled his hat lower over his eyes, and hoped that the -recognition had not been mutual. And he listened anxiously, wondering -how Pariset would acquit himself in his novel part, and wishing for the -moment that Granger was in his place. - -Pariset, however, was cool and collected. He took the bull by the -horns. - -"I am sorry I am late, monsieur," he said, "but the fact is that all our -carters are called up for transport purposes. Being anxious not to -disappoint a valued customer, my master has sent us out of the office. -We shan't be able to come again, for we're called up ourselves--all -through those pigs of Germans, who are said to be across the frontier. -We shan't be able to deliver any more beer, I'm afraid. It's a wonder -we've any horses left." - -The German merely grunted in answer to this. - -"We're in for a very bad time," Pariset went on, as he hoisted the end -of the cask on to the doorstep. "Hadn't you better go back to -Switzerland, monsieur? Pardon the suggestion, but we don't know what -may happen. If these German pigs come south----" - -"Just roll it into the lobby," interrupted the German. "Here's the -money. By the way, have you seen an aeroplane in the neighbourhood?" - -"Yes, we saw one an hour or so ago. It was flying north-east. I -shouldn't be surprised if it was German. The pigs are capable of -anything. But they'll get a reception that will surprise them. Our -little army--but there! You know what your own army would do, and your -turn may come in Switzerland sooner than you think. Thank you: I am -sorry we shan't be able to serve you again, by the look of things." - -He laid the cask in the lobby, pocketed the money, and returned to the -dray. - -Meanwhile Kenneth had seized the opportunity to take a careful look -around. It was clear that it would not be easy to take the place by a -rush without giving the inmates sufficient time to fire the mine beneath -the bridge. The fact that the German had come to the door himself, -instead of the deaf old countryman whom he was said to employ as a -man-of-all-work, showed that he was on the alert. Nothing would be -easier than to overpower the man himself; but if any noise were made in -so doing his companions would instantly come to his assistance, and at -the first sign that the plot had been discovered the bridge would be -blown up. It seemed that the ruse would prove fruitless after all. - -In turning the horses for the journey back, Kenneth contrived to bring -the dray close against the wall, so that from his high seat he was able -to look over. Through the open window of a room giving on the yard he -saw a party of four men playing cards at a table. Close to the right -hand of each stood a tall beer glass. - -"That explains why they are such good customers of the brewery," he -thought. - -Pariset, sitting at the back of the dray with his face to the door, -began to hum a tune, and Kenneth caught the words "En avant!" He -whipped up the horses, big Flemish beasts that were evidently -unaccustomed to go above a walking pace, and the heavy vehicle lumbered -away. - -"Why did you want me to hurry?" asked Kenneth, when they were some -distance along the road. - -"Because that fellow was standing at the door watching us," Pariset -replied. "I wonder if he is suspicious?" - -"I shouldn't think so. You played your part quite naturally. But we -are right, Remi: that's the fellow I saw with Hellwig." - -"Ah!" was all that Pariset said then. - - - - -CHAPTER VII--A HORNET'S NEST - - -"I am not at all happy about this," said Pariset, after a brief silence. - -"We haven't learnt very much, certainly," said Kenneth. - -"I don't mean that. We have learnt enough if that is your man. But I -see no means of preventing the destruction of the bridge." - -"We might fly to Charleroi and send a squadron of lancers back. There -are only five men to deal with, apparently." - -"That's not the difficulty. The point is that at the first sign of -molestation they would fire the mine. You may depend upon it that they -are picked men, with resolution enough to do their job, even at the cost -of their lives. It would not be much use to capture them after the -mischief was already done." - -"The mine is to be fired on receipt of a marconigram." - -"You didn't tell me that. It may happen at any minute, then. They must -have wireless rigged up in the mill-house. We might have cut a wire, -but with wireless we are helpless." - -"Unless we could get into the mill," Kenneth suggested. - -"Ah, if we could! But there's no chance of it. The fellow is on the -qui vive: I don't like the way he looked after us." - -"Wouldn't the old miller, as the landlord, have a right to go in?" - -"I daresay, but the old man couldn't do anything. Even if he knew -anything about wireless or mines, he would only get flustered; he -certainly would quite fail to do any damage." - -"Perhaps he could tell us of another way into the mill, so that we could -do it ourselves." - -"That could only be in the darkness, and they may fire the mine before -night. I see nothing for it, after all, but to bring some cavalry from -Charleroi and take care the men don't escape. We can do that, if we -can't save the bridge." - -"Why not wait a little? If the order to fire the mine comes suddenly, -any time before night, we can't prevent it. But if it doesn't come -before night, we still have a chance. In any case we ought to get some -lancers over, to be in the neighbourhood at nightfall. It won't take -long for one of us to get into Charleroi and back." - -"That would be risky after that fellow's question about the aeroplane. -The best course will be to send in a message by the drayman. I'll write -a note as soon as we get back." - -The drayman readily agreed to carry Pariset's note to the commandant of -the Charleroi garrison. When he had departed, the miller was taken into -consultation. - -"Is there any other entrance to the millhouse besides the front door?" -asked Pariset. - -"There is a door to the stables, but that has long been nailed up," the -old man replied. - -"Describe the interior as well as you can." - -"Well, monsieur, I lived there fifty years, so I ought to know something -about it. You go in by the door; well, first there's the lobby; beyond -that, straight ahead, is the kitchen, and beyond that again, looking on -the stream, is the storeroom with the mill above. To the left of that -is the hoist; and this side of it, overlooking the yard, is the big -room, dining-room and parlour in one. There you have the ground-floor; -the bedrooms are upstairs." - -"And the wall goes all round?" - -"Yes, right down to the stream on each side, and along the bank, except -where the wheel juts out into the waterway. The old wheel is dropping -to pieces; it hasn't been used these twenty years." - -"Couldn't we get in that way?" - -"Ma foi! That's an idea, now. Many's the time I got in that way as a -boy, when the wheel was stopped--just a boy's devilry, you understand. -You could get in that way yet, if the woodwork isn't too rotten to bear -your weight. You would have to wade the stream, but that isn't deep or -swift except in winter. Old as I be I'll show you the way myself." - -"We could get in without being heard?" - -"To be sure, if the woodwork doesn't crack and give way. The kitchen is -the nearest room; old Jules, the handy man, is as deaf as a post, and -his wife, who does the cooking, isn't much better." - -"And where is the entrance to the underground passages?" - -"To the left of the kitchen, in the floor of the hoist." - -As the miller answered his questions, Pariset sketched a rough plan of -the building. - -"Is that something like it?" he asked, handing the paper over. - -The old man put on his spectacles deliberately, and examined the sketch. - -"Near enough," he said. "Ma foi! But I couldn't have done that -myself." - -"Now the question is, when shall we try to get in?" asked Pariset. "The -best time would be when the men are having a meal. The Germans take -their meals seriously; if they are ever to be caught off their guard it -is when they are feeding." - -"That's true," said the miller. "They have their supper somewhere about -seven o'clock. I know that because one evening I met old Jules coming -back from the village all puffing and blowing. I asked him why he was -in such a hurry for an old man; had to ask three times before he heard -me; and he told me he'd forgotten the vinegar, and the gentlemen were -very angry." - -"Well, it's dusk at seven; the lancers will be here by half-past. We'll -make our attempt then." - -"Better go a little earlier, while it's light enough to see our way," -suggested the miller. "I'm not so young as I was, and I doubt whether I -could find my way in the dark." - -"Very well. It's now nearly five; we have nearly two hours to wait. -You'll give us a meal, miller?" - -"To be sure; the best I have. I'd feed a regiment to capture a German -spy." - -Just before seven Pariset and Kenneth left the house with the miller. -Pariset had given the farmer a note addressed to the officer of the -expected lancers, asking him to leave the horses at the farm, and post -his men behind the hedge lining the road in the neighbourhood of the -mill, ready to break in if they were called upon, or to intercept the -Germans if they tried to escape. - -The miller led the way across the fields, by a route which did not -expose them to view from the mill-house until they arrived within a few -yards of the bank of the stream opposite the wheel. The last part of -the journey lay through a cornfield, the wheat growing so high that by -stooping they completely hid themselves. - -All was silent in the mill-house. Dusk was just falling. A lamp had -already been lit in the kitchen, sending a ray of light across the yard -to the left. The rear of the building, facing the stream, was dark. - -Following the miller, the two young fellows stepped into the stream, and -waded across knee deep till they stood below the wheel. It was an -undershot wheel. The chains confining it were deeply rusted. Some of -the floats had fallen away; others were broken; all were more or less -decayed. - -"I've done my part," the miller whispered. "You must squeeze through -into the wheel and slide along the axle. Where it is let into the -brickwork you'll find a hole big enough to crawl through. Climb up, and -you'll find yourselves in a little room that used to be the tool-shop. -Take care you don't stumble over the tools on the floor. At the further -side there's a door into the storeroom. I can do no more. Que le bon -Dieu vous protge!" - -He shook hands with them in turn, recrossed the stream, and disappeared -among the wheat stalks. - -With some difficulty Pariset squeezed his body between two of the -floats, hoisted himself up, and stood in the interior of the wheel. The -rotten woodwork creaked, and the wheel itself groaned slightly as it -moved an inch or two; but the movement was checked by the rusty chains. -Kenneth followed more easily. They swung themselves on to the axle, -jerked their way along it, came to the hole of which the miller had -spoken, and clambering up through it, stood on the floor of the -toolroom. Hands and clothes were coated with red rust. - -The room was lit by a small window overlooking the stream. To their -surprise, it was not empty except for a few rusty implements, as they -had expected from the miller's description. A new deal bench stood -against the wall, flanked by a turning lathe, and an elaborate -engineering equipment. - -"Electrical!" Pariset whispered. - -Treading very carefully, they gently opened the door, took a look round, -and passed into the capacious storeroom. Here they found the plant of a -wireless telegraphy installation. The antennae passed through holes in -the ceiling, emerging, as they guessed, under cover of the parapet, on -the flat roof of the mill. - -In the fast-fading light they were just able to see a doorway on the -right, leading, as they knew from the miller's description, to the hoist -and shoot. In front of them was another door, now open, giving access -to a passage between the kitchen and the dining-room. Pariset slipped -off his wet boots. - -"Wait here," he whispered. - -Stealing along the passage, he came to a door on the right. He put his -ear against it, and heard the clink of knives and forks mingled with -guttural conversation. Creeping back again, he whispered: - -"They are feeding. Come along!" - -They passed from the storeroom into the chamber which had formerly -contained the hoist. Here they noticed a tall heap of earth. - -"They dug that out when continuing the underground passage to the -bridge," said Pariset. - -"Here's the trap-door," returned Kenneth. "Look! There's a wire -running through it, connecting with the room behind." - -"It's all very thorough, confound them!" said Pariset. "I hope the -trap-door won't creak." - -They lifted it gently, and found that it moved on a central axis, well -oiled. Peering into the dark depths, Kenneth discovered a wooden -ladder. They crept down this, into a large underground chamber flagged -with stone, and ventilated by narrow gratings in the brick walls, above -the level of the stream. - -"We had better not both go on," said Pariset. "I'll go up and keep -watch. You proceed, and cut the wires at the further end of the -passage." - -"Why not here?" said Kenneth. "It would save time." - -"But if the word should come to fire the mine, and they find the -apparatus doesn't work, they'd soon discover the cut here and repair it. -Much better do the damage at the other end." - -"Very well. You'll use your revolver if they come before I get back?" - -"Yes. I'll take my chance. They probably won't guess that there's any -one below, if I shut down the trap-door. You know what to do: cut the -wire, or disconnect the terminals." - -With the trap-door closed, it was pitch dark in the chamber. Kenneth -struck a match, and making his way carefully over the flagstones found -himself in a narrow passage, which led into another large chamber like -the first. This again was connected with a third by a short passage. -The floor of the third was heaped with newly excavated earth, and the -sole outlet from it was a low tunnel, which a man could enter only by -bending low. - -Kenneth crept into it, breathing with difficulty in the stuffy -atmosphere impregnated with the smell of earth. It seemed endless, and -must have cost prodigious labour. On and on he went, his back and legs -aching, his breathing more and more oppressed. The thought came to him, -what if the tunnel were obstructed at the further end? When the wire -had once been laid, the Germans would have no interest in keeping the -passage clear. What if the roof fell upon him? What if--direst -possibility of all!--the mine were fired while he was still in the -tunnel? At this thought he felt a momentary "sinking," and dropped his -match-box. Taking a grip upon himself he waited a few moments until his -nerves were steadied, groped for the match-box, struck another match, -and went on. - -A few yards more brought him to an enlargement of the tunnel, where he -could stand upright. And here he found that the wire, laid along the -floor, ended in a metal case, which he guessed to contain a detonating -apparatus, like the floating mines employed at sea. It was the work of -a moment to sever the wire. Then, turning his back on this terrible -agent of destruction, Kenneth hurried along as fast as possible towards -the open end of the tunnel. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII--A FIGHT IN THE MILL - - -Kenneth returned more quickly than he had gone. He was consumed with a -feverish impatience to assure himself of Pariset's safety. Pariset had -been very confident; but it was at least within the bounds of -possibility that, if discovered by the Germans, he might be overpowered -before he had time to fire a warning shot. - -When he reached the trap-door he tapped lightly on it. It was raised at -once. - -"Good!" whispered Pariset. "Is it done?" - -"Yes, the wire is cut." - -"Capital! You have only been twenty minutes." - -"Has anything happened?" - -"A minute or two ago there was a ring at the bell, and I heard someone -go to the door. I was afraid that some friend of these fellows had -discovered the lancers and come to give warning; but it can't be that, -because all is quiet." - -"Still, he may be a friend, and that will mean that we have six men to -deal with instead of five." - -"It doesn't matter, now the wire is cut. We had better creep out again, -go round by the field, cross the bridge, and join the lancers in an -attack on the house." - -"Suppose the lancers haven't come!" - -"We have to reckon with that possibility, of course; but it's not -probable. I'll just reconnoitre again; then we'll get back. If the -lancers have not arrived, we must get the assistance of some stout -fellows from the farm. I'm determined that these Germans shall not -escape." - -"Let me go," said Kenneth. "You don't know German; I do; and I might -overhear something worth making a note of." - -"That's a good notion. We may get on the track of other operations of -theirs. Take off your boots; I'll tie them to mine." - -A minute later Kenneth tiptoed in his stocking feet along the dark -passage. Through the closed door of the kitchen on the left came the -sounds of some one moving about. On the other side he heard the voices -of the men in the dining-room, the door of which was ajar. Grasping his -revolver, he bent his ear towards the opening. At the first words he -caught he started. The voice was only too familiar to him. It was the -voice of Kurt Hellwig. - -Was he there before, Kenneth wondered, or was he the newcomer whose ring -Pariset had heard? In a few seconds the point was cleared up. - -"Yes," Hellwig was saying, "I had intended to give you the word by -wireless myself. But the chief wanted me to come through and see that -all was ready. The wire is fixed?" - -"I guarantee that," was his friend's reply. "You don't want to go along -the tunnel yourself?" - -"No, I'll take your word for it. I'm very tired; thought I should never -get through. Our friend Spiegel was caught in Lige before my eyes, and -taken away to be shot. The soldiers could hardly save him from -lynching, the mob was so furious." - -"The Belgians are going to be troublesome, then?" said another voice. - -"It appears so. We opened the attack on the forts yesterday, and the -fools had the audacity to reply. They did some damage, too, worse luck. -Von Emmich is attacking again to-day in full force, and with his numbers -he'll sweep the idiots away. There'll not be a man left. The orders -are to spare nothing and nobody." - -"When are we likely to get the word?" asked his friend. - -"Probably not at all. If our men are already in Lige, as I expect is -the case, we shall leave the bridge intact: the railway will be useful. -It is only to be blown up in case of a check, to prevent the Belgians -from being reinforced from France. But that's not at all likely." - -"I suppose it is true that England has declared war?" - -Hellwig's ironical laugh made Kenneth's blood boil. - -"Yes, it's true," he said. "It's the chance we've been waiting for for -years. They've next to no army; they're never ready; and within a week -there'll be a rebellion in Ireland which will keep the whole of their -forces busy. Within a month we shall have France under our heel; then -we'll turn back and crush the Russians, who've no organization. Then -with the Channel ports in our possession the rest will be easy. By this -time next year the Kaiser will be dictating peace in London." - -"Well, you ought to know the English; you've lived among them. How they -got their empire I can't understand.... Then we shall be leaving here -soon? It's quite time." - -"What do you mean?" - -"It may be all right, but thinking it over I can't help feeling a little -suspicious. The beer delivered to-day was brought by two clerks. They -said the draymen had been called up, and they were doing duty in their -place. It didn't occur to me till they were driving off that the -clerks, well-set-up young fellows, were likely to have been called up -before the draymen. The man who usually comes is a big fat fellow who -couldn't march a mile without collapsing. But nothing has happened, so -I suppose I was suspicious for nothing." - -"They didn't come into the house?" - -"No; the fellow who brought the cask into the lobby didn't seem at all -curious. Ah!" - -He was interrupted by the ticking of an instrument on a table at the far -end of the room. There was silence for a moment as he read the message. - -"The bridge is to be blown up," said the man, returning. "At last!" - -"Give me a few minutes to finish my meal," said Hellwig. "I've had -nothing to eat for twelve hours. A quarter of an hour, say; that won't -make any difference. I wish your cook would hurry up." - -Kenneth turned to go back, anticipating a possible visit to the kitchen. -At the same moment the kitchen door opened, and an old woman bearing a -tray came into the passage. The light from the lamp behind her fell on -an unfamiliar figure at the door of the dining-room--a bootless man with -a revolver in his hand. The woman screamed; the tray fell from her -hand, and a pool of soup spread over the floor. There was an outcry in -the dining-room; the man nearest the door flung it fully open, to find -the muzzle of a revolver within a few inches of his head. - -In the moment allowed him for thought, Kenneth had realised that he -could not escape if he dashed past the old woman with armed men at his -back. With an inward tremor he made up his mind to the bold course. - -"Hands up!" he cried, as the startled man recoiled. - -The German instantly flung up his hands. But his companions realised -the position. One of them sprang across the room to an electric push in -the wall. Another, covered by the man who had flinched, whipped out his -revolver, and took a snapshot at Kenneth. But a slight movement of the -man between them brought him in the line of fire, and he fell with a -bullet through his head. - -It was no time for half measures. Kenneth covered his assailant, fired, -and brought him down. Through the shrieks of the old woman in the -passage there came to his ears a shout of encouragement, and immediately -after he had fired his shot Pariset rushed up to the doorway, reaching -over Kenneth's shoulder to point his revolver. At the sight of this the -three remaining men dashed to the open window and leapt out; the last of -them, pausing to close the window, was winged by Pariset's flying shot. -Kenneth and his friend sprang across the room, threw the window open, -and jumped into the yard. But the brief delay at the window had given -the fugitives time to make their escape in the darkness. They were not -to be seen. - -"The lancers will get them!" Kenneth panted. - -"If they've come!" replied Pariset. - -He blew his whistle. There was no response. They dashed across the -yard, wondering how the Germans could have escaped, for there was no -outlet on this side of the house, and the wall was high and spiked. But -after a minute or two they discovered a gap in the base of the wall, -large enough to admit a man crawling. On the outside it was concealed -by long grass and weeds. Wriggling through this they sprinted along by -the wall to the road. And then they heard the distant galloping of a -troop of horsemen. Pariset blew his whistle again, and in a few seconds -a half squadron of Belgian lancers reined up. - -"Three men have escaped," cried Pariset. "Round them up!" - -The horsemen galloped off, some along the road, some along the grassy -bank of the stream, the rest into the field beyond the hedge. - -"A pity they were late," said Pariset, walking slowly with Kenneth back -to the house. "When I heard your shot I expected that they'd force the -door and rush in." - -"I hope they will catch the Germans," said Kenneth. "One of them--it -was the last comer, the man whose ring at the bell you heard--was -Hellwig. I shall be particularly disgusted if he gets off." - -"What led to the row? You weren't rash enough to attack them?" - -"No; but I wasn't so careful as I ought to have been, I'm afraid. You -see, hearing no knives and forks going, I thought they had finished -their meal, and everything was cleared away, and didn't expect any -danger from the kitchen. As soon as I knew there was something -preparing for Hellwig I backed, straight into the old woman with a tray. -It was all up then, of course." - -"You've had a lucky escape. But we have saved the bridge." - -"One of the fellows dashed to an electric push," said Kenneth, smiling. -"I was too busy to notice how he looked when the explosion he expected -didn't happen, but I've no doubt it was the surprise of his life." - -"We'll have a look round. I'll give the old woman a soothing -explanation, and borrow a lamp." - -Their investigation added little to their knowledge. The luggage of the -spies contained no papers bearing on espionage. But the wireless -installation, carried up inside the chimney, was very powerful. The -electrical apparatus for firing the mine was in perfect order. - -"There is nothing amateurish about it," said Pariset. "This is spying -reduced to a science." - -It was some time before the lancers returned. They brought with them -the man who had been wounded as he sprang through the window. The -others had got away. The man who had fired at Kenneth was dead; his -comrade, to whom he owed his death, Kenneth had wounded. - -After consultation with the captain of lancers, it was decided to leave -a dozen men to occupy the mill, pending the receipt of instructions from -headquarters. Kenneth and Pariset begged a lodging for the night from -the old miller, who was delighted at the success of their scheme, and -lavishly hospitable. - - - - -CHAPTER IX--IN THE TRENCHES - - -Next morning the two friends flew into Charleroi. The town was seething -with excitement. People were laughing and singing, cheering every -soldier who passed along the street, congratulating each other on the -good news. It had become known that the fierce German assaults of the -previous day on Lige had been beaten back by the guns of the forts and -the steady rifle fire of the men in the trenches, and that the Germans -had asked for an armistice. - -"Splendid!" said Pariset, when he learnt the news from a brother -officer: "though we mustn't crow too soon. The cessation of the attack -gives us the chance I wanted, then. We can take advantage of it to get -into Lige. I should like to report our little coup in person." - -"There will be no difficulty in my getting away, I suppose?" asked -Kenneth. - -"What do you wish to do?" - -"Get to England and join the Flying Corps." - -"They would take you?" - -"Well, my chest measures thirty-six inches, my teeth are sound, and I've -no varicose veins. The only doubt is about my sight: my right eye is a -trifle astigmatic. But I think I should pass the doctor." - -"I wish you could stay with us. But I understand your wish to serve -with your own army. As soon as we get back I'll ask the commandant if I -can be spared to carry you to Ostend." - -Kenneth agreed to this, and they started eastward. It was nearing -midday when they swooped down from a great height on to an open space -some three miles west of Lige. Pariset had pointed out the positions -of the forts as they descended; but Kenneth had been able barely to -distinguish them while in the air, and when he came to the ground they -were quite out of sight. - -But the intervening space had been carefully prepared for infantry. -Trenches had been dug, barbed wire entanglements stretched from point to -point, every natural feature adapted to the purposes of defence. At the -present moment the trenches were not manned. Pariset learnt from a -comrade in the flying corps that though the armistice had been refused, -the Germans had not as yet renewed the attack. Their losses on the -previous day had been very heavy, and the garrison were confident of -their ability to repulse any further assaults if the Germans persisted -in attacking in the same dense masses, and were not supported by heavier -artillery than that which they had employed hitherto. - -Kenneth listened eagerly to the conversation between the two airmen. He -learnt how the German infantry, covered by artillery, had advanced again -and again in close formation, only to be hurled back by the fire from -the forts and the trenches, followed up with the bayonet. The Belgians -were amazed at the doggedness with which their enemy had pressed on, -careless of cover, though great gaps were torn in their packed columns. -Such a wastage of men pointed to a vast confidence in the ultimate -superiority of numbers, the crushing of the defence by sheer weight -rather than skill. - -Pariset explained, when Kenneth questioned him, the importance to the -enemy of the capture of Lige. Encircled by its twelve forts, -constructed by the engineering genius of General Brialmont, the town -stood as a formidable obstacle to the advance of the Germans through the -valley of the Meuse, the easiest way into France. Every day it could be -held was a day's delay in the prosecution of the enemy's plan of -campaign, which, as everybody knew, was to crush France before Russia -had time to threaten Germany on her eastern border. - -"The Germans have, they think, a very perfect military machine," Pariset -continued; "I daresay they have, though perhaps they are a little too -cocksure about it. They've had no experience of war for forty years, -and their easy victory in 1870 has possibly produced what you call -swelled head. Anyhow, the most perfect machine may be dislocated by a -little grit, and Lige, we hope, will be the little grit for the -occasion. Now we had better get some lunch; then we'll fly north. I'll -report myself to my commandant, and ask for leave to carry you to -Ostend." - -They walked away to the rear of the lines, towards a cottage on which -the canteen flag was flying. Before they reached it they met a general -officer on horseback, cantering along accompanied by an aide-de-camp. -Pariset saluted, the officers touched their hats and passed. - -"General Leman, commanding the forts," said Pariset. - -"He looked just like an Englishman," Kenneth replied. - -Pariset smiled, and was beginning a chaffing remark when he was hailed -from behind. Turning, he saw that the officers had reined up, and -turned their horses' flanks towards him. He hurried back, Kenneth -taking a step or two in the same direction. - -"Lieutenant Pariset, I understand?" he heard the general say. "I -compliment you on your little exploit. You did very well; thank you!" - -Pariset murmured something, saluted again, and the officers rode off. - -"He didn't give me time to tell him about you," said Pariset, rejoining -his friend. "He is evidently in a hurry to get back to Fort Loncin." - -"It doesn't matter about me," said Kenneth. "How did he know about it -at all?" - -"He must have got the news by telegram or wireless from Charleroi. But -really it was your doing, you know. I must make that clear." - -"Don't talk rubbish! I only gave you the information. I liked the look -of him. What keen eyes he has!" - -"He's a splendid fellow. But come along! Our men are a hungry lot, and -I don't want to find the board cleared." - -They were sitting at lunch among a group of cheery young officers when a -bugle rang out. The officers sprang up, seized their arms, and rushed -out of the cottage. - -"The Germans are coming on again," cried Pariset. "Come and see." - -They ran back towards the trenches, which were already filling with -riflemen. A deep boom sounded from some distant spot. - -"A German gun!" said Pariset. - -"I don't see the shell," said Kenneth, looking round. - -"My dear fellow, it had fallen somewhere before we heard the sound. Ah! -the forts are replying." - -In a few minutes the silence of the summer noon was shattered by the -continuous thunder of artillery. With the deep slow booms of the big -guns was mingled the quicker, sharper bang of machine guns somewhere out -of sight. - -"Get down, you asses!" cried an officer, as they drew near to the -trenches. "Do you want to be marked?" - -They took cover behind a hedge. Kenneth tingled from top to toe as he -heard the crash of the guns, and felt the earth and the very air shake -with the concussion. Presently a shrill whistle sounded; it was -followed almost instantaneously by a prolonged crackle, which had hardly -died away when from above them came a zip, zip, zip, like the notes of -some tuneless bird. - -"The Germans are firing anyhow," said Pariset in an involuntary whisper. - -Round the hedge came swiftly two men in blue coats with the red cross on -their sleeves, carrying an ambulance. A groan rose from it. - -"I can't stand this," said Pariset. - -He dashed along the hedge and into the open. Kenneth instinctively -followed him, not doubting for a moment what it was that Pariset could -not stand. Pariset, with Kenneth close at his heels, made straight for -the nearest trench, heedless of the shot and shell whistling, singing, -crashing around them. They flung themselves into the trench, and -Kenneth, without understanding how it had happened, found himself -leaning forward, rifle in hand, listening to a droning monotone from -Pariset a yard to the left of him. - -"Mark your man.... Don't be in a hurry.... Keep your head as low as -possible.... You'll soon get used to the noise." - -It was a minute or two before Kenneth realised that the rifle had been -thrust into his hand for use. Looking over the parapet of the trench he -was still confused and bewildered. Pariset expected him to fire, but -where was the enemy? He saw the long grass waving in the breeze, a few -scattered trees in the field beyond, wisps and cloudlets of smoke--and -then, as the range of his vision increased, in the far distance a -bluish-grey mass rolling like a billow towards him. - -At last he understood. That bluish-grey mass was the enemy. It -represented brute force, broken faith, merciless tyranny. It was the -devastating flood which these brave soldiers about him were giving their -lives to check. - -Presently he distinguished individuals in the mass. - -"Mark your man!" - -The words, coolly spoken by Pariset on his left, set his imagination on -fire. It was his privilege to have a share in their fight for freedom. -He laid the rifle to his shoulder, marked his man along the sight, and a -touch of his finger sped a bullet on its way. - -For the next half-hour Kenneth lost account of everything but the task -so suddenly thrust upon him. The deafening din of bursting shells and -rifle fire, the quick silent activity of the ambulance bearers, the -shouts and groans of men, were unnoticed by him in his constant -preoccupation. He learnt afterwards how the Germans had pressed on with -marvellous passive courage under the hail of lead and shell from the -forts and trenches; how the gaps cleft in their close-packed ranks had -been instantly filled up, as if men had sprung out of the earth. He -fired until the chamber was empty, refilled and fired again, every now -and again hearing Pariset's monotonous cry, "Mark your man!" - -Presently there was a shrill whistle. Instantly, in the trench on -either side of him, the men who had been lying flat sprang to their feet -and dashed forward with a joyous shout. He was up and after them, -running across the field, with bayonet out-thrust, towards the stalwart -men in blue-grey, who had hitherto come nearer and nearer like the -irresistible tide. But now he became suddenly conscious that the tide -was receding. These stout warriors whom shot and shell had failed to -daunt had turned tail at the sight of gleaming steel. Their ranks -broke; they wavered, spun round, and fled in panic disorder across the -field. - -As Kenneth, with parched lips and trembling limbs, returned with Pariset -from that victorious charge, an officer of the general's staff met them. - -"This will never do, lieutenant," he said to Pariset; "we have plenty of -brave fellows to man the trenches, but we haven't too many airmen, and -we can't afford to risk them in field operations. You have no business -here, you know." - -"But wasn't it glorious, colonel?" said Pariset, glowing. - -"They are men to be proud of. But I am quite serious; get back to your -corps; there will be plenty of work for you. Has this man no uniform, -by the way?" - -"They have run short, colonel," said Pariset instantly. "We will rig -him up in a day or two." - -"See to it. If the Germans capture a man in civilian dress they will -shoot him at sight. Now, get back at once." - -"I thought it better not to go into particulars," Pariset remarked to -Kenneth as they went on. "There might have been a row." - -"It's just as well," said Kenneth. "But, I say, I think I'll go into -the infantry after all." - - - - -CHAPTER X--BROKEN THREADS - - -On returning to his headquarters, some eight miles west of the town, -Pariset asked permission of his commandant to convey Kenneth to Ostend. -He met with a peremptory refusal; he could not be spared. - -"You'll have to go by train," he said to Kenneth. "It will take you a -long time, the railway is so congested with troops and refugees. Must -you go?" - -"What else can I do?" - -"Well, we're short of men. I'd like to keep you. If I get you a sort -of appointment, will you stay?" - -"Rather! It might be months before I got a job at home." - -"Then I'll see the commandant again and try to arrange it." - -When he returned half-an-hour later, Kenneth knew by his expression that -he had been successful. - -"It was easier than I expected," he said. "He was good enough to say -that you're just the man we want. He told me, too, that we have already -accepted the services of two English airmen who have volunteered, so -everything is quite in order. We'll go into Lige and get you a suit of -overalls. I am delighted." - -After the necessary purchases had been made, they went into the Htel de -l'Europe for dinner. The dining-room was crowded, and Kenneth, as he -entered, glanced somewhat confusedly around the tables. Suddenly he -heard his name, uttered in a low tone, and turning round in surprise, -saw Granger beckoning him to a small table at which he sat alone. - -"There's room here for you both, at a squeeze," he said. "I'm glad to -see you again." - -"It's all right, then?" asked Kenneth as they sat down. - -"Oh yes! They got a reassuring telegram from my chief this morning. -What's more, I am to stay in Lige for the present; I am lent to the -Belgians." - -"That's capital. I have lent myself." - -"'Loan oft loses both itself and friend.' I hope it won't be so in our -case! Well, what have you been doing?" - -Kenneth plunged into an account of the affair at the mill. Granger -interrupted him when the waiter came for orders, and again when the man -returned with the dishes. At the conclusion of the story, which Kenneth -gave only in outline, Granger said: - -"Hellwig is in Lige. My own stay here is not unconnected with him. He -is one of the most resourceful, ingenious and dangerous of the thousands -of spies in the German service.... They were all County Kerry men, and -when they stood at attention you might have heard a pin drop." - -His companions stared at him in amazement. His last sentence, -apparently unconnected with what had gone before, had been spoken -without change of voice or expression, and he imperturbably sucked his -lemon squash through a straw before he went on: - -"He has a marvellous command of languages; is Protean in his disguises; -and in nimbleness of wit outdoes any other German I have ever come -across.... They mixed the salad with engine oil, and when Lady Barbara -took a mouthful of it, she swallowed it without blinking, and remarked -to me, 'The chef is a perfect marvel in inventing new flavours.' ... -Waiter!" - -"Monsieur?" said the waiter, smiling and bowing. - -"Another lemon squash." - -When the waiter had gone, Granger said: - -"I must have that fellow arrested." - -"What on earth for?" asked Pariset. - -"And what are you driving at, with your County Kerries and your Lady -Barbaras?" said Kenneth. - -"The waiter has been hovering round a little more closely than the most -officious garon need do. You didn't notice him, perhaps? He speaks -pretty good French, with a strong Belgian accent. Did you see what -happened when I called him?" - -"What was it?" asked Kenneth. - -"I put something of the parade ground tone into my voice, and the fellow -brought his heels together in the correct German style. One could -almost hear the click. Well greased as his hair is, you can see it -trying to rise _en brosse_, and I caught him just now twirling an -invisible moustache." - -"A spy?" - -"Unless my instinct and my judgment are equally at fault. But here he -comes; don't be surprised if I break off into irrelevancies; answer in -kind." - -The waiter placed the glass on the table, and withdrew, to attend to a -man at the next table. - -"As I was saying," Granger went on, "Hellwig is here, in what shape I -don't know, but I hope to catch him yet. Your friend Finkelstein, by -the way, has been arrested in Cologne and thrown into prison." - -"Good heavens! Not through me, I hope," said Kenneth. - -"On a charge of espionage, at any rate. I have no doubt he owes that to -... Yes, it was a very dark night, and he didn't recognise me until I -was as near to him as I am to you. Then ... he owes it to Hellwig." - -"But what can his motive be? He's his cousin." - -"The nearer the bone ... Finkelstein has a daughter, I believe?" - -"Yes." - -"Well, what more natural than that Hellwig should be appointed trustee -to his cousin's daughter and manager of the business?" - -"I did suspect that he wants to marry Frieda." - -"Ah! Motive enough! ... Waiter!" - -The others watched the man. His manner was a strange compound of two -servilities--the waiter's and the German private's. - -"Monsieur?" - -"Bring coffee." - -The waiter departed. - -"I must certainly have him arrested," said Granger. "So you see, my -dear fellow, that if I manage to lay Hellwig by the heels I shall -perhaps be able to make you some return for what I owe you." - -"But that won't release Max Finkelstein." - -"I confess I was at that moment thinking of the daughter," said Granger -with a whimsical look at Kenneth. Pariset glanced at his friend and -smiled. - -"The idea of her marrying that cur!" said Kenneth. - -"It won't bear thinking of, will it?" said Granger. "That fellow is -rather long with the coffee." - -They waited, discussing the probable course of the war. After a while -Granger summoned the head waiter. - -"Our waiter has been over long fetching our coffee," he said. "Will you -stir him up?" - -In a minute or two the head waiter returned, carrying the coffee -himself. - -"Pardon, messieurs," he said. "Gustave was suddenly taken sick, and is -not able to serve at present." - -"I have lost this trick," said Granger ruefully, when they were again -alone. "While I had my eye on the German, he evidently had his eye on -me. And for once the German was the quicker to act. Well, we all have -our ups and downs--I might have said our exits and our entrances: exit -spy, enter staff-officer, who is looking for you, Monsieur Pariset, if I -am not mistaken." - -A Belgian captain was threading his way across the room, looking quickly -from table to table, here and there acknowledging or returning a -greeting, but briefly, in the manner of one preoccupied. His glance -suddenly falling on Pariset, he smiled, and came directly towards him. - -"I heard that you were here," he said. "Have you finished?" - -"Yes." - -"Then give me a minute privately." - -His eyes rested for a moment on Kenneth and Granger, whom he did not -know. - -"Certainly," said Pariset. "Let me introduce my friends." - -The introduction made, the officer's manner changed. - -"Let us all go into the smoking-room together," he said. "The matter -I've to speak about need be no secret among us four." - -"You'll excuse me," said Granger, whose tact never failed. "I have one -or two things to attend to; I hope I may have the pleasure some other -time." - -He left the others, and they made their way to the smoking-room. - - - - -CHAPTER XI--THE CENTRE ARCH - - -"You know the railway bridge over the Ourthe, at Sy, just south of -Hamoir?" the captain began, lighting a cigarette. - -"Yes," said Pariset. - -"A section of our sappers were told off to blow it up this morning. -Their work was only half done when they were surprised and cut up by a -patrol of Uhlans. The Germans very quickly repaired the damage, and are -now using the line to bring up troops and material against the Boncelles -and Embourg forts." - -"Well?" said Pariset, as the officer paused. - -"It occurred to the Chief that you who had saved one bridge might -perhaps destroy another. It is a mere suggestion, not a command. The -work would be very risky; it is not your job, and all that part of the -country is in German hands. But when the matter was mentioned I said I -thought you would at least make a reconnaissance and learn what prospect -there is of a successful attempt." - -"Of course," said Pariset at once. "You don't know exactly how much -damage was done?" - -"No. Perhaps a bomb or two would complete it." - -"That is rather doubtful," said Pariset musingly. "The chances of -hitting the bridge at the right spot from an aeroplane flying very high -at speed are slight, and we should have to fly high to escape the German -shot." - -"Unless we flew in the Taube," suggested Kenneth. "In that we might get -low enough to smash the bridge before they suspected us." - -"The objection to that is that you would be in almost as great danger -from our own guns as from the German," said the captain. "The forts -would certainly fire on you. But stay: if you decide on that, I will -'phone the southern forts to pass a Taube showing the Russian flag. That -would protect you until you are clear of our lines." - -"Very well," said Pariset. "We will start early in the morning. Do you -mind getting us a Russian flag while I talk over things with my friend?" - -"Not at all. I will bring it to you here." - -He left them. - -"It is frightfully risky," said Pariset, "but we must make the attempt. -We must wear German uniforms. Your friend Granger's will come in -handy." - -"You have practised bomb-dropping, of course," said Kenneth. - -"Yes, but, as I said, it's a most uncertain thing. Besides the -difficulty of hitting the vulnerable spot, the bombs sometimes do little -damage. We might drop a dozen, and yet fail to destroy the bridge. -It's essentially a job to be done on terra firma." - -"It's not likely we should be able to land. Even if there is at the -moment no considerable force in the neighbourhood the bridge is sure to -be guarded." - -"That's certain. Still, it's just as well to be provided for the off -chance, so I'll take, along with the ordinary bombs, a small case of -gelignite and a little electric battery--a pick-axe, too: that may be -useful." - -"How far is it?" - -"About twenty miles. The bridge is at a narrow gorge by the village of -Simon's Inn. There's a tunnel beyond, and the banks of the river are -steep. The railway crosses the river several times, but I'm pretty sure -of the particular bridge they have tried to destroy." - -They waited nearly an hour before the captain returned. - -"I have had the greatest difficulty in getting the flag," he said, -placing a parcel in Pariset's hands. "I tried several shops in vain, -then it occurred to me to apply at the Russian consulate, and they -happened to have a spare one. I wish you luck. Report to me at -head-quarters." - -At seven o'clock next morning, equipped with the needful apparatus, they -ascended from their headquarters in the Taube monoplane, took an -easterly course, then swung southward and passed between the Flemelle -and Boncelles forts. It was a beautiful summer morning. The country -was bathed in sunlight, and no warlike sounds disturbed the still air. -But south of the town clouds of dust hung over every road, and they -caught sight of masses of men moving northward, the sun glinting on -weapons and the spikes of helmets. Pariset, in the observer's seat, -felt sick at heart. How was it possible for the little Belgian army to -resist these immense hordes? - -The well-known shape of the aeroplane (they no longer showed the Russian -flag) purchased immunity. They flew over the railway, then over the -Meuse north of Huy, then sweeping to the east soon came in sight of the -Ourthe winding between meadows and precipitous cliffs, and the railway -to Neufchteau. The valley broadened out. Instructed by Pariset, -Kenneth steered the monoplane over the village of Hamoir on the left -bank. Almost immediately afterwards they came above the cluster of -houses at Sy, and the bridge crossing the gorge, beyond which the -railway entered the tunnel. - -On the north side of the bridge stood a long goods train, apparently -waiting the signal to proceed. On the south side, part in, part out of -the tunnel, was a train of passenger coaches, gaily bedecked with leafy -branches of trees. A few soldiers had got out of the train, and were -sitting smoking in the meadow. At each end of the bridge four guards -were posted. - -The aeroplane passed over the cliff through which the tunnel ran, then -bore to the left in the direction of Werbomont and was soon out of sight -from the bridge. Choosing a lonely field sheltered by a wood, Kenneth -brought the machine to the ground. - -"We can't destroy the bridge with bombs," said Pariset, "but it's just -possible to do it with the gelignite if you are game." - -"What's your idea?" asked Kenneth. - -"There's clearly a block on the line somewhere to the north. It may be -a long time before it is cleared, giving us just the opportunity we -want. There's a path through the fields on the left bank, leading to -the bridge. It seems fairly covered. My idea is that you should go -down to the bridge with the gelignite." - -"But it is guarded," Kenneth interrupted. - -"Don't be impatient. I was going on to say that I will fly over the -bridge and stampede the guards. That will give you a chance to creep -up. Your uniform will protect you long enough for the purpose, I hope. -The Germans won't suspect you until the explosion occurs. Then it will -be a ticklish moment. The fellows who have got out of the train may -fire at you; but they are a good distance away, and you ought to have -time to rush back under cover before they can do any damage. I'll be -ready to pick you up. Or, if you like, I'll take the gelignite and you -drop the bombs." - -"No. I've had no practice at that. I'll take my chance. But we're -about two miles from the bridge, I fancy. It will take me at least half -an hour to get there, not knowing the way. Anything may happen in that -time." - -"I'll come with you until we find a guide. There will be plenty of time -for me to come back to the aeroplane and still reach the bridge before -you. I will give you half an hour from now before I fly off." - -They set off together, walking rapidly over the fields. Turning into a -lane, they came suddenly face to face with a farm boy of about sixteen -years. His jaw dropped, and a look of terror showed in his eyes when he -saw the German uniforms. Pariset spoke to him rapidly in Walloon, and -gave him money. Thus reassured, he agreed to conduct Kenneth across the -hill to the path which Pariset had mentioned. - -"Good luck!" said Pariset, as they parted. "Don't risk too much. If -the stratagem fails, make your way back to the same spot." - -Kenneth carried the gelignite and the battery. He gave the pick-axe to -the boy. Pariset had learnt from him that no Germans had been seen on -the lanes and roads, but they walked across the fields under cover of -the hedgerows in case patrols or foraging parties should appear. - -Their course brought them within half an hour to a field some little -distance above the bridge. Kenneth dismissed the boy, and keeping under -cover to avoid observation from the trains, which were stationary in the -places where he had seen them forty minutes before, he crept as near to -the bridge as he dared, and waited. He heard the water lapping the -piers, the voices of the guards at the nearer end, the distant hiss of -the locomotive of the troop train blowing off steam--and then a faint -deep _burr_, growing louder moment by moment. - -The guards raised their voices. - -"Another Taube," said one. - -"He's flying very high," said another. "Thinks we are Belgians, -perhaps." - -"But he's coming down," said the third. "Look at that swoop! It fairly -makes me sick to see him." - -Kenneth, posted under cover, was not yet able to see the aeroplane, but -from the silence that fell upon the guards he guessed that Pariset was -executing one of those steep dives which make the onlooker hold his -breath. - -"I hope he won't come too low," he thought. - -And then, in pursuance of the plan arranged, he began to steal along the -bank of the river towards the bridge, confident that the attention of -the guards was riveted on the aeroplane. He saw it now, sweeping round -in a huge circle, still at a great height. - -When the expected signal came, it was startling in its suddenness. -Kenneth had not seen an object fall from the aeroplane, but there was a -sharp explosion just beyond the bridge, a cloud of dust, and cries of -amazement and fear from the guards. He moved nearer to the bridge. From -the direction of the troop train he heard the crackle of rifles. The -eyes of the guards were still turned upwards upon the monoplane, which -was circling round at a height of three or four thousand feet above the -bridge, within range, indeed, but a difficult target. - -Taking advantage of the excitement of the men, Kenneth had crept through -the scrub on the river bank and come beneath the end of the bridge. He -had already perceived that the stone arch at each end had been -destroyed, but the centre arch was intact, and the gaps had been covered -with stout balks of timber on which the railway track was laid. His aim -must be to destroy the central arch. With that broken down, to repair -the bridge a second time would be a much more difficult matter. - -Covered now by the bridge, he waded out to the central arch, carrying -his apparatus. He had supposed that it would be necessary to hack out -with the pick-axe a hole in the masonry large enough to hold the case of -gelignite, and the risk of being heard strung his nerves to a high -tension. It was with great relief that he discovered a hole already -made. Apparently a charge had been laid there by the Belgian engineers, -but it had failed to explode, and probably had been removed by the -Germans. - -He lost no time in wedging the case of gelignite into the cavity, -attached the detonator, and waded back to the bank. There was now -almost continuous rifle fire from the troops, who had alighted from the -train and lined up on the track. The incessant noise smothered the -whirr of the propeller, but it was clear that Pariset was still -absorbing the attention of the Germans. Kenneth crept along up stream, -paying out the wire as he went, until he reached the shelter of a dense -thicket. Then he made the connection with the battery. Instantaneously -there was a deafening roar, the arch collapsed, and the whole bridge -fell with a crash into the river. - -Somewhat breathless, Kenneth remained hidden for a minute. The rifle -shots had ceased; there was a confused shouting from the troops; and -through it he heard again the hum of the aeroplane. A bomb burst on the -ground near the end of the bridge. The fusillade recommenced. Seizing -the opportunity, Kenneth quitted his hiding-place, and made the best of -his way back across the field, observing that Pariset was still circling -round in order to distract the enemy, but rising ever higher. - -When Kenneth reached the rendezvous Pariset was awaiting him. - -"Hullo! You're wounded!" cried Kenneth, noticing that Pariset was -grasping his right wrist. - -"Bruised by a splinter, that's all," said Pariset. "It's painful, but -not dangerous. The planes are riddled; I'm very lucky to have fared, no -worse. You managed that splendidly, Ken. I was surprised you did it so -quickly." - -"There was already a cavity in the arch, which saved labour." - -"We have both earned our dinner. You will pilot the machine back?" - -"Of course. Are you sure you are not seriously hurt?" - -"Quite. I only hope I get nothing worse before the war is over." - - - - -CHAPTER XII--A FIGHT WITH A ZEPPELIN - - -Nearing Lige on their return journey, the airmen became aware of a -momentous change from the peaceful scene of the morning. A pall of -smoke hung over the country for miles. Wherever there were rifts in it, -they caught glimpses of immense grey masses that appeared to be crawling -towards the city from every side except the west. It was evident that -the Germans were attacking in stupendous force. - -Kenneth steered to the west, doubtful whether he should find the -headquarters of the Flying Corps in the spot where he had left it. The -monoplane escaped the Germans' attentions, and when it came within range -of the Belgians' rifles, Pariset hung out the Russian flag, which was -his surety. - -Locating the aeroplane park with some difficulty, considerably to the -westward of its former position, Kenneth at length brought the machine -to the ground. The air quivered with the shock of artillery fire; the -noise was incessant. - -"What is the news?" asked Pariset of a comrade who had come up to greet -him. - -"They are shelling us with heavy guns, and devoting particular attention -to Fort Loncin, where General Leman is," was the reply. "And it is said -that they have got into the town. The people are making off in -crowds.... You have had a knock!" - -"A slight bruise. We managed it!" - -"What?" asked his friend, who was unaware of his errand. - -"Blew up the bridge above Sy, and held back a troop train, for the rest -of the day, I hope. I must go and report to the chief; tell you all -about it later." - -In giving in his report Pariset did not fail to emphasise the hazardous -part that Kenneth had had in the operation. The commandant complimented -them both, and made an entry against Kenneth's name in his notebook. -Then he said: - -"We have had our first encounter with a Zeppelin, and unluckily had the -worst of it. The Zeppelin was reconnoitring, and Boissel went in -pursuit. The crew opened fire with their machine guns when he was -manoeuvring for position, and a shot smashed his arm. He managed to -land, and then collapsed. The machine was slightly buckled up in coming -to ground, and will be useless for a day or two." - -"I'm sorry for Boissel," said Pariset. "He will be cut up at being -knocked out so soon. Has the Zeppelin been seen since?" - -"No. The forts opened fire upon it, apparently without success, for it -sailed away to the north-east." - -"Shall we tackle it if it comes back?" Pariset asked eagerly. - -"Hadn't you better rest? You have done a good day's work already, and I -don't want to lose you as well as Boissel." - -"To tell the truth, our job at the bridge has whetted my appetite, and I -am sure Amory is ready for another go." - -"Whenever you please," said Kenneth. - -"Very well," said the commandant. "But I beg that you won't be rash. -Boissel was a little too eager--a pardonable fault; but prudence is a -positive merit." - -"We will be discretion itself," said Pariset. - -Kenneth smiled; he did not know Boissel, but he could not imagine any -airman more likely to show reckless daring than his friend. - -They snatched a meal, then set about their preparations. The Zeppelin -being manned with a numerous crew armed with rifles and machine guns, -and equipped for bomb-throwing, it was axiomatic that the aeroplane must -try to accomplish by superior speed, climbing power, and manageability -what it could not hope to achieve by force. If it were a mere question -of manoeuvring the advantage would lie with the aeroplane. The Zeppelin -would be at a disadvantage in that it presented a bulkier target. - -After a hurried discussion--for the Zeppelin might return at any -moment--the two airmen decided to get a number of bombs with time fuses, -and to fix in front of the pilot's seat a small petrol lamp, sheltering -it from the wind by a zinc screen that would almost enclose it; the fuse -could be lit from this. - -"It won't be wise to trust to bombs exploding by contact," he explained. -"They might miss the mark, big as it is; and the envelope of the airship -is so fragile that it is quite possible for a bomb to pass through it -without exploding." - -"But wouldn't the gas escape through the rent, and the thing collapse?" -Kenneth asked. - -"The envelope consists of several compartments, and one might be injured -without affecting the others." - -"You won't try rifle shots?" - -"Very little use, my son. We should only bore a few holes in it. Their -Mausers would be much more dangerous to us. We shouldn't have the -slightest chance against them, any more than a torpedo boat would have -against a Dreadnought, so far as armament is concerned. But I am simply -panting for the chance to match the aeroplane against the airship. I -hope they'll come back." - -"I dare say they will, having got off scot free before. We must be -ready to fly off at a moment's notice. The Zeppelin is very fast, I've -heard." - -"But no match for my machine. We'll use that instead of the Taube. I'm -more used to it; it is faster and better for bomb-dropping." - -"You won't pilot it, surely!" - -"Indeed I shall! My arm doesn't bother me much, and you know I have had -much more experience than you." - -"I've had absolutely no experience of bomb-throwing," Kenneth protested. - -"Well, you play golf, don't you? Do you remember the first time you -went round?" - -"Yes. Why?" - -"Simply that, like everybody else, you probably got round in fewer -strokes than you did for months afterwards." - -"That's true; and very sickening it is. I'll do my best, then." - -When everything was ready, they sat on the grass beside the aeroplane, -scanning the sky for the Zeppelin. Kenneth, it must be confessed, was -less impatient than Pariset, whose mercurial temperament ill-brooked a -waiting game. He was constantly up and down, snatching up his -field-glasses every few seconds, "fidgeting about," as Kenneth said to -himself. - -It was drawing towards evening when, just as Pariset had dropped his -field-glasses with a gesture of annoyance, a messenger came running from -the commandant to say that the Zeppelin had been sighted. - -"How does he know?" asked Pariset, incredulously. - -"He had word by field telephone," was the answer. "The airship is -coming from the north-east." - -Pariset instantly started his engine. But before the aeroplane was -aloft, the airship appeared in the distant sky, like a torpedo of the -air. There was a certain fascination in its swift and steady approach, -growing bigger and bigger to the sight. Its course would bring it -within half a mile of the portable sheds; perhaps its object was to -destroy the Belgian aeroplanes. - -Having a reasonable respect for the Zeppelin's machine guns, Pariset at -first kept well away from its course. He bore to the east, so as to -avoid a direct meeting with it, and to get between it and its base. That -the aeroplane had already been seen from the airship, high above it, was -proved by the smack of several bullets upon parts of its structure; but -they had not heard the crackle of the rifles, what with the whirr of -their engine and the incessant thunder of artillery. - -Comparing notes afterwards, they agreed that their first impression was -wonder at the speed and accuracy with which the Germans had got their -range. Pariset at once flew off at a wider angle, trusting to his -superior speed to carry him out of danger until he had had time to rise -above the Zeppelin. He could climb only gradually, if he was to take -full advantage of his speed. It was nearly ten minutes before Kenneth -reported that they were about equal with it in height. The airship was -now at least two miles astern, and had slightly altered its direction. -Pariset now swung round. He guessed that the Zeppelin was making for -Fort Loncin, probably to reconnoitre, for its bombs would have little or -no effect on the armoured cupola of the fort. Flying back, he steered -so as to approach the airship on its flank, and succeeded in his aim of -showing the enemy that the aeroplane was to be reckoned with. It again -altered its course; Pariset shifted his rudder also; and the Zeppelin -gave chase. - -Bullets whistled around the aeroplane, which by this time had risen -several hundred feet higher than the enemy. Adjusting his planes to -secure the maximum lift, Pariset began to climb steeply, and for some -minutes the Zeppelin gained on him in horizontal direction. But the -rapidity of his ascent rendered the task of its marksmen very difficult; -and they seemed to realise that they were themselves in danger, for they -altered their course, bearing to the east, as if they had abandoned the -chase. - -The parts were now reversed. The aeroplane became the hunter, the -airship the hunted. Still rising, Pariset gradually reduced the -horizontal distance between them, gaining assistance from the manoeuvres -of the Zeppelin, which yawed now and again in order to bring its guns to -bear more effectively, thus losing pace. The aeroplane began to close -in with it, and Pariset suddenly became aware that he was closing in too -rapidly, for the airship either stopped her engines or reduced their -speed. Before he had time to meet the manoeuvre he had come within -effective range. Bullets pattered around like hail, and only by a swift -wheeling movement did he escape destruction. - -Learning caution, he rose still higher, until he estimated that he was -at least 3000 feet above the enemy. At this elevation the swelling bulk -of the envelope rendered the machine guns useless, and there was indeed -little chance of the aeroplane's being hit even by the rifles. - -Pariset's object was now to get as nearly as possible vertically above -the Zeppelin, which the Zeppelin could only prevent by constantly -changing its course and its speed. But Pariset was an adept in the -handling of his machine. He watched every twist and turn of the enemy, -and seemed to Kenneth to anticipate them, as a skilful boxer anticipates -the feints and rallies of his opponent. - -"Get ready!" he shouted to Kenneth at last. "A twenty-second fuse!" - -Kenneth grasped the bomb, leaning over his seat ready to drop it at the -word. He had lost all sense that this was warfare, and throbbed with -the same excitement as stirs the batsman or the three-quarter. - -"Now!" cried Pariset. - -The bomb fell plumb, but at the same instant the Zeppelin checked, and -the bomb burst many yards ahead, though whether above or below the -airship he could not tell. Pariset at once wheeled round, and within a -few seconds brought his machine once more above the enemy. At the -critical moment Kenneth dropped a second bomb. There was a flash and a -burst of smoke and metal between the two vessels, momentarily hiding the -lower from view. But that no harm had been done was proved by the -Zeppelin shooting ahead on another tack. - -"A little too far away," cried Pariset. "No time to descend. Throw the -next, don't drop it." - -In its efforts to escape the fate which threatened it the Zeppelin was -now keeping a straight course. Its skipper evidently realised that in -moving from side to side it enlarged the area of possible disaster. A -third time the aeroplane soared over it, and though its engines were -instantly stopped, its length was fatal. Kenneth threw the bomb with -all his force. The result evoked from Pariset a shout of exultation. -The bomb burst a few yards to the right of the airship. For a second or -two the effect of the explosion was, as it were, in suspense. Then -there was a burst of flame; the body of the enormous vessel beneath them -slowly crumpled up; with incredible rapidity it lost all shape; the -formless mass became smaller to their sight; and in a few seconds a -cloud of dust at an incalculable distance below showed the now horrified -airmen where the wreck had struck the earth. - -[Illustration: THE END OF THE ZEPPELIN] - - - - -CHAPTER XIII--THE GREAT GUNS - - -After the fight Pariset steered over the town at a great altitude, and -Kenneth employed his field-glasses in the hope of picking up some -information. - -"I say," he called, "it looks very much as if the Germans are really in -the town. Firing has stopped." - -"They can't have taken the forts already," cried Pariset. "We'll get -back." - -On coming to the ground miles to the west, they learnt that Kenneth was -right: the Germans had entered the town, lined all the bridges with -sentries, taken possession of the railway station, and begun to billet -themselves. It was rumoured also that Fort Loncin had fallen, that -General Leman was a prisoner, and that the Belgian field army was -concentrated about Fort Lantin, north of the town. - -The officers of the Flying Corps were deeply dejected. All the efforts -of their gallant men seemed to have been thrown away. Their thoughts -being centred on Lige alone, they did not as yet realise that the -strenuous resistance to the passage of the German army had dislocated -the imperial plans, and caused a delay in the march on Paris which was -destined to save Europe. - -Kenneth and his friend were taking their evening meal in a village inn, -the owner of which had announced that next day he intended to pack up -and start for Ostend. Only a few peasants were on the premises; all the -more well-to-do of the villagers had already joined the stream of -refugees. - -Suddenly there was a shot outside. The innkeeper dived into his cellar; -his guests jumped up, grasping their revolvers. The door opened, and a -man in the coarse soiled clothes of a farm labourer entered. On his -head was a wide-brimmed slouch hat, and the lower part of his face was -concealed by a tangled brown moustache and beard. - -"What was that shot?" asked Pariset, in Walloon, and gasped with -amazement when the stranger, taking off his hat, said in perfect -English: - -"Here is a part of its track." - -He pointed to two bullet-holes, one on each side of the crown of the -hat. - -"Granger!" exclaimed Kenneth. - -"A very good disguise, isn't it?" said Granger. "But there is little -time to spare. The bullet is in an amiable Teuton who popped round the -corner at an unfortunate moment--for him. No doubt he was shadowing me: -I must make another change in my outward favour, that is clear. His -confederate missed me and winged the accomplice. I couldn't catch the -fellow. Probably he has gone back to the town to get assistance, and I -must be moving. I've a few minutes, however, and you can help me. I -was on my way to headquarters. I have just heard that the Germans are -bringing up some heavy siege guns to demolish the forts. They are coming -by road: were last heard of at Crefeld--huge things, drawn by -innumerable traction engines from the estimable millionaire's works at -Essen. Will you carry the news to headquarters for me? You will save -time--and probably my skin." - -"Certainly," said Pariset at once. "This explains the cessation of the -bombardment." - -"No doubt. They did not expect that poor little Belgium would turn into -a Jack-the-Giant-Killer, or they would have brought up these monsters of -theirs before. They represent the last word in Culture--according to -the gospel of Krupp. I will leave you, then." - -"Ware spies!" said Kenneth, as they shook hands. - -"We set a thief to catch a thief, don't we?" said Granger with a smile. - -He put on his hat and was gone. - -"We had better get away at once," said Pariset, biting the end off a -Dutch cigar. "But I don't care about reporting by hearsay. What do you -say to taking a look at them?" - -"At what?" - -"At these new apostles of culture." - -"The big guns!--why not?" - -"We shall have to cross into German territory--a risky game. If caught -we shall be instantly shot." - -"We've risked a good deal already without damage. Let us try it. I -know the country; I've often cycled from Cologne to Crefeld." - -"That's to the good. Very well, then; I'll get leave to go first thing -in the morning. We'll use the Taube and wear German uniforms. And in -case any one comes hunting for Granger, let us pay our bill and go." - - ---- - -At six o'clock next morning the inhabitants of an old farmhouse at -Erkelenz, not far from the Dutch frontier, were seated at breakfast. -There was an old man of some sixty years, his wife and daughter, boys -and girls, and two women servants. The farmer himself and his male -hands were all on service. - -"I wonder where Daddy is now?" said one of the boys. - -"And Fritz and Hans?" said a girl. - -"Somewhere on the way to Paris, little ones," said the grandfather. "He -will bring you back some fine playthings. Granny is wearing the brooch -I brought from Paris forty years ago." - -"Mother says Daddy may be killed," piped another boy. - -"Nonsense!" said the old man. "Was I killed? Not even wounded. Why -should your father be?" - -"How long will he be away?" asked another. - -"Not long. How long was I away in '70, Granny?" - -"Six months," said the old woman. "Du lieber Himmel! but it seemed like -six years. Wilhelm was in long clothes when you went, and when you came -back he was running about. Ah! may God bring him back safe and sound!" - -"Listen! What is that?" cried the children's mother. - -A humming sound, like the buzzing of a monster bee, floated in through -the open window. The children ran to the door. - -"An aeroplane! An aeroplane!" they shouted. "See! it is coming down in -the meadow." - -The household flocked to the door and window. - -"A Taube!" said the old man. "Run and see what the airmen want, Karl." - -A boy of twelve ran across the farmyard into the meadow. The monoplane -had alighted, and a tall man in the uniform of a German captain was -hastening towards the house. - -"Have you any petrol, boy?" asked the airman. - -The country boy looked up with awe, and said nothing. The sight of a -German officer afflicted him with shyness. He ran back to his -grandfather. - -"The Herr Captain needs petrol," he said. - -"That is unlucky, Herr Captain," said the old man, saluting the officer. -"We have no petrol; I doubt whether you will get any in Erkelenz; it has -all been bought for the army." - -"Well, give me something to eat and drink." - -Kenneth tried, without great success, to adopt the German officer's -peremptory manner. - -"No, I won't come in," he added. "Bring it to me here; I've no time to -spare." - -The women hastened to bring him of their best. - -"And the Herr Captain's companion--shall we take something to him?" one -of them asked. - -"He cannot eat or drink with his face bandaged like that," said Kenneth, -glancing back at the aeroplane. - -Pariset, who could not speak German, had swathed his jaw in a linen -bandage. - -"Ach, lieber Gott! he is wounded," said the old man. - -"We have had an exciting trip," replied Kenneth laconically. "I suppose -I shall have to go on to Crefeld. Is anything happening here? I notice -that transport is being diverted from the main road to a by-way. Why is -that?" - -"An accident, Herr Captain," said the man. "A traction engine, drawing -a very heavy load, slipped over the edge of the causeway three miles -yonder. Something broke; it was late last night, and I heard they had -to send to Crefeld for a steam crane to lift it. Maybe it is done by -now." - -"It was drawing an ammunition wagon, I suppose?" - -"It did not look like that, Herr Captain. I walked over to see. But I -could not guess what it was, for it was covered all over with -tarpaulin." - -"Lend me a horse; I'll ride over. Perhaps there's some petrol in the -baggage train." - -"I am sorry, Herr Captain; all the horses are taken." - -"I must walk then. This boy can come and show me the way, and carry -back the petrol." - -"Surely, mein Herr." - -"Keep a look-out, will you? If you see any one approaching, warn the -Herr Lieutenant. There may be spies about." - -He set off behind the boy. The causeway, he remembered, ran beside the -little river Roer, that fell into the Meuse farther west at Roermond. He -needed no guide, and indeed did not intend to go right up to the scene -of the breakdown; but the boy was useful as a cloak to his real design. - -Half an hour's walk across the fields brought him to a hayrick something -less than a mile from the spot. - -"I ought to be able to get a view from the top of that," he thought. - -Bidding the boy wait below, he climbed a ladder set against the side of -the rick, raised his field-glasses to his eyes, and adjusted the focus. -Meanwhile two old farm labourers had slouched across the field and asked -a question of the boy, which he answered in a word. - -Kenneth had reason to congratulate himself on having gone no farther. -Between him and the causeway a half-troop of cavalry had off saddled, -and were smoking near the broken traction engine, which had apparently -swerved over the edge, and completely blocked the road. Behind it were -two huge lorries, carrying between them a large mass of indefinite shape -covered with tarpaulin. At the further end of the causeway was another -traction engine with a similar load. Besides the spick and span cavalry -there were a number of men in dirty clothes, some of whom appeared to be -engaged in tinkering at the engine. - -"Those are the heavy guns, without a doubt," thought Kenneth. "I wish I -could have a good look at them, but I'm afraid it's too risky. I might -have guessed there would be a cavalry escort." - -Obviously it was dangerous to attempt to carry off his imposture with -the German officers. It would have been another matter if only the -motor men had been concerned. He was disappointed. - -As he continued to gaze, however, an idea flashed into his mind. It was -pretty clear that the road would remain blocked until some contrivance -had been rigged up for lifting the engine. Would Pariset venture a bold -stroke? It would be a feather in his cap if he could destroy one, -perhaps two, of these monster siege guns. - -Shutting up his glasses, he climbed down the ladder, ignored the -labourers and their humble salute, and began to hurry back in the -direction of the farm. Surprised, the boy stood watching him for a few -moments. Then he ran after him, and, plucking up courage, said-- - -"Will not the Herr Captain go on and get the petrol?" - -"I will come in the aeroplane, boy; we have enough to bring us here." - -The boy, rather crestfallen, had to trot to keep pace with Kenneth's -long strides. He had hoped to receive a few pfennigs for carrying the -petrol. Kenneth, busy with his thoughts, forgot the youngster until he -was paying the civil farm people for his food. Then, catching sight of -the boy's woebegone face, he handed him a silver coin that drove the -clouds away. It was lucky, he reflected, that he still had some German -money in his possession. A Belgian coin would have given him away. - -After five minutes' talk with Pariset, out of earshot of the people, who -had gathered about at a little distance, they once more took the air. -They had managed to compress a good deal into that brief conversation. -Pariset had accepted Kenneth's suggestion with delight. The problem, -they agreed, was twofold: they had first to deal with the escort, then -with the guns--if they were guns. When they soared away over the meadow -they had formed a clear idea of the means by which they would attempt to -solve it. - -Making a wide sweep, east, north, and west, they approached the causeway -south of the spot where the breakdown had occurred. The sight of a -Taube monoplane flying obliquely over the road aroused curiosity but no -suspicion in the minds of the Germans. But suddenly one of them gave a -shout. Next moment a small bomb fell close beside one of the lorries, -throwing up a shower of dust and stones. The engineers scuttled away; -the troopers rushed to their horses, which, startled by the noise of the -explosion, were threatening to stampede. - -Pariset banked the aeroplane steeply and wheeled round. As it passed -again over the causeway, Kenneth dropped another bomb, which fell close -to the first. The men on foot were rushing wildly up the road; on the -open fields there was no cover. Most of the troopers had mounted; some -had seized their rifles and were firing. But the sight of the aeroplane -wheeling again struck them with panic, and with a shout they dashed -after their comrades, galloping across the fields. - -The aeroplane followed up the fugitives. Owing to its speed, Pariset -had to steer a zigzag course in order not to overtake them. Each time -it wheeled he contrived to bring it close behind the rearmost horseman, -like a sheep dog driving a flock, and Kenneth dropped a bomb to hurry -the pace. - -They kept up the chase for some minutes; then, there being no sign of -rallying, they darted back to the causeway, where the traction engines -and lorries now stood deserted. The level field on one side afforded a -good alighting place. They came to the ground, sprang from their seats, -and as they ran to the causeway noticed one or two men lying wounded. - -"We simply haven't time to attend to them," panted Pariset. "The -fellows will be riding back in a minute." - -They reached the unwieldy vehicles. The impressions of the moment came -back to them afterwards--the huge wheels with their grooved rims, the -deep ruts they had carved in the road. There were plenty of tools lying -about. Kenneth cut the lashings of one of the tarpaulin covers, -stripped off the cover, and found, as he had expected, that beneath it -lay a portion of a huge weapon, half gun, half mortar, with a bore -seventeen inches in diameter. - -"It's not the breech block; try the next lorry," urged Pariset. - -"I'll deal with this; you go on to the next," said Kenneth. - -Each had carried from the aeroplane a cylindrical parcel wrapped in -cotton wool. From the end of this a short length of wire protruded. -Climbing into the lorries they pushed these parcels into the breech end -of the bore of the guns. Then each began to connect the wires with a -small battery furnished with a clock-work timing mechanism. - -While still engaged in this operation, they heard the clatter of hoofs, -and looking up, saw a squadron of cavalry galloping down the road little -more than half a mile away. - -"How long?" shouted Kenneth. - -"Sixty seconds," Pariset replied. "Say when you are ready." - -Pariset, the more experienced of the two, was ready first. - -"Quick!" he cried, running towards the aeroplane. - -"Right!" shouted Kenneth, scrambling down and sprinting after him. - -By the time he had vaulted into his seat the engine had been started. -Pariset jumped in, threw the engine into gear, and the machine started -forward. At the same moment bullets began to fly around. Pariset paid -no heed to them. He had less than half a minute to get beyond the range -of explosion. - -The machine had barely risen from the ground when there was a deafening -report, that seemed to be immediately beneath him. A few moments later -there was a second crashing roar. The aeroplane was tossed about like a -feather in a gale. It dipped, and for an instant Pariset feared that it -would dash to the earth. During the few seconds this miniature tornado -continued the airmen's hearts were in their mouths. Involuntarily they -bent low to avoid the bullets which the horsemen, now come to a halt, -were volleying at them. Keeping a firm grip of the controls, Pariset -flew straight onward, rising as rapidly as possible. - -Not until he had gained an altitude which seemed to promise immunity -from rifle fire did either of them think of turning to see the effect of -the explosions. Then Pariset wheeled round, and flew back, Kenneth -examining the causeway far below through his field-glasses. - -The lorries, as complete vehicles, had disappeared. The remains of one -gun lay scattered on the field; those of the other were -indistinguishably mixed up with earth, stones, and the debris of the -lorries on the causeway. - -The leading files of the troopers appeared to have come within a hundred -yards of the scene at the moment of the first explosion. A few lay on -the ground; some were galloping on their affrighted steeds over the -field; only the rear ranks had been able to rein up, and fire their -ineffectual shots at the aeroplane hopelessly beyond range. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV--HUNTED - - -It occurred to Pariset that, so perfect was the German organisation, the -army besieging Lige might be informed within a few minutes of this -audacious raid upon one of their transport trains. He therefore swept -round in a wide circle southward, in order to approach the city from the -south-west. - -Both he and Kenneth were deeply impressed with the enormous westward -movement of troops and transport which they saw in their flight. The -country beneath them seemed to be alive, like an anthill; with this -difference, however, that although there were cross currents the general -movement was all in one direction. Such might have been, in days long -past, the migrations of the Huns or of the Kalmuck Tartars. - -Over the Meuse, which wound like a silver streak four thousand feet -beneath them, there appeared to be a number of pontoon bridges. Every -road was a continuous stream of moving objects. Far away to the right -they heard at times, above the whirr and hum of the engine, the dull -boom of heavy guns; and now and then patches of white and yellow -appeared in the air as from nowhere, spread into fantastic shapes, and -finally thinned away. - -They had just passed over the little town of Verviers, and were bearing -away to the west-south-west, so as to pass round Forts Embourg and -Boncelles, when the engine suddenly stopped. It had behaved well in -their previous excursions, and had been thoroughly overhauled before -they started. There was only one thing to be done: to make a vol plane -and land as best they could. The aeroplane was very high, and there was -plenty of room, but little choice of a landing place. Pariset worked -the controls for a long spiral descent, and came down in a field between -a wood and a highroad, which he believed to be the main road between -Lige and Luxemburg. - -There was no traffic at this spot, and they at once began to examine the -engine. - -"The plugs are choked," said Pariset after a few moments. "Luckily it's -only a five minutes' job." - -"Hadn't we better wheel the machine round the corner of the wood?" -suggested Kenneth. "We don't know but that some Germans may come up at -any moment." - -"Come along then," said Pariset. - -But they had hardly moved the machine three yards when they heard the -clatter of hoofs, and a patrol of Uhlans came dashing round a bend in -the road. Neither hedge nor dyke bordered the field, and the Uhlans -rode straight across it towards the aeroplane. - -"We are in for it!" said Pariset, hastily adjusting his bandage. "For -goodness' sake try to bluff it out." - -Kenneth went hot and cold; his brain seemed paralysed; and when the -Uhlans reined up a few yards away he had cudgelled his wits in vain for -something to say. A lead was given him by the lieutenant in command. - -"Do you want any help, Herr Captain?" he said. "I saw you come down -suddenly, and guessed there was something wrong." - -"Thanks; it is a mere trifle," replied Kenneth somewhat breathlessly. -"Two of the sparking plugs need cleaning. In five minutes we shall be -up again." - -He bent down to assist Pariset, who had turned his back and was -unscrewing the plugs. - -"Have you been hit?" asked the lieutenant, noticing the bandage. - -"No, luckily; he ought to have gone to the dentist long ago, but -couldn't bear the idea of losing a moment at a time like this. A -swollen jaw is very painful; you can't eat with any comfort. The only -thing to do is to bandage it tightly. But he'll have to go to the -dentist." - -"You're not attached to the 4th army corps, are you? I haven't noticed -you among our airmen." - -"We are on special service," said Kenneth, feeling that matters were -getting warm in spite of the officer's apparent freedom from suspicion. -"You'll excuse me, won't you? we are anxious to get to Lige." - -"Certainly." - -He watched the two men at their work, remarking that it was a very dirty -job. - -Meanwhile one of the troopers had been edging his horse close to the -aeroplane. Pariset, out of the corner of his eye, noticed him looking -at it critically. He bent down to examine one of the planes, gave a -grunt of satisfaction, and glanced at his officer, as if wondering -whether he might venture to address him directly. Concluding that this -might be a breach of discipline, he backed gently towards the -Wachtmeister--the sergeant-major through whom he might communicate with -the lieutenant without being snubbed. - -This by-play escaped the notice of Kenneth, who was half-turned towards -the lieutenant. That officer, having satisfied his curiosity about the -nature of sparking plugs, bade him good-bye, saluted, and gave the order -to ride on. The patrol moved away before the trooper had finished his -communication to the Wachtmeister. - -As soon as they were out of earshot, Pariset whispered: - -"One of those fellows suspects something. If they ride back before we -have got these plugs in place we must bolt into the wood." - -While speaking he kept his eye on the Uhlans without rising from his -stooping posture. They were only a hundred yards away when the -Wachtmeister rode alongside the lieutenant and spoke to him. The -officer gave the order to halt, reined up, and wheeled his horse. - -"Get your revolver ready," whispered Pariset. - -He reached for one of the smallest bombs, and fitting a short fuse -prepared to light it from the petrol lamp. - -The lieutenant was not yet riding back. He had taken out a pocket-book, -and was consulting one of its pages. Pretending to be still busy with -the engine, the airmen watched him anxiously. The Wachtmeister called -up the trooper, who, sitting his horse stiffly, saluted, and spoke in -answer to a question from the lieutenant. - -"He's got a description of the aeroplane," whispered Kenneth. - -"Yes--probably circulated to every patrol," said Pariset. "Run for dear -life if he comes this way." - -As he spoke the lieutenant shut up his pocket-book, and began to canter -back. - -"Now!" said Pariset, lighting the fuse, and laying the bomb swiftly but -gently behind the engine. Then, taking care to keep the aeroplane -between them and the Uhlans, the two dashed towards the wood, about a -hundred and twenty yards away. - -The majority of the patrol, having received no order, had not turned -their horses, nor even ventured to glance round. Only the lieutenant, -the Wachtmeister, and the suspicious trooper had seen the flight of the -airmen during the first few seconds. But now the lieutenant shouted an -order, the men wheeled round, and galloped after their officer, who dug -his spurs into his horse and dashed after the fugitives, followed -closely by his two troopers. - -He had plucked out his revolver, but the aeroplane stood between him and -the airmen, running like sprinters towards the wood. Swerving to the -left to get a clear field of fire, the lieutenant discharged all its -chambers one after another on the chance of a lucky shot. But the -fugitives, having made the most of their start, were out of range. They -gained the outer fringe of trees and plunged in, the lieutenant being -then about thirty yards behind them. He had drawn his sword. His men -were strung out at short intervals in his rear. - -There was not much cover at the edge of the wood, and the airmen dashed -on towards the spot where the trees grew more densely, Pariset leading -by a few yards. By the time he reached it, Kenneth heard the -lieutenant's horse pounding the turf almost at his heels. It seemed -that in a second or two he must be ridden down. With instant decision -he dived to the right behind a large tree. The lieutenant, unable to -check his horse in time, galloped past, shouting to his men to catch the -spy. Kenneth took a flying shot at him, missed, and rushed after -Pariset, who at the sound of the shot turned and fired at the -Wachtmeister, now only a few yards behind his leader. There was a howl. -Neither of the airmen stayed to see the effect of the shot. They plunged -into the brushwood, which grew more and more densely as they proceeded, -and was more closely set with trees. - -"They can't ride through this," Kenneth panted as he overtook Pariset. -"They would be swept from their saddles." - -"Yes; we're as good as they on foot; we are safe for a while. Did you -hear the bomb?" - -"Rather: it went off all right; the Taube must be blown to atoms." - -The pursuing horsemen, on finding themselves checked by the undergrowth -and the trees, flung themselves from their saddles. They lost a few -minutes in tethering their horses, so that when they pushed on on foot, -the fugitives had been enabled to penetrate deeper into the wood. - -"I hope they'll give it up soon," said Pariset, hearing the troopers' -movements in the rustling and crackling undergrowth. "To rout us out -they must beat the wood thoroughly." - -"It's lucky they're only a patrol and not a whole squadron, or they -might encircle the wood," responded Kenneth in the same low tone. - -They went still farther among the trees, moving as quietly as they -could. It was soon evident that they were being followed up. Every now -and then they heard the same sounds of movement, and shouts in different -directions behind them. Apparently the Uhlans were scattering to beat -the wood systematically. - -"Our uniforms account for their perseverance," Pariset remarked. "The -Germans don't scruple to wear Belgian uniform, or to dress as civilians; -nothing makes them more angry than that we should do the same." - -"And they know it was their own Taube, purloined at Cologne," said -Kenneth. "You may be sure they are particularly incensed at that." - -"We are outstripping them," said Pariset a few moments later. "The -sounds are fainter." - -"The question is, what shall we find at the other side of the wood? If -open fields, we shan't stand a dog's chance against their rifles. -Perhaps we had better dodge about among the trees." - -"With the risk of tumbling up against one! No, we had better go -straight on." - -Again they pressed forward in silence. The sounds behind them grew -still fainter, but they became aware in a few minutes that the number of -their pursuers had increased. There were more voices, distributed over -a wider area. - -"The regiment has come up, I fancy," said Kenneth. "Very likely some of -them will ride round the wood. We're in a tight corner, Remi." - -"Hurry on, man. Our one chance is to be first out." - -From the continual diminution of the sounds it was plain that the Uhlans -were moving with great caution. No doubt they feared an enemy in every -bush. The fugitives, on the other hand, pressed on as fast as they -could, guarding against a circular course by means of the small compass -which Pariset wore in a strap on his wrist. - -After a quarter of an hour's hot exertion they came suddenly to the -farther edge of the wood. The country immediately in front was open and -level, dotted about with single trees and small clumps. In the distance -they saw a farmhouse, and still farther away, a picturesque chateau on -the side of a hill. - -"Shall we make a run for it?" said Kenneth, as they paused a moment -before leaving the shelter of the trees. - -For answer, Pariset caught him by the sleeve, and drew him back. - -"Cut off?" asked Kenneth. - -"Yes; a troop of Uhlans are galloping along the edge of the wood away -there to the left; nearly a mile away, thank goodness!" - -"Fairly trapped!" said Kenneth, with nervous twitching of his eyebrow. - -In the excitement of the last half hour their thoughts had been too busy -to give them time for apprehension. But now, with Uhlans on foot spread -out in the wood behind them, a troop on horseback approaching on their -left, possibly another on their right, they began to realise what it was -like to be hunted. They felt as if inexorable walls were closing upon -them to crush them. It would be madness to take to the open. The -impulse to turn to the right in the wood, away from the galloping -Uhlans, was dulled by the fear that a second troop had been sent to head -them off in that direction. They adopted the wisest course in such a -situation: remained where they were, some few yards from the outer -fringe of trees, and tried to think out their problem calmly. - -"It will be safer to let them pass us," said Pariset presently. "They -will expect to see us emerge; let us go to meet them. Can you hear the -fellows behind us in the wood?" - -They stood listening. - -"No," said Kenneth. "I daresay they are stealing up quietly." - -"We must keep our ears open. Now, as quickly as possible." - -They threaded their way cautiously through the wood towards the oncoming -Uhlans. Very soon they heard the thuds of the horses' hoofs to their -right. Among the trees they could neither see nor be seen. The sound -ceased suddenly. Then came the muffled murmur of voices. Apparently the -Uhlans had drawn rein almost at the spot where the fugitives had -intended to break cover. - -"A clever lot!" whispered Pariset. "They calculated to a yard or two -where we should be likely to come out. A good thing we turned this -way." - -The Uhlans, in fact, only about two hundred yards away, had dismounted, -and leaving their horses tethered in the charge of two of their number, -had entered the wood, spread out, and begun to beat the coverts in the -direction of their comrades advancing from the farther side. - -The fugitives pressed on rapidly, parallel with the edge of the wood, -hoping that they would not meet the men at the extremity of the -far-extended line. There was no sound to guide them or give warning. -Presently they ventured to draw a little nearer to the edge, where the -trees were sparser and they could move more quickly. Pariset constantly -consulted his compass. Their course was northward, in the direction of -Lige. - -For twenty minutes or more they jogged on, careful not to lose their -wind. Then they discovered that the wood was narrowing, and a few more -minutes brought them within sight of its end, the apex of a triangle. -Peering out cautiously through the trees, they saw a little way ahead -the fork of two roads. That to the left was evidently the main road -near which the aeroplane had landed. That to the right must be the -byroad along which the Uhlans had ridden to cut them off. Beyond, on -either side, were open fields. - -They halted in perplexity, anxious though they were to lose no time. A -false move, an unfortunate decision, and they were lost. - -"If we dash across country we may be seen," said Pariset. "If we take -to the road we may meet more troops. But we can't stay in the wood. The -Uhlans will beat it thoroughly." - -"Could we climb a tree and hide in the foliage?" suggested Kenneth. - -"We mightn't be as lucky as your Merry Monarch," said Pariset. "The -fellows are capable of burning down the whole wood if they can't find -us. And in a very short time they are sure to draw a cordon round it. -We must get out, somehow or other. If only the roads were hedged, like -your English country roads, we should stand a chance." - -They were still discussing their quandary when they heard the rumble of -an approaching cart. Looking eagerly ahead, they saw a large wagon -piled with loose hay. The driver appeared to be a Belgian peasant. -Beside him sat an armed soldier in the bluish grey German uniform. They -seemed only half awake. The two horses were plodding slowly, with -drooping heads. The appearance of men and beasts suggested that they -had been travelling all night. - -There was a gleam in Kenneth's eyes as he turned to Pariset. - -"Into the hay?" he whispered. - -"The wagon will pass the Uhlans," Pariset replied. - -"So much the better." - -"But the hay may be for their horses." - -"Not very likely. It must have been definitely requisitioned, and they -wouldn't dare to touch it." - -Pariset pondered. A faint sound came from the depths of the wood. - -"It's our only chance," he said, "but in ten minutes we may have lances -or bullets through us. A la bonne heure!" - - - - -CHAPTER XV--HUNS AT PLAY - - -The wagon rumbled heavily along the road. The two men stood just within -the wood, watching the driver and the soldier, looking up and down the -road with a half-formed fear that more troops would come in sight. They -allowed the wagon to pass them; then, running behind it on tiptoe, they -leapt up, and plunged into the hay, which was loosely piled, just as it -had been pitched down from a looted rick. - -They burrowed their way through the scented mass, drawing it closely -behind them to cover their tracks. The creaking of the cart wheels, the -loud tramp of the big Flemish horses, the sleepiness of the men in front -were all in their favour. They reached the forepart of the wagon -without having attracted attention. Kenneth's nostrils itched. It was -lucky, he thought, that the hay was dry and the season far advanced, or -a fit of sneezing would have betrayed him. - -To get air, and to enable them to see down the road, they made little -gaps in the hay, scarcely broader than two fingers. Then they lay -still, happy in their escape from the Uhlans, but desperately anxious -about what might come. - -The wagon was travelling towards Luxemburg. Presently, muffled by the -hay, the sound of men's voices reached their ears. These continued for -some minutes; no doubt they proceeded from the Uhlans in the wood. After -about twenty minutes they heard a louder voice, close at hand. The wagon -stopped. - -"Have you seen two officers?" asked a man in German. "Dressed as -Germans. One a lean ugly fellow, the other a round moon-faced baby. -They are spies." - -The soldier, pulling himself together, answered briskly "No!" Conscious -of having been dozing on duty he went further. - -"We have seen nobody for the last three miles," he said. "The whole -country is deserted. What is doing about here?" - -"The spies came down in that aeroplane yonder, and escaped into the -wood." - -"Teufel! I see no aeroplane." - -"It is in ruins; the fellows blew it up. It was one of ours, too, a -Taube. They stole it." - -"There will be fine shooting when they are caught. These Belgians are -the very deuce. Half my regiment are down. My horse was shot. I'm -going to take one of these cart horses when we get to Spa. They are -rather heavy, but one must take what one can get. Horses are scarce." - -The Uhlan who had spoken came round to the back of the wagon, and pulled -out an armful of hay for his horse. The fugitives shivered. If others -of the troop did the same thing, their screen would be removed, -detection was inevitable. - -"Not too much," called the trooper in front, standing up and peering -round the corner of the load. "Don't get me into trouble. I was -ordered to bring back a full load, and the Herr Major is a terrible man -in his anger." - -"Where did you get it from?" asked the Uhlan, now joined by several of -his comrades who had been left in charge of the horses of those -searching the wood. - -"From a farm about two hours' journey back, somewhere about Theux, I -think they call it. It's an out-of-the-way place, but we got the tip -from a Hussar who lodged with the farmer for a year or two; there wasn't -much he didn't find out; and he knew exactly how much fodder he had." - -"Did you leave any?" - -"Two good ricks. Are you short?" - -"Yes, our supplies haven't come up. Plenty of beer on the farm?" - -"Not so much as there was," replied the man with a laugh. "But enough -to get properly drunk on if they give you time." - -"That's the place for us. How do you get there?" - -"Up the road about five miles, turn down a by-road on the right; there's -a row of poplars on one side; you can't miss it. We must move on. I -hope you'll catch the spies. Good luck!" - -The wagon jogged on. - -"Whip up your horses," cried the soldier to the driver. "We have been -too long on the road." - -The fugitives, on tenterhooks all this time, breathed more freely when -they had passed the spot where the Uhlans were grouped on the grass, -guarding the horses and the ruins of the aeroplane. But they realised -that they were escaping one danger only to fall into another. The -destination of the wagon was Spa, no doubt filled with Germans. They -must leave the wagon before it reached that town. - -They were thinking of slipping out at a quiet stretch of the road, and -taking their chance of bolting across the fields, when the wagon was met -by another Uhlan patrol, who after questioning the trooper, wheeled -their horses and rode alongside. - -"You are just in time, Schmidt," said one of the newcomers. - -"What for?" asked the trooper, who evidently belonged to the same -regiment. - -"To see how we reduce the population. There's a big farm in a hamlet a -quarter-mile up the road. Rumpelmeyer was shot near there, so we routed -out all the men in the place except the farmer, who escaped. As soon as -he is rounded up we are going to shoot the lot." - -They rumbled on into the hamlet, and pulled up at the gate of the farm. -The terrified villagers were penned up like cattle in the farmyard, -guarded by a dozen Uhlans. A few women at the wall, imploring the -Germans to have mercy, were answered with brutal jeers. - -"A dirty herd!" said the trooper on the wagon. "Why don't you shoot -them at once?" - -"The Wachtmeister thinks that would be too good for them. First dinner, -and then sport, says he. He is a humorist, our Wachtmeister. Here he -is." - -"Thank goodness I needn't go any further on this lumbering wagon," said -the trooper. "Is the whole regiment coming up from Spa?" - -"In the course of the day. Fifteen of us came in advance. Two are -hunting for the farmer." - -"Well done, Schmidt," said the sergeant, coming up to the wagon. "You've -a good load there." - -"Shall I unload, and give the horses a feed?" asked the trooper. - -"They can wait. There's a hot dinner ready, prepared by our kind -friends the Belgians. They entertain us; afterwards we shall entertain -them. Poor Rumpelmeyer has gone. But a dozen Belgians are waiting -yonder to join him. A dozen Belgians are not worth one good German, but -it's something to go on with. We shall find others; it would be a pity -to leave too many to bother us when the country is ours." - -Kenneth, under the hay, was squirming. Pariset, knowing no German, was -not aware of what was coming, but his apprehension was all the greater -for his ignorance. Kenneth whispered that the wagon was not to be -unloaded yet; he dared not say more at the moment, with so many enemies -within hearing. - -The sky was becoming overclouded. The wagoner took the horses out, and -led them to loose boxes in the stables. The trooper Schmidt had sprung -down and entered the house, where all the Uhlans except three left on -guard over the prisoners had assembled for the good dinner prepared by -the women of the farm under the eye of their truculent visitors. - -The wagon having been left standing at the gate, Kenneth ventured to -repeat to Pariset the gist of the conversation he had heard. The -Belgian swore under his breath. - -"We must get out while they are at dinner," Kenneth whispered. - -"Those three brutes would see us," said Pariset, eyeing the three Uhlans -savagely through his peephole. - -"I'm afraid they would," Kenneth agreed. "But we are bound to be -discovered when they unload." - -"Well, we'll get away if we see half a chance. We must wait. I wish we -could do something for those poor wretches in the yard. These Germans -have much to answer for, Ken; and they shall pay--they shall pay!" - -They lay in their stuffy shelter, listening to the sounds of -merriment--heavy-hoofed merriment--from within the house, the grumbles -of the Uhlans who had been left outside and were losing the fun, the -sobs of the women at the wall. The sky grew blacker and blacker, rain -began to fall. The Uhlans on guard turned up their collars and swore. - -Presently there was a diversion. The two Uhlans who had been out -rounding up the missing farmer had caught him and a second man, and were -bringing them along at a trot, prodding them with their lances to make -them keep up with the horses. There were cries of dismay from the -herded prisoners, and of pity from the women. The attention of the -Uhlans on guard was somewhat diverted from the prisoners to the -newcomers, as these were marched through the gate and across the -farmyard to the hurdles within which their fellow villagers were -confined. - -"Now's the time!" whispered Kenneth. "Creep behind the cart and round -by the stables. There's just a chance." - -They slid out of the wagon, slipped into the yard, and ran to the -stables, being screened from the guards' observation by the horses of -the Uhlans who had just returned. Behind the stables there was a barn, -with a ladder reaching to its high loft. - -"Up there!" whispered Pariset. "We should be seen if we ran across the -fields." - -They clambered up, and panting with excitement and haste threw -themselves on the floor of the loft. - -"Perhaps we can remain here until night," said Pariset. "The place is -empty; they've no reason for visiting it again." - -They heard the newly-arrived troopers lead their horses to the stables -and address some one there in loud peremptory tones. Then their spurred -boots were heard clanking over the cobbles, and they went into the -house. Shouts of applause followed their entrance; no doubt they had -reported their capture. - -"I wish we could do something!" murmured Pariset restlessly. "But we -can't tackle twelve or fifteen." - -A few minutes later, when the tremors of excitement had ceased, Kenneth -got up. - -"We can at least go and see who is in the stables," he said. "Perhaps -we could make off with a couple of horses." - -"Anything rather than lie here idle," said Pariset. - -They crept down the ladder, and stole round the outbuilding towards -where they knew by the sounds the door of the stable was. It was on the -side remote from the corner where the prisoners were herded. Peeping in -at the door, Kenneth saw the driver of the wagon sitting disconsolately -on an upturned pail, and beckoned to Pariset to precede him. They -slipped into the stable. The wagoner jumped up with a start when he saw -two Germans, as he supposed. - -"Hist! I am a Belgian," whispered Pariset hurriedly in Flemish. "My -friend is an Englishman." - -The man looked at them narrowly, only half believing. - -"It is true," said Pariset. "We want to save the prisoners. Do you -know the place? Will you help?" - -Convinced by their appearance and by Pariset's Flemish the man said: - -"My word! will I help! One of them is my brother; two are my cousins. -Only tell me what I can do, mijnheer. But not here; it is not safe; -come to the back." - -"Wait!" said Pariset, pointing to a door at the further end of the -stable. "Where does that lead to?" - -"Into the harness room." - -"And beyond that?" - -"The kitchen." - -"Who are in the kitchen?" - -"I do not know; maybe the mistress and the women servants. They cook -the meals for those hogs." - -"Is the door unlocked?" - -"Most likely; it is never locked during the day." - -"Then creep into the kitchen and tell the women we are here. Quickly! -We will hide in the harness room. And find out where the Germans have -stacked their rifles, and how many there are." - -The man passed through the door, followed by Pariset and Kenneth, who -remained among the harness while the wagoner went on to the kitchen. - -"It's a frightful risk, Remi," whispered Kenneth. - -Pariset set his teeth. - -"I'm a Belgian," he said. "It's not your job. Go back to----" - -"Rubbish!" Kenneth interrupted. "We sink or swim together.... Here he -comes!" - -"I saw the mistress," said the man. "They have caught the master; she -is frantic. There are ten Uhlans in the big room; the sergeant is alone -in the parlour beyond. The maids are serving them." - -"The rifles?" said Pariset. - -"They are not stacked, mijnheer. There is no room between the wall and -the big table. They are laid anyhow in the corner near the kitchen -door." - -For a minute or two Pariset and Kenneth conversed in rapid whispers. -While they were speaking the farmer's wife, a large capable Flamande, -came to the door, an expression of mingled agitation and hope on her -broad red face. - -"We try it?" said Pariset to Kenneth. - -"Yes." - -The three men entered the kitchen. - -"If you can save my husband and my son--" began the good woman -imploringly. - -Pariset cut her short. She had the appearance of abundant energy. - -"We want your help, meffrouw," he said. "Courage! Can you smuggle some -of the rifles out of the room? Not all." - -"I will try, mijnheer," she said quietly, with the firm look of the -Flemish housewife. - -There was much noise from the room beyond. The troopers were eating and -drinking hard. Pariset and Kenneth stepped behind a large Dutch clock -when the women pushed open the door, carrying a dish of steaming stew. -They saw her recoil a little when the Germans hailed her appearance with -boisterous shouts. She beckoned to her two maids, stout Flamandes like -herself, then disappeared towards the right. - -The two airmen waited anxiously. Would the housewife's nerve fail? -Would the Germans detect her? They had fallen gluttonously on the new -dish, praising Belgian viands after the short commons of the days -preceding. - -Presently the woman reappeared at the door. Her face was pale; she was -grimly pressing her lips together, and when she had entered the kitchen -and closed the door she took from the folds of her gown a rifle. - -"The maids stood in front of me," she murmured. - -"Take the rifle into the harness room," said Pariset to the wagoner. -"Another, meffrouw." - -The poor woman trembled, but summoning her courage she passed again into -the room. The door at the further end was now open, and the sergeant -stood in it. He had consulted his dignity by dining alone in the -parlour. - -"More wine!" he shouted. "It's poor stuff, mother, but I must make the -best of it till we get to Champagne. Then we'll break a few necks--of -bottles and Frenchmen." - -Roars of laughter from the men greeted this sally. One of the maids -carried a fresh bottle into the parlour. Meanwhile the housewife had -taken advantage of the diversion caused by the sergeant's pleasantry to -remove another rifle. Three more she brought out at intervals; then -Pariset said it was enough; to abstract more might lead the men to -notice the diminution of the pile. Pariset examined each of the five; -there were cartridges in all. - -"Do your maids know German?" he asked the woman. - -"Katrinka knows a little," she replied. - -"Ask her to take some wine to the men on guard outside--it is by the -sergeant's orders. You and the other maid each take a bottle too. -Supply the Uhlans in there with plenty of food first, to keep them -occupied. They will gorge themselves so long as you please." - -While the women carried into the room dishes loaded with cakes and -patties, Pariset and the two others held a whispered conversation in the -harness room. On the return of the women, Pariset asked the mistress to -give the carrier a bottle of wine. The man took it in his left hand; -his right held a knife. - -The inner door of the kitchen was closed. They moved quietly to a side -door opening directly on the farmyard. Rain and mist threw a murky -gloom over the scene. The women, carrying bottles, moved quickly -towards the discontented Uhlans, who uttered guttural exclamations of -pleasure when the girl Katrinka gave the message with which Pariset had -primed her. Behind them slouched the wagoner, lifting his bottle to his -lips with ostentatious enjoyment. Within the shadow of the door Pariset -and Kenneth stood with levelled rifles, their eyes fixed on the scene in -front, their ears alert for sounds in the rear. - -The women had given the Uhlans a bottle each. The good wife had a -second in reserve. Turning their backs upon the prisoners, the guard -broke the necks of the bottles, and drank with great gulps. Unnoticed, -the wagoner slipped round behind them, cut the cords that bound the -nearest prisoner, handed him the knife, and edged towards the Uhlans, -still taking pulls at his bottle. - -Five of the prisoners had been released by their companion before one of -the guards, half-turning, noticed a commotion within the pens, and at a -second glance saw with amazement what was happening. Dropping his -bottle with a furious oath, he seized his rifle, but before it reached -his shoulder the wagoner swung his uncorked bottle with all his force -and broke it on the Uhlan's head, stretching him on the ground in a -crimson pool of wine. He caught the man's rifle as it fell, and -bayoneted the second German, who had turned at his comrade's cry. The -third, evading a blow aimed at him with her bottle by the sturdy -housewife, shouted for help, and was lifting his rifle when it was -wrenched from his hands by the villager who had been first released, and -he fell beside the others, stunned by a blow from the butt end. - -Kenneth and Pariset, who had followed every movement with breathless -anxiety, felt that the party outside would give no trouble for a time, -at any rate. They turned sharply round on hearing a commotion from the -inner room, where the guzzling Uhlans had heard, through their own -noise, the shout from the farmyard. Jumping to their feet, they crowded -towards the rifles in the corner, and had just discovered that the -weapons would not go round, when the door was thrown open, and they saw -standing in the doorway two German officers. - -"Achtung!" cried Kenneth, in the short sharp tone he had many a time -heard in a German drill yard. - -The men sprang to attention, clicked their heels, and saluted. They had -no time to think; they acted with mechanical obedience. Standing thus -rigid they were amazed to see the officers cover them with their rifles, -and to hear a peremptory summons to surrender. Fuddled, astounded, they -threw up their hands. - -At this moment the door of the parlour was flung open, and the sergeant, -red with wine and rage, before he had taken in the scene, demanded what -the noise was about. His voice dropped at the end of the sentence, when -he saw, as he thought, a captain and a lieutenant before him. A sound -of rushing feet behind him caused him to swing round hastily. With a -startled cry he raised his revolver, and fired; but he was immediately -hurled backward to the floor by a dozen sturdy peasants, the foremost of -whom held a knife. - -There was a great silence in the farm. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI--THE CARETAKER - - -"We shall have to clear everybody out of this double quick," said -Pariset. "If the regiment comes up every soul will be massacred." - -"You mean that we must all trek?" said Kenneth. - -"Yes. You and I must rig ourselves up as Uhlans, and pretend that we -are convoying prisoners. The villagers had better gather what valuables -they want to save, and migrate, it doesn't much matter where to, so long -as it is as far as possible from the line of the German advance." - -He explained his plan to the farmer and the other Belgian peasants. They -suggested that a short and easy way of securing safety was to shoot all -the Uhlans and bury them, but Pariset would not agree to that. The men -having surrendered, their lives at least must be spared. - -Without delay preparations were made. The body of the dead sergeant was -hastily buried. The Uhlan prisoners were stripped of their uniforms, -clad in coarse garments provided by the villagers, and roped together. -The wagon was emptied of its hay and loaded up with such little -treasures as the villagers possessed, among them an extraordinary number -of birdcages. Then it rumbled off, followed by the whole population of -the hamlet, men, women, and children, setting off through the rain to -some sequestered village off the main route, where they might hope to be -left untouched by the German tide. - -Pariset and Kenneth exchanged their uniforms for those of two of the -Uhlans, provided themselves with civilian clothes, selected two of the -best horses, and after a few minutes' puzzled consideration what to do -with the rest, removed their trappings and let them loose in the fields. - -It was now getting late in the afternoon. Rain was still falling -heavily, which was at once an inconvenience and an advantage. For -safety's sake Pariset bandaged his head again; then they started, -Kenneth riding ahead, the captive Uhlans between him and Pariset. - -They were under no illusion as to the danger they were incurring. If -they should meet any considerable body of Germans, a word from one of -the prisoners would be their undoing. But what with the rain and the -approach of darkness they hoped to avoid any such contretemps. The -direction of their march was westward, their intention being to approach -Lige from the south-west. So far as they knew the Germans had not -pushed their way in force farther west than Stoumont, so that they were -unlikely to encounter anything more serious than patrols and outposts. -Such were formidable enough. - -Marching across fields, by by-ways, through woods, they arrived by -nightfall in the neighbourhood of the river Ourthe. Some few miles -beyond that river they believed that the French army was in line. As -they were passing a cluster of cottages a voice in German called upon -them to halt. Pariset moved up to the front of the prisoners, and -pointing his revolver threatened to shoot if any man spoke a word. -Kenneth meanwhile, answering in German, had ridden a few paces ahead, -and explained to the sentry who had challenged that he was escorting -some Belgian civilians as prisoners to Erze, and asked in his turn for -news. To his surprise and alarm he learnt that the Germans were in -force a few miles to the south, and expected next day to force the -passage of the Ourthe. At the hamlet at which he had arrived a small -infantry outpost had quartered itself that afternoon. - -Getting from the sentry the direction of Erze, he rode back and led -the party away from the hamlet to the south-west. - -"That was a near thing, Remi," he said. "We shall never be able to get -these fellows to our own lines." - -"Pity we didn't let the farmer's men shoot them," returned Pariset. -"They'll be our ruin." - -"I vote we leave them at the next village we come to. They'll be -discovered by the Germans in their advance to-morrow." - -"Not a man of them! The villagers would have put them out of sight by -to-morrow. We must leave them on the road if you want to keep them -alive." - -They had still not determined what to do with their troublesome charges -when they caught sight of lights twinkling mistily through the -rain-laden darkness ahead. Kenneth slipped down from his saddle, and -went forward on foot to reconnoitre, the rest halting. In a few minutes -he returned. - -"The place is evidently full of Germans," he said. "I heard the eternal -'Deutschland ber Alles'; the bosches certainly sing well! We must make -up our minds once for all what to do." - -After a brief discussion they retreated some distance up the road, out -of earshot from the village. On one side was an extensive plantation, -probably the covert of some Belgian nobleman. Here they decided to -leave their prisoners. The trees would give the men a certain -protection from the rain. They could make themselves heard when their -troops passed along the road in the morning. There accordingly the two -young fellows placed the Uhlans, eking out the rope to bind their legs -as well as their arms. Then they struck down a bridlepath that ran -westward, the direction of the Ourthe. - -The night was so dark that though the rain ceased towards midnight they -made but slow progress. In changing clothes neither had provided -himself with matches, so that Pariset's compass was useless. Groping -from bridlepath to lane, from lane to high road, which they quitted as -soon as possible, stealing past the few cottages they came upon, they -wandered for an hour or two until both felt that they must wait for -daylight, if they were to secure themselves against the risk of falling -unawares among the enemy. They tethered their horses in a copse, and, -being wet through, paced up and down to maintain their circulation until -the dawn stole through the trees. Then, weary, hungry, and bedraggled, -they remounted, and pursued their way along a narrow sunken road. -Ignorant of their whereabouts, they could only trust to chance and the -compass, unless they should presently come upon Belgians whom they might -ask to direct them. - -But the country appeared to be deserted. When they cautiously -approached the first wayside cottage they came to, they found no one -there. Everything was in order; the Germans had not yet visited it; -clearly the inhabitants had fled at the mere rumour of their advance. - -About eight o'clock they came in sight of a large country-house, lying -back from the road in extensive grounds. The aspect of it, and an -armoured motor-car standing at the gates, caused them to draw up within -the cover of the trees bordering the road. The gates were broken, there -were gaps in the wall, and one side of the house was damaged by shells. - -"We had better go back a little, and cut across the fields," said -Pariset. "That car is probably German; there may be Germans inside. It -would be risky to pass the house." - -"Perhaps it's a Belgian car," Kenneth suggested. "I'm inclined to wait -until we know. We have hopelessly lost our way." - -"Look out!" said Pariset. - -Two men in German uniform had descended on the far side of the car, and -begun to walk up and down in front of the gates, in the manner of men -stretching their legs after long waiting. Pariset and Kenneth drew -farther back, behind a clump of trees, dismounted, and watched. - -In a few minutes they heard the characteristic clatter of a motor -bicycle. From beyond the house a cyclist in uniform dashed up at full -speed; he halted at the gates, dismounted, and exchanging a word with -the waiting men walked up the drive and entered the house. Soon he -reappeared, with a German officer and a civilian. These entered the -motor-car with the two men, and drove away in the direction from which -the cyclist had come. He remounted and rode after them. An old man had -tottered after the Germans; he closed the gates, or what remained of -them; then, after watching the vehicles out of sight, he returned to the -house, stepping much more briskly than when he came from it. - -"He's glad to see the backs of them; a Belgian, without doubt," said -Kenneth. "Let us go and ask him the way." - -"I'll go; you remain with the horses," said Pariset. - -Looking along the road to make sure that no enemy was in sight, Pariset -hurried to the gates, walked up the drive, and rang the bell at the -front door. It was only after ringing twice that his summons was -answered. The door opened; the bent old man, white of hair and beard, -rubbed his hands nervously together as he stood on the threshold. - -"Good morning!" said Pariset in French. "You don't speak German?" - -"Alas, we Belgians are backward in many things," replied the man in -French with a provincial accent and in quavering tones. "What can I do -for you?" - -"First, tell me where I am, where does the road lead to?" - -"By Hamoir to Lige." - -"Who were the party who left just now?" - -"Officers of your own army": he glanced at the Uhlan uniform. - -"And the cyclist?" - -"A despatch rider, I think." Then, in the same trembling uncertain -voice of an old man, he went on in English: "He was a glue merchant in -the Minories six months ago--Ernst Lilienthal & Co., 2nd floor: mind the -lift! And if I were you, Herr Pariset, I should wear that tureen" -(pointing to the Uhlan helmet) "a trifle more upright, and your shoulder -strap a little more aslant, when you meet more Germans than you care to -tackle single-handed." - -At the first words of English Pariset stared; then he smiled; before the -seeming old man had concluded Pariset grasped his hand. - -"Mr. Granger! Your disguise is complete, wonderful." - -"My dear sir!" said Granger deprecatingly. "But come inside. I want -news of our friend Amory." - -"He is only a few yards away. I'll fetch him; he is in Uhlan uniform, -like me. Is it safe?" - -"A little more than safe, I hope," said Granger with a smile. "We have -some few hours to spare; not too many, perhaps. You have horses?" - -"Yes." - -"Tether them behind that shrubbery yonder. I don't recommend the -stables. Bring Amory straight into the house." - -Pariset hastened back to the spot where he had left Kenneth. - -"Come along!" he said. "I have discovered a friend." - -"That's capital!" said Kenneth. "Is he an old friend?" - -"Not exactly an old friend. It is that old man you saw come to the -gate. I have only known him a few days--since I met you, in fact." - -"That's odd," said Kenneth, puzzled. "We have been together practically -every minute since we met, and I wasn't aware you had made a new -acquaintance of any old man except that farmer and his friend the -miller." - -"What is odder is that he asked after you." - -"Really! Who is he?" - -"Come and see. You'll be glad to meet him." - -"Hang your mystifications!" - -"Not mine. But there he is at the door. Those fellows, by the way, who -went off in the automobile were Germans, but the old man assured me it -is quite safe to accept his invitation." - -While speaking they had led their horses to the house. They tied them -up in a thick shrubbery behind the lawn, and went up the steps to the -front door. - -"How do you do, Amory?" said Granger in his natural voice, holding out -his hand. - -"By George!" gasped Kenneth. "A splendid get-up; I shouldn't have known -you. What a Proteus you are!" - -"Without his prophetic gifts, or I should have expected you. Come in: I -have some interesting news for you." - -"But what----" - -"What am I?" Granger interposed. "I am an old family servant who, like -the domestic cat, stuck to the old place after the family had left. I -am caretaker, _pro tem._--and the time will be very short, I fancy. We -will bar the door; I am very vigilant. Now I am at your service." - - - - -CHAPTER XVII--A BARMECIDE FEAST - - -Granger laughed when Kenneth related the incidents of the past -twenty-four hours. - -"You are uncommonly lucky young daredevils," he said. "To the best of -my knowledge Proteus, for all his quick changes, had only one life; you -seem to have several apiece. The only pity is that you couldn't enjoy -the triumph that would have attended your marching of the prisoners into -camp." - -"Yes, I should have liked that," said Kenneth. "But what are you doing -here? What is your game? Your disguise is perfect, upon my word!" - -"I will tell you--in confidence," he replied with a sly look. "From -information received I arrived here yesterday afternoon. As you see, -the amiable Teutons have left their mark on the house. My informant had -led me to expect that it would be visited by certain German gentlemen. -Sure enough, late last night an armoured car honked at the door, and -when I lifted the bar with my fumbling fingers, there entered an officer -and a civilian. A sergeant and three privates remained outside until -the major ordered them in to search the house. The civilian was clearly -a man of some importance, judging by the deference--somewhat strange -among Germans--paid to him by the soldier occupants of the car. He went -by the name of Brinckmann, but as an ornament of society in Cologne, and -occasionally I believe in London also, he was known as Kurt Hellwig." - -"By George!" exclaimed Kenneth. - -"I thought I should interest you." - -"The cur!" - -"Hush, my dear fellow! Hellwig enjoys imperial favour. He boasted of a -particularly cordial interview with the War Lord, who appears to take a -close personal interest in underground operations. Well, the major and -Hellwig dined together--if the scratch meal that my trembling hands -prepared for them could be called a dinner. They had to be content with -inferior wine: thirsty compatriots of theirs had consumed the best. I -waited at table: in our--profession, we play many parts. They were -expecting a visit from a high-placed officer this morning; that was the -item in my original information that led me to impersonate the aged -servitor, sans teeth, sans eyes--you know the quotation. As a Belgian -peasant, speaking French only villainously, I could not be expected to -understand the language of these lords of the world. They conversed -quite freely, and confirmed my informant in every particular. I hoped to -hear more this morning, but unluckily Fate has robbed me of the -opportunity. A despatch rider came up a little while ago on one of -those noisy mechanical monstrosities that have ousted the thoroughbred -of former days." - -"Oh, come now! The motor cycle is much more useful than the horse," -Kenneth interrupted. - -"Especially when a tyre bursts, a nut falls off, or the gearing goes -wrong! However, it appeared that the appointment was cancelled. The -high officer would not come here, but summoned my gentlemen to meet him -at Marche, some fifteen miles west." - -"They have advanced as far as that, then?" said Pariset ruefully. - -"They are on the way to Paris, my dear sir," said Granger. "They have, -I understand, given rendezvous there for the 26th of this month. Their -confidence is, perhaps, a little ahead of their capacity. But your -unexpected arrival--we cannot know everything!--is very welcome. I seem -to see that by this happy chance my time may not be wholly wasted. You -will make very good Uhlans when I have touched you up a little." - -"What do you mean?" asked Kenneth. - -"Hellwig said, on leaving, that he and his friends would return about -midday. In his pleasant way he threatened to burn the house over my -head if I did not prepare a better dejeuner than the dinner he suffered -last night. Imagine my agitation! What a calamity! How should I meet -my master when he returns? My hands shook so violently that I began to -be afraid of overdoing my part! ... But now, gentlemen, for Herr -Hellwig's dejeuner. I can count on your assistance. He will need a -good digestion!" - -"You mean to tackle them?" asked Pariset. - -"I don't want to be unfair to either party--to take you at the Germans' -valuation, or to rate them too low. Suppose I stand aside; there will -then be two against two." - -"But there are four others," said Kenneth. - -"Who being of inferior clay are not allowed to contaminate the air for -their betters. They remain outside. Last night they took turns at -sentry-go in the rain in front of the house, and when not on duty dozed -in the car." - -"They may bring others back with them," suggested Pariset. - -"They will not, if I know my Hellwig," answered Granger. "Of course we -are wofully outnumbered if they all take a hand, to say nothing of the -machine gun. The sound of that would probably bring down upon us a -swarm of gentle Germans." - -"Are they so near?" asked Kenneth. - -"I tottered through a large camp of them a couple of miles to the north, -and this morning I saw from the upper windows troops moving along a road -within a mile and a half to the west." - -"Then we should have tumbled right into the camp if we had gone on," -said Kenneth. - -"I think better of you than that! But you see that we must keep the -machine gun quiet at all costs. A revolver shot would be safe, perhaps; -but if we can avoid that, too, so much the better. Now I really must go -and make my perquisitions. Last night I cooked some new-killed beef -they brought with them; to-day they expect something more choice. I -must scour the neighbourhood. There will be plenty of time, I think; if -they should return before I do, I must leave you to exercise the same -resourcefulness as has defied the superman hitherto. They may search the -house as they did last night. As a precaution, I suggest that you take -refuge in the garden during my absence. The shrubberies are excellent." - -"Can you give us something to eat?" said Kenneth. "We are famished." - -"Unhappily they cleared the board this morning, leaving me nothing but -the crumbs. But I will be as quick as possible. You shall breakfast -royally." - -He left them. Instead of adopting his suggestion they went to the top -of the house and watched the long defile of German troops on the western -road. They would hear or see the returning car in good time to make -their escape by the back door. - -Within an hour Granger returned, with a couple of fowls, a duck, and -other comestibles purchased at high prices from the few peasants in the -neighbouring village whom the approach of the Germans had not scared -away. Among his many accomplishments was a considerable skill in -cooking. He roasted the duck and one of the fowls, prepared bread sauce -and apple, boiled potatoes to a nice point of flouriness, turned out -Brussels sprouts dry and crisp. - -"Now we will make a start," he said. "I can always work better if I am -well fed, and you, I am sure, are very sharpset." - -"We are indeed," said Kenneth. "But what about the Germans?" - -"There will be at least a smell of cooking when they arrive. The -pleasures of hope are keener than the pleasures of memory, I believe. -While you eat, I will talk. What I say may aid your digestion; but you -must exercise your own united judgment. When you have finished, I -suggest that you rest until they come; they are not soft-tongued, and if -you fall asleep their entrance will waken you. There are excellent -divans in the smoking-room on the other side of that curtain." - -During the meal Granger outlined the plan which their arrival had -suggested. It was audacious enough, but, as he remarked with a smile, -they had had some training for important parts. When there was nothing -left of the poultry but the bones, they went into the smoking-room and -threw themselves on two luxurious divans upholstered in saddle bags. -Granger cleared away, and placed clean plates and cutlery on the table. - -Fatigued though they were, excitement kept them awake. Soon after one -they heard the car approaching. It drew up at the gates, which were -closed, and the soldier-chauffeur sounded his horn, while two of his -comrades alighted and pushed the gates open. Granger, after glancing -into the smoking-room, hastened to the front door, which he opened, once -more a frail old servingman, as Hellwig and the major, followed by the -sergeant, with two bottles of wine, came up the steps. - -"Poultry--or game!" exclaimed Hellwig, sniffing appreciatively as he -entered. - -"That is well; I am ravenous," said the officer. "At any rate we shall -not be poisoned to-day by the old man's vinegar.... Lay those bottles -down," he added, addressing the sergeant, "then go out. You and the men -shall have what is left from our meal." - -The sergeant saluted and went out. Hellwig and the officer drew chairs -to the table and seated themselves. - -"Make haste!" Hellwig called in French through the open door towards the -kitchen. "Stir your stumps, old man." - -Granger came shuffling into the room, bent of back, nervously clasping -his hands. - -"Where is the dejeuner?" cried Hellwig. "Why have you come -empty-handed? What do you mean by keeping us waiting?" - -"Pardon, monsieur," faltered Granger. "I must beg messieurs to excuse -me." - -"Excuses! What do you mean, old fool?" - -Granger's hands trembled more violently than ever. In his thin -quavering voice he stammered: - -"Pardon, monsieur; I am an old bird. Just before messieurs returned, -parbleu! there came two cavalrymen, Uhlans, it seems, with a hunger of -wolves. I explained as well as I could that the dejeuner was being -prepared for two noble officers, but----" - -"Well?" cried Hellwig, as the speaker paused. - -"Pardon, monsieur; but they--they have eaten it all up." - -"Sapperment! Where are those Uhlans?" roared Hellwig, half rising. - -"They are here, monsieur. Hola!" - -Kenneth and Pariset drew the curtain aside, and stepped into the room. -Each held a revolver behind his back. - -"What kind of behaviour is this?" growled the major. "Salute, pigs!" - -Instead of the expected salute, the Germans saw two steady right hands -pointing revolvers at their heads. - -"Merely a little joke, major," said Kenneth quietly: "a little -play-acting. You and your friend shall be in the cast. You shall -pretend to be prisoners." - -The major swelled with astonishment and rage. Hellwig, who had fixed -his eyes on Kenneth, changed colour, and made a sudden grab for his -revolver. But a peremptory voice from behind his chair caused him to -sink back and slowly turn his amazed eyes. - -"Hands up!" - -The old servingman had suddenly become straight. His hands no longer -trembled, his voice had lost its quaver. Covered by two revolvers, -taken aback by the suddenness of surprise, the Germans were paralysed -for a few moments. The major recovered himself first, and was opening -his mouth to shout when Granger deftly slipped a table napkin between -his teeth, drew it tight, and knotted it behind. From under the table -he lifted several short pieces of cord, and in two minutes the -infuriated officer was firmly bound to his chair. - -Hellwig, meanwhile, whose face was the colour of the soldier's uniform, -had sat limply watching Granger's quick and dexterous movements. He was -dealt with in his turn. - -"Call the sergeant in," said Granger to Kenneth. - -The man came at the summons, found himself looking down the muzzles of -two revolvers as he entered at the door, and was soon sitting between -the others, the third guest at an empty board. - -The distant sound of trotting horses drew the captors hurriedly to the -window, and brought a gleam of hope into the captives' eyes. - -"Cavalry, by all the powers!" Granger ejaculated, glancing up the road. -"They are sure to visit the house. We have three men still to deal -with, and three minutes for the job. The bold simple course, Amory! You -must tackle them. Saunter out, don't hurry." - -Kenneth, followed by Pariset, walked slowly towards the waiting car. The -three men in it stared in surprise. - -"We arrived this morning," said Kenneth in an easy tone to the -chauffeur, "and ate the Herr Major's lunch--by mistake." - -The men guffawed; the German soldier does not love his officers. This -was a good joke. - -"That's a nice little toy you have there," Kenneth went on, pointing to -the machine gun. He stepped quickly into the car to look at it. - -"It is forbidden," said the chauffeur, with an uneasy glance at the -window. "Only the crew are allowed in the car." - -"Yes, yes, one understands. Just a minute!" - -Before the men could make up their minds to turn him out he had swung -round the machine gun to cover them. - -"Hands up!" he cried. - -They laughed, thinking it a practical joke, until they saw Pariset -covering them with his revolver. - -"Hands up!" he repeated, imitating Kenneth's accent as well as he could. - -But they recognised now that he was a foreigner, and seeing at this -moment Granger dragging the helpless form of the important Herr -Brinckmann down the steps they surrendered. - -"Get down, and don't stir a step for your lives," Kenneth commanded. -"Drop your arms." - -Pariset kept guard over them while Granger bundled Hellwig into the car -and Kenneth started the engine. - -"I didn't like to leave Brinckmann behind," explained Granger smoothly -as he squeezed himself into the seat beside Hellwig. "We are just in -time." - -Just as the helmets of the approaching troopers showed above the park -wall a furlong away, Kenneth sprang after Pariset into the car, and let -in the clutch. The car moved forward, swung round into the drive, -shaved the gatepost, and sped northward down the road. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII--RUNNING THE GAUNTLET - - -The sound of the starting car brought two of the troopers up at a -gallop. The sight of the Uhlan helmets did not at first inspire them -with distrust, but merely with curiosity that Uhlans should have been -employed in unusual work. The three men left in front of the house, -however, came running to the gates, shouting somewhat incoherently. The -words "Spionen!" and "Belgen!" were distinguishable. Their cries were -taken up by the troopers, and vociferated to their comrades riding -leisurely along. At the prospect of a spy hunt they pricked their -horses to a gallop, and set off in chase of the car, now almost out of -sight. - -"The German camp is in this direction, you told us?" said Kenneth to -Granger. - -"Yes; there is a by-road just before we reach it. The enemy are not -likely to be coming towards us." - -The road was heavy and deeply rutted from the recent passage of cumbrous -transport wagons and artillery. Kenneth found the acceleration of the -car slow, and in any case the weight of the armour with which its vital -parts were protected would have rendered it incapable of high speed. -For a time the horsemen appeared to gain on it, and Pariset, who had -taken charge of the machine gun, swung it round to cover the rear, ready -to open fire if they drew too near. - -"Don't fire if you can help it," Granger said. "It would be a pity to -disturb the camp ahead." - -After a few minutes the car began to draw away. Pariset saw one of the -troopers rein up, and expected him to fire over the holster of his -saddle. But the man dismounted, and just as the car swung out of sight -at a bend of the road, he was clambering up a telegraph pole. Pariset -hurriedly informed his friends. - -"We must stop and cut the wires," said Kenneth, jamming on the brakes. - -Lifting the lid of the tool box, he seized a pair of nippers. - -"Evidently meant for the job," he said. - -"Give them to me," cried Granger. "You stick to the car." - -He sprang out, and swarmed up the nearest pole with an agility -surprising in a man of his venerable aspect. Before he was half way up, -however, the head of the column rounded the corner. - -"There's no help for it," said Pariset. "Here goes!" - -Next moment there was a sharp metallic crack. The car trembled. - -"Three horses down!" cried Pariset. "The rest are swinging in to the -side of the road. If Granger is quick--ah! he has done it. They are -not coming on again yet." - -Granger slid down the pole, jumped into the car, and again they were -off. - -"We shall have to cut it again in another mile or so," said Pariset. - -"If we don't meet the enemy before then," rejoined Granger. "Or we can -pretend we are chased by Belgians and dash through." - -But in less than a mile they found that the wires left the road and ran -across country. - -"We can't navigate fields of stubble," said Kenneth. "The only thing to -be done is to go ahead at full speed, and trust to luck. Let's hope -that before any message they send can take effect we shall have reached -that by-road. Where does it lead to?" - -"To Durbuy, I think," said Granger. "There's a bridge across the -Ourthe. The Germans may be there; they move so confoundedly fast; but -that's our only chance of reaching the Belgian lines." - -In a few minutes they reached the by-road to the left. It was narrow, -but, to Kenneth's joy, not so deeply rutted as the main road. He was -getting the utmost out of the car, which thundered along at forty miles -an hour, the engine knocking furiously whenever it was called upon to -breast an incline. - -For some distance they neither met nor passed any traffic. When at last -they overtook an empty farm cart, the driver had barely time or space to -draw into the side to avoid them. A few yards further on in rounding a -curve Kenneth saw a heavy motor transport wagon ahead, going in the same -direction. At the sound of the horn the driver looked round, and seeing -the armoured car manned apparently by Uhlans he drew in hastily to the -bank, no doubt supposing that it was engaged in urgent work. Kenneth -slowed down slightly to avoid a collision, scraped past, then raced on -as before. - -In less than half a minute afterwards he gave a cry of dismay. At the -foot of a short hill two heavily laden carts were drawn full across the -road. Kenneth jammed on the brakes, foot and hand; Granger, rendered -suspicious by the position of the carts and the absence of horses, stood -up and in a moment shouted to Pariset, his voice rising above the -groaning and shrieking of the mechanism. - -"Germans in bushes!" - -Pariset had seen them almost as soon as Granger. Before the car had -come to a standstill within a dozen yards of the obstruction, the -machine gun began to spit bullets in reply to the fusillade that rattled -on the armoured sides of the car and the shield of the gun. A few -seconds of brisk firing; then the deadly hail from the machine gun -crashing through the foliage into the ranks of the ambuscaders made -their position hopelessly untenable, and a remnant of the Horse -Grenadiers who had lain in hiding there fled helter skelter over the -adjacent fields. - -The three men sprang out of the car, and tried to drag the carts out of -the way. They failed to move them, and Granger discovered that they -were chained together. - -"A hammer!" he cried. - -But the hammer snatched from the toolbox proved useless. The links of -the chain had been flattened by some heavy instrument. After repeated -blows it was evident that the chain was unbreakable. - -"What on earth is to be done?" cried Kenneth, looking helplessly at the -carts, while Pariset and Granger kept on the watch for any sign of the -enemy returning. A shot from the machine gun would probably be -ineffective, even at short range; the bullet would hardly dent the -chain, much less shatter it and release the carts. - -At this critical moment the transport wagon which they had passed some -way back appeared on the crest of the hill behind them, and sounded its -horn. Kenneth had a flash of inspiration. - -"Look out for the Grenadiers, Remi," he cried. "There's no sign of -them, but they may come back. If they do, turn the gun on to them." - -"What are you going to do?" shouted Pariset, as Kenneth ran up the -incline towards the halted wagon. - -"Commandeer the wagon for a battering ram. There's apparently no -escort. Back the car well away to the right." - -Reaching the wagon, he said to the driver: - -"The rascally enemy has blocked the road, as you see. The carts there -are chained together. Get out, quickly!" - -The three infantrymen in the wagon were obviously amazed, not so much at -being ordered about by a Uhlan, as at the apparent purposelessness of -the command. They got out, however, and were still more astonished when -the masterful Uhlan mounted into their place, and after a glance at the -car below, released the brakes, let in the clutch, and sent the wagon -lumbering down the hill. For a few seconds, while the vehicle was -gathering speed, Kenneth steered straight; then, turning the wheel so as -to give a slight tendency to the left, he sprang off, fell sprawling, -jumped up and ran after the wagon, watching its course eagerly. - -On it thundered, every moment faster. Would it reach the foot of the -hill, or swerve into the bank on the left? On, and on--and then, at a -speed of twenty miles an hour, it struck the left-hand cart with a -terrific crash, and threw both cart and itself in a pile of wreckage up -the bank and into the field beyond. The chain connecting the carts had -snapped like rotten cord. - -[Illustration: CLEARING THE ROAD] - -"Bravo!" shouted the two men waiting beside the motor-car. - -Rushing forward, they helped Kenneth to draw the released cart to one -side, leaving a clear space between it and the wreckage. Then they -leapt into the car, waved their hands to the astonished motormen above, -and started forward towards Durbuy and safety. - -"We are all right now--unless the Germans are in greater force than I -believe," said Granger, taking a map from his pocket. "If we can cross -the river at Durbuy, we can run due west to Dinant, where we shall -probably find the Belgian, or maybe the French lines. Then we can swing -northwards, and get to headquarters somewhere between Tirlemont and -Brussels." - -A run of a few miles brought them within sight of the river winding away -to the east, and the little town--a mere village in point of size--of -Durbuy. But here they perceived with dismay that the course they had -planned was not feasible. Along the road between Barvaux and Durbuy a -large German force was on the march. Their leading companies were -already crossing the quaint old bridge, covered by troops of Hussars on -both banks. - -"Pull up," said Granger. "We shall have to go back and make a round. -News of us has no doubt been flashed by this time to every German force -in the neighbourhood." - -Kenneth was backing the car when Granger noticed signs of movement among -the cavalry on the near bank. A squadron formed up, faced towards the -slight hill, and started at a canter in the direction of the car. - -"There's no time to lose," cried Granger. "Reverse and turn round." - -But at that moment Kenneth observed, just ahead, a narrow road running -east for a few yards, then curving to the north. - -"Better try and cut across them," he said. "If we go back we may run -into another lot and be caught between two fires." - -"Very well. The road isn't marked on my map, but we'll chance it." - -Kenneth had already brought the gear lever from reverse to first. He -let in the clutch; the car started forward again, and before the -advancing horsemen were half way up the hill the fugitives swung round -into the by-road. When the Hussars reached the turning the car was two -or three hundred yards ahead and rounding the curve. - -"I'm afraid we've done for ourselves," said Kenneth ruefully. "The road -is awful." - -It was indeed scarred with deep ruts, almost like the furrows in a -ploughed field, and thick with mud from the recent rain. The car swayed -violently, jumping in and out of the ruts. In spite of its powerful -build, Kenneth doubted whether the axles and springs would stand the -strain. The wheels, moreover, sank so deep into the mud that the speed -of the car fell away to what seemed to the occupants little more than a -crawl. - -The Hussars were galloping hotly after them. Some were deploying across -the open fields on both sides of the road, to gain time at the windings -of the latter. The distance between car and horsemen was steadily -lessening; it seemed that for once muscle was about to conquer -mechanism. - -Kenneth was wholly occupied with the steering of the car. Pariset kept -his eyes fixed on the pursuers. They were about fifty in number, at a -distance no match for the machine gun, but if they were allowed to close -up, especially if they got ahead, the occupants of the car would be at -their mercy in the event of any sudden check. He watched for a -favourable moment for bringing the gun into play. - -After innumerable short windings the road ran straight for a -considerable distance. The leading horsemen, now within a hundred yards -of the car, began to fire as they rode. Pariset instantly replied, -working the gun in a long arc from left to right. It was not for -nothing that the German staff had made the machine gun one of the -predominant features of their armament. Under the pitiless hail of -bullets horses and men went down like grass under the scythe. The -Hussars behind slowed down, allowing the car to increase its lead, but -still keeping it in view, hoping no doubt that an accident, an obstacle, -a piece of clumsy steering, would bring its career to an end. They might -then close upon it and surround it without having to face that terrible -machine gun again. Pariset, for his part, anxious not to attract the -attention of any enemies who might be ahead, ceased fire as soon as the -pursuit slackened. - -Their direction was towards Lige. Now and then they caught sight of -the Ourthe, winding below them on their left, but there was no sign of a -bridge. Mile after mile passed. The road was a continual up and down; -on each side was a variegated landscape of meadows, richly wooded slopes -and frowning cliffs. The sight of the railway crossing the river -reminded Kenneth that they were approaching the scene of their exploit; -but Pariset had no eyes for anything but the helmets of the Uhlans -bobbing up and down on the road far behind. - -Presently they dashed past a battalion of infantry marching in the same -direction. The men all looked dead tired, and took little or no notice -of the car as it passed at increased speed. A few minutes later they -skirted the chateau of Hamoir, then ascended a steep hill, the engine -knocking alarmingly, and rushing through the village of Louveigne -suddenly came in sight of an immense military encampment. Far to left -and right of the road stretched the lines of the Germans encircling -Lige. Tents, carts, caissons, batteries of artillery, men on horse and -on foot extended as far as the eye could reach. - -But there was no sign of active operations. Troops were drilling on -open spaces, practising the ridiculous goose-step; men off duty were -strolling about. Smoke ascended from innumerable travelling kitchens. -Horsemen were riding this way and that: a motor cyclist was dashing away -to the east. - -When this spectacle flashed upon the view, Kenneth slowed down. His -face was pale. - -"Push through and trust to luck?" he said to Granger at his side. - -"There's nothing else for it, with pursuers hot on our track," replied -Granger. "Speed about ten miles, but be ready to let her out." - -They went on. Curious glances were thrown at them by troops of cavalry -off-saddled by the roadside. Uhlans in an armoured car! They must be -on special service. With his heart in his mouth Kenneth followed the -road for a full mile through the lines. The country became clearer of -men as they proceeded, but as Kenneth was again increasing speed he -noticed a strong force of infantry posted ahead of them at some distance -to the right of the road. - -"They are supports," said Pariset. "We shall find a battery ahead." - -In less than two miles they came to a number of ammunition and transport -wagons, parked in the rear of a battery of six guns. A patrol on the -road signalled to them to halt. Kenneth pulled up, but before the -sergeant could address him, he asked urgently: - -"Where is the commandant? Quick! I haven't a minute to lose." - -The man pointed to a spot about half a mile in front. Kenneth, without -waiting for more, opened out, and the car quickly gained speed. - -"It's touch and go now," he said, almost in a whisper. - -"The guns are unlimbered for action," said Pariset. "If we pass they'll -know we are enemies." - -"Nothing else for it," replied Kenneth, setting his teeth. "We must -trust to our speed. Keep a look-out, Granger." - -Thenceforth he concentrated all his attention upon the car. It sped on, -crossed a small bridge over a rivulet, and swept up a short hill on the -near side of which six guns were emplaced. - -"Eight inchers," murmured Granger. He had his eye fixed on the officer -who had been pointed out as the commandant, and who, at this moment, was -listening at the receiver of a field telephone. As the car approached -he dropped the receiver and gave an order. The soldier next him ran -towards the guns, shouting to the artillerymen, who appeared to be -laying their weapons. - -"The game is up!" said Granger. "He's had word of us. Press her, -Amory." - -Kenneth opened the throttle to the utmost, and the car leapt forward -like a living thing. It dashed past the commandant, past the group of -gunners, topped the rise, and thundered down the slope beyond. A few -revolver shots rattled on the armour. - -"We're safe for a little, while they alter the range," said Granger, -assuring himself at a glance that no one had been hit. - -The car was now running at a furious pace, the road having recently been -repaired, no doubt for the easier passage of the guns. Kenneth knew -that he was directly in the line of fire of the battery. On his left -wound the Ourthe, with the railway almost parallel with it beyond; and -as the car rushed between two clumps of woodland Pariset called over his -shoulder that he had just caught sight of Fort de Boncelles, two or -three miles to the west, and Fort d'Embourg a little nearer to the east. - -"Which shall we make for?" gasped Kenneth. - -"Boncelles," replied Granger. "It is nearer the French lines. We can -cross by the iron bridge just below Tilff." - -On they went. Second after second passed; a minute, two minutes. They -swept round to the left towards the bridge. There was still no shot -from the guns. - -"They were trained on Boncelles," said Granger. "We are too near them -still." - -He had scarcely spoken when there was a moaning in the air, followed -instantly by a roar and crash, and a thick cloud of black smoke sprang -up some four hundred yards to the right. They all crouched low in the -car, which dashed across the throbbing bridge at forty miles an hour. -Another shell plunged into the river, a third struck the road a few -yards behind them, as they entered the railway arch, bespattering them -with earth. No sooner had they emerged on the other side than still -another shell burst ahead of them, in the field beside the road. They -all caught their breath: if it had fallen a few yards to the right, it -would have dug a hole large enough to engulf the car. - -Shells now began to explode, as it seemed, all around them. The sky was -darkened by the smoke, poisonous fumes almost choked them. Only the -great speed of the car and the slight changes in its direction due to -the windings of the road preserved them from annihilation. The thought -that flashed through Pariset's mind was that if the Germans had used -shrapnel instead of shell they must almost certainly have been -destroyed, for he could not doubt that the whole battery was now playing -upon them. - -With shells hurtling around at intervals of a few seconds Kenneth, so -intent upon his work as to be scarcely conscious of them, steered the -car up the road, taking the curves at a pace that would have made his -hair stand on end at less critical times. It almost seemed that he and -his companions had charmed lives. At moments, as the road wound, the -fort came in sight beyond the ruined village--burnt by the Belgians to -clear their line of fire. Would they reach it in safety? The nearer -they approached it, the greater their danger. The gunners had the range -of the fort; a shell falling short even by a few yards might strike the -car at the very moment when escape seemed sure. - -"Only half a mile more!" Pariset said, in a hoarse whisper from his -parched lips. - -Two seconds afterwards there was a stunning report and a blinding flash, -apparently from beneath the car. It spun round and round like a -teetotum, then fell over to one side with a crash. - -For a few moments the three men were too much shaken to move. In the -consciousness of them all those moments were a blank. They lay on the -roadside where they had been thrown, like dead men. Then they realised -with a shock of surprise that they were alive. Pariset was up first. -Before he had time to stagger to the others, Kenneth sprang to his feet. -Granger moved more slowly, and when he too stood erect, it was seen that -his false beard was gone. - -"I feel cold," he said, touching his chin, and smiling, though he was -pale as death. - -They glanced at the car. The off front wheel had disappeared; the off -hind wheel was buckled; the bonnet and radiator were a mass of twisted -iron. It was a complete wreck. - -A shell bursting little more than a hundred yards away warned them to be -gone, and they started to run towards the fort. - -"Hellwig!" exclaimed Kenneth suddenly. - -They ran back. The spy, the man whom the Kaiser delighted to honour, -lay huddled in the bottom of the car, under the machine gun. It had -broken his neck. - -"Poor devil!" murmured Granger. - -They turned hastily, and ran on silently, each thinking his own -thoughts. Pariset was the least concerned at Hellwig's fate. To him -Hellwig was merely a German and a spy, who had met with his deserts. -Granger, whatever his private animus against Hellwig, could not but -remember that they were members of one profession, who faced the same -perils and might suffer the same end. Kenneth was the most deeply -affected. He had disliked Hellwig, and had the average Englishman's -contempt and hatred of spying. It was the one thing that alloyed his -liking for Granger. But, as he said to Pariset afterwards: - -"If there must be spying, and I suppose there must, it is something to -spy like a gentleman, and that I am sure Granger does." - -The three men came to the glacis. A roar startled them and made them -duck instinctively. The fort had opened fire on the German battery. -They raced up, past empty trenches, still followed by shell; but they -now presented an inconspicuous mark to the gunners more than three miles -distant. It was a long uphill climb, but they panted on towards the -door of safety. - -Was it safety? Their way across the moat was barred by a group of -Belgian engineers with rifles, amazed at the appearance of two men in -Uhlan uniform. Pariset held up his hands. - -"Lieutenant Montoisy!" he shouted. "Is he here?" - -The men lowered their rifles and advanced. Pariset hastened to meet -them. - -"We are friends," he said. "Tell Lieutenant Montoisy that Lieutenant -Pariset is here." - -One of the men ran back. A shell burst on the wall some distance to the -right. - -"Come inside, messieurs," said another of the men. - -And as they entered, Lieutenant Montoisy, the second in command, a -begrimed haggard figure, met them. - -"Pariset!" he exclaimed. "You were in the car? Mon Dieu! You have had -an escape! Come in: what is the meaning of it?" - - - - -CHAPTER XIX--'A LONG, LONG WAY----' - - -No sooner had the fugitives entered the fort than Kenneth collapsed. The -tension of the last two days, the terrific strain of controlling the -armoured car, and the concussion of the final shock, had been too heavy -a tax upon his nervous system. Pariset was in little better condition. -Granger, an older man, of settled constitution, was less affected than -the others, and he was able to assist the surgeon of the fort in tending -upon his friends. - -Much to their surprise, the interior of the fort was quiet and peaceful. -The German batteries had ceased fire, the fort guns were silent. -Lieutenant Montoisy explained that during the past few days there had -been no attack. The enemy's infantry, shattered by fire from the -trenches in their frontal assaults, had retired. The bombardment had -been feeble. - -"We can hold out for weeks," said the lieutenant. - -"Don't buoy yourself with false hopes," said Granger. "The Germans are -only waiting until they bring up their great guns. There are several -monsters of 42 centimetre calibre on their way. They will bring them -through Lige; as soon as they can place them the fort will be shivered -to atoms." - -"Bah! Our cupolas will stand anything. Besides, no one has ever heard -of these great guns. They are probably a myth, invented to frighten -us." - -"These gentlemen know better than that," Granger returned. "You had -better tell what you saw, Amory." - -Kenneth related the incident near Erkelenz. - -"Unluckily we only destroyed the parts of one gun," he concluded. "The -block on the road had evidently caused them to send on the others by -another route." - -Lieutenant Montoisy was still sceptical of the effect these guns could -produce. He led the three men round the fort. It was triangular in -shape, with guns in disappearing turrets at each corner. In the centre -was a steel turret armed with two 6-inch howitzers, enclosed in a square -with four similar turrets carrying 5-inch quick-firing guns. The turrets -were embedded in a solid block of concrete, and here and there were -machine guns and searchlight apparatus. The heaviest guns were mounted -on a steel cupola, capable of being raised and lowered. Impressed by the -immense strength of the defences, the Englishmen began to share -Montoisy's confidence in their power to withstand bombardment even by -the heaviest artillery. - -"Why aren't our men in the trenches?" asked Pariset. - -"They were ordered to withdraw several days ago," replied Montoisy. "You -see, we had only 40,000 men to defend a circuit of thirty-three -miles--impossible against a quarter of a million Germans. But we have -taught them a lesson. We have cut whole regiments to pieces. Our -gallant Garde Civique made a bayonet charge the other day that sent them -helter-skelter just beyond Boncelles yonder. No one will ever again -regard the bosches as invincible." - -Bit by bit he drew from Pariset the story of his adventures, and when it -spread among the garrison, the two young men found themselves regarded -as heroes by all, from the commandant downwards. - -Their future movements were discussed. It was decided that they should -remain in the fort for a few days until they had recovered their -strength, and then make their way westward if possible to the Belgian -lines. Granger determined to leave at once. Expert in disguises, he -transformed himself into a Belgian peasant, and waited for nightfall to -steal away towards Lige. - -"We may meet again; we may not," he said, as he shook hands. "I hope we -may. It will be a long war. We shall win. And if we three lose our -lives--well, who was it said that death is the portal to the life -Elysian? But I won't moralise. We'll stick it out. Good-bye!" and -smiling serenely he went out into the night. - -Pariset was eager to know what was happening in other parts of the vast -battlefield, and in particular whether anything had been heard of -General Leman. Montoisy explained that, the telephone communications -having recently been smashed, the fort was cut off as completely as if -it were a desolate island in the midst of an ocean. - -Next evening, about six o'clock, two shrapnel shells burst harmlessly -over the fort. A few minutes later an acute buzzing was heard in the -air, then there was a thunderous roar, the whole place trembled, and the -outer slope of the fort was smothered in a cloud of stones, dust, and -black smoke. Montoisy looked grave, and hurried to the arcade under -which the commandant was sheltering. As he stood talking with him, a -shell which, judging from its size, weighed nearly a ton burst near by, -bringing down a shower of shattered masonry, and wounding the -commandant. - -"Close the cupola," he signalled. "Every man take shelter." - -Montoisy tried in vain to locate the enormous guns which had started on -their fell work. They could not be seen. To fire at them was -impossible. That they had so soon been got into position seemed to show -that their concrete emplacements had been prepared long before. - -For two hours the helpless garrison crouched in their shelters, hearing -the roar of the guns, the crashing of masonry and the splintering of -steel, almost choked by the noisome gases emitted by the bursting -shells. The smashing of the dynamo plunged them into pitch darkness; -and all the while, outside, the western sky glowed with the rich hues of -a peaceful sunset. - -At eight o'clock the bombardment ceased, and the Belgians, venturing -forth from their subterranean lairs, looked out upon a scene of -devastation. The slopes and counterslopes were a chaos of rubbish: it -was as if an earthquake had shaken the foundations of the globe. Great -chasms yawned; tongues of flame shot up from where one of the cupolas -had been; shapeless shreds of armour plate lay amid jagged masses of -masonry and heaps of stones. No trace of the guns was to be seen. - -Far down the slope two German officers were advancing under a white -flag. Coming within hailing distance they called on the garrison to -surrender. - -"You have seen what our guns can do," said one of them in French. "You -have been struck by 278 shells; you cannot reply; and we have still more -colossal guns in reserve. Surrender, or you will be annihilated." - -The commandant, wounded as he was, half choked by the foul gases that -still clung about the place, stepped forward and gave his answer. - -"Honour forbids us to surrender: we shall resist to the end." - -The garrison waved their caps and cheered. A nation whose stricken -soldiers showed such a spirit could never be quelled, thought Kenneth. -The Germans laughed and withdrew. In half an hour the bombardment -recommenced, this time from two directions. The men in their galleries -listened helplessly to the destruction of their world. - -Darkness fell, and except for an occasional shot the bombardment ceased. -The commandant sent for Pariset. - -"It is useless," he said wearily. "Their shells will pierce the -galleries to-morrow. One of my men has already had his hand blown off; -others are seriously wounded. To-night I shall flood the magazines and -break all the rifles and guns; in the morning I must surrender. But you -and your friend are not of my garrison: there is work for you outside; -why should you be carried prisoners to Germany? Slip out in the -darkness. There are no infantry around the fort. I can provide you -with civilian dress. It will be dangerous to attempt to get into Lige. -Make for Seraing, cross the river there, and slip between the Flemalle -and Hollogne forts towards Brussels. And tell General Wonters that we -held out until resistance was hopeless." - -Towards midnight the two friends in peasant costume slipped out of the -rear of the fort, and taking the stars as their guide trudged through -the fields and woods and up the hill into the deserted streets of -Seraing. The great iron-foundries were silent; no glare from the -furnaces lit the sky. - -"Belgium is paying a heavy price," thought Kenneth. - -They crossed the silent bridge in the moonlight, crossed the Namur road -and the railway beyond, and had just reached the road leading through -Waremme and Louvain to Brussels when the sound of voices on their right -caused them to shrink back behind a hedge. Peering out they saw a -patrol of some twenty-five Uhlans riding past at a foot pace. - -"We shall have to go across the fields," whispered Pariset, when the -horsemen had gone by. "We dare not pass them. This means a general -advance to-morrow. The bosches lose no time." - -They struck across the fields to the south of their true course, and -plodded on, more or less at a venture. Turning by and by into a lane, -they almost collided with a cyclist, who, swerving to avoid them, -skidded on the wet track, and fell to the ground. The sinking moon shed -just enough light for them to distinguish a French uniform, and they ran -forward to assist the fallen man, Pariset speaking to him in French. - -"Ah! You are French?" said the cyclist, springing to his feet and -raising his bicycle. - -"Belgian and English, monsieur," Pariset answered. "You are a scout?" - -"Yes; a troop of Chasseurs are a mile or two south. Have you seen -anything of the enemy?" - -"A number of Uhlans are riding up the Waremme road." - -"How many?" - -"Twenty-five or so." - -"Are they riding fast?" - -"No; at a walking pace." - -"Then we will capture them. I will ride on to the road and keep my eye -on them. You hurry along the lane and tell our men to hurry. There is -no time to be lost." - -Willing enough to do something, even at this last moment, for the common -cause, Kenneth and Pariset hurried along the lane. In the course of a -quarter of an hour they met the Chasseurs. Pariset gave the message, -and on explaining that he was a Belgian officer and knew the country -well was invited to mount behind the captain and act as guide. Kenneth -sprang up behind a trooper, and they set off at a trot, riding across -the fields in order not to be heard. - -Presently they heard, in the distance, a revolver shot. Immediately -afterwards came the crack of carbines. Quickening their pace, they -galloped in the direction of the sounds, expecting to find that the -scout had been killed. - -At Pariset's instructions, they rode in a north-westerly direction, so -as to strike the Waremme road some miles west of the spot where he and -Kenneth had seen the Uhlans. The firing continued; the sound of the -single revolver was clearly distinguishable from the reports of the -carbines. Wondering what was happening, they came suddenly upon a -remarkable scene. - -Dawn was stealing over the country. At a turn of the road, the cyclist -was standing behind a tree, resting his revolver against the trunk. No -one was in sight at the moment, but just as the Chasseurs, who had now -reduced their pace to a walk, came up behind the cyclist, he fired his -revolver at a Uhlan who had edged round the corner. - -The Chasseur captain took in the situation at a glance. Whispering to -Pariset and Kenneth to get down, he gave his men the order to charge. -With a wild cry they dashed forward, swept round the bend, and fell upon -the Uhlans, grouped indecisively at the side of the road. There was a -brisk fight, lasting half a minute. Ten of the Uhlans were killed or -wounded, the rest flung down their arms and surrendered. - -"Many thanks, messieurs," the cyclist was saying to Pariset and Kenneth. -"I was afraid they would not be up in time. But they are a timid lot, -these bosches." - -It appeared that, not content with merely watching the Uhlans, he had -conceived the bold notion of holding them up until the Chasseurs -arrived. - -The Chasseurs returned with their prisoners towards their own lines. The -captain had invited Pariset to accompany them, but Pariset decided, -tired though he was, to continue his course towards Brussels. With -Kenneth, he plodded along the road, and an hour later they were -challenged by Belgian outposts at Waremme. They were too fatigued to -enter into explanations at once, and sought shelter in a cottage, where -they slept until the sun was high. And when they awoke and went into -the village street, they found the people streaming westward, in carts, -on foot, carrying what they could of their household gear. Fort -Boncelles had surrendered. - -Seeking the colonel of the nearest regiment, they told him what they had -seen in the fort. He had just heard by telephone that Fort Loncin also -had surrendered that morning, and General Leman was a prisoner. - -They begged a lift in a farmer's cart, and in the evening reached -Brussels, where they found an asylum with a friend of Pariset's. There -they remained for a few days, recuperating after the strain which, -scarcely noticed while they were in action, had told heavily upon them -both. Every day they heard of fresh advances of the Teuton hordes, of -gallant deeds by the sorely tried little army of Belgium. Every day -they saw pallid, nerve-shaken, wounded refugees flocking in from -Tirlemont and other places desolated by German shot and shell. - -Pariset was much depressed. - -"We shall cease to exist," he said one day. "The brutes will destroy us -all. They are ruthless. They are fiends. What have we done that we -should suffer so?" - -"Cheer up, old man," said Kenneth. "Look here! 'Gallant little -Belgium!'" He pointed to the headline of an article in an English -newspaper. "You might have chosen the easy course; you didn't, and the -whole world admires you." - -"But that won't save us." - -"No, but you've saved France. You've thrown the German war machine out -of gear, and I bet you you've smashed their chances. Lord Kitchener is -raising a great army. The Kaiser scoffs at our men; he'll sing a -different tune some day. I'm going home, Remi, going to join -Kitchener's army. Sorry to leave you, old man, but we'll meet again, -never fear, perhaps soon, perhaps not until British, French and Belgians -meet the Russians in Berlin. And when the war is over, you may be sure -that gallant little Belgium will rise like the phoenix, and grow -stronger and more prosperous than ever." - - ---- - -Four days later Kenneth was in London. He found awaiting him at home a -bulky envelope addressed in a strange hand, the postmark Amsterdam. -Opening it, he took out two letters, dated a week back, and posted in -Knigsborn. One was in the handwriting of Max Finkelstein, the other in -the large round hand of Frieda. - - "I hope this will reach you," the former wrote. "I am sending - it through my friend Vandermond. After a few days' detention as - a spy, I was released for want of evidence, and as business is - absolutely dead, we have come to Knigsborn, where we shall - rusticate and pinch until this dreadful war is over. We hear - all sorts of tales, and the credence paid them by otherwise - intelligent people makes me think that we as a nation have a - good deal to learn. One extraordinary story, by the way, will - amuse you. It was rumoured in Cologne that a French airman had - run off with one of our Taubes, a feat which you, knowing - Cologne, will recognise as impossible. I believe it as little - as I believe that the Irish are in revolt. - - "I am glad for our sake that recruiting is a failure in England. - People here are very bitter against the English, but I explain - that you have been hoodwinked by those awful Russians. Your - statesmen are so easily taken in. After the war your people - will admit it. - - "Keep the London business together as well as you can. Next - year I dare say I shall settle in London myself, and nothing - shall interfere with our plans for a partnership. Write to me - if you can." - - ---- - -"Poor old Max!" thought Kenneth. "Of course, like all Germans, he -thinks they will win: professors and the General Staff have drummed that -into their foolish heads. He'll have a shock when I tell him I have -joined the army. Now for Frieda." - - ---- - -"Was it you?" he read. "I daren't suggest it to Father; he scoffs at -the mere idea that any one could do so audacious a thing. But when you -didn't come back for your luggage I was anxious and went down to the -station, and the stationmaster told me that you had gone away with your -ticket and hadn't come for your seat that he had engaged for you, and -when I heard the rumour about the French airman I couldn't help thinking -it was just the mad sort of thing you would delight in. Do tell me if I -am right. - -"This is a terrible war, isn't it? What is the good of you English -fighting? Father says your army is too small to do anything, and you -can't get recruits because all your young men want to play football. I -am so sorry for you. Father says you will give it up when we take -Paris, and then you will have to give us some of your colonies. You -have so many that I am sure you can spare some. - -"We shall very likely come to London next year, Father says. We shall -always be friends, you and I, shan't we? - -"We haven't seen anything of Kurt Hellwig lately. You don't think I -grieve?" - - ---- - -"It's amazing!" said Kenneth to himself. "I thought Frieda would have -known better. She would laugh, I suppose, if I told her that I am -likely to be in Berlin before she comes to London." - -But Kenneth Amory was to go through many adventures, before he met Remi -Pariset in Berlin. - - - - - PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, - BRUNSWICK ST., STAMFORD ST., S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HERO OF LIGE *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39150 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a -registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, -unless you receive specific permission. If you do not charge anything -for copies of this eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may -use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative -works, reports, performances and research. They may be modified and -printed and given away - you may do practically _anything_ with public -domain eBooks. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, -especially commercial redistribution. - - - -The Full Project Gutenberg License - - -_Please read this before you distribute or use this work._ - -To protect the Project Gutenberg(tm) mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or -any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg(tm) License available with this file or online at -http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use & Redistributing Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic works - - -*1.A.* By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the -terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all -copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works in your possession. If -you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -*1.B.* "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things -that you can do with most Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works even -without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph -1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -*1.C.* The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of -Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works. Nearly all the individual works -in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you -from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating -derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project -Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the -Project Gutenberg(tm) mission of promoting free access to electronic -works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg(tm) works in compliance with -the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg(tm) name -associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this -agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full -Project Gutenberg(tm) License when you share it without charge with -others. - -*1.D.* The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg(tm) work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -*1.E.* Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -*1.E.1.* The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg(tm) License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg(tm) work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with - almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away - or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License - included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org - -*1.E.2.* If an individual Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic work is -derived from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating -that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can -be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying -any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a -work with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on -the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs -1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg(tm) trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -*1.E.3.* If an individual Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic work is -posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and -distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and -any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg(tm) License for all works posted -with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of -this work. - -*1.E.4.* Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project -Gutenberg(tm) License terms from this work, or any files containing a -part of this work or any other work associated with Project -Gutenberg(tm). - -*1.E.5.* Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg(tm) License. - -*1.E.6.* You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg(tm) work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg(tm) web site -(http://www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or -expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a -means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include -the full Project Gutenberg(tm) License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -*1.E.7.* Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg(tm) works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -*1.E.8.* You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works -provided that - - - You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg(tm) works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg(tm) trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - - - You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg(tm) - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) - works. - - - You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - - - You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg(tm) works. - - -*1.E.9.* If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg(tm) trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3. below. - -*1.F.* - -*1.F.1.* Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg(tm) collection. -Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works, and the -medium on which they may be stored, may contain "Defects," such as, but -not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription -errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a -defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer -codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. - -*1.F.2.* LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg(tm) trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. -YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, -BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN -PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND -ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR -ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES -EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. - -*1.F.3.* LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -*1.F.4.* Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS,' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -*1.F.5.* Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -*1.F.6.* INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg(tm) -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg(tm) work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg(tm) - - -Project Gutenberg(tm) is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg(tm)'s -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg(tm) collection will remain -freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and -permanent future for Project Gutenberg(tm) and future generations. To -learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and -how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the -Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org . - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state -of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue -Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification number is -64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf . Contributions to the -Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the -full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. -S. Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official page -at http://www.pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - - -Project Gutenberg(tm) depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where -we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state -visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any -statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside -the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways -including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, -please visit: http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic -works. - - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg(tm) -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg(tm) eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg(tm) eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. unless -a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks -in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's eBook -number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII, -compressed (zipped), HTML and others. - -Corrected _editions_ of our eBooks replace the old file and take over -the old filename and etext number. The replaced older file is renamed. -_Versions_ based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving -new filenames and etext numbers. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg(tm), -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/39150-8.zip b/39150-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b23f6fb..0000000 --- a/39150-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/39150-h.zip b/39150-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 29726b2..0000000 --- a/39150-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/39150-h/39150-h.html b/39150-h/39150-h.htm index de9036d..a38394d 100644 --- a/39150-h/39150-h.html +++ b/39150-h/39150-h.htm @@ -434,34 +434,9 @@ pre { font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.9em; white-space: pre-wrap </style> </head> <body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 39150 ***</div> <div class="document" id="a-hero-of-liege"> <h1 class="document-title level-1 pfirst title">A HERO OF LIÉGE</h1> - -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="align-None container language-en noindent pgheader" id="pg-header" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<p class="noindent pfirst">This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the <a class="reference internal" href="#project-gutenberg-license">Project Gutenberg License</a> -included with this eBook or online at -<a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/license">http://www.gutenberg.org/license</a>.</p> -<p class="noindent pnext"></p> -<div class="noindent vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<div class="align-None container noindent white-space-pre-line" id="pg-machine-header"> -<p class="noindent pfirst white-space-pre-line"><span class="white-space-pre-line">Title: A Hero of Liége<br /> -<br /> -Author: Herbert Strang<br /> -<br /> -Release Date: March 14, 2012 [EBook #39150]<br /> -<br /> -Language: English<br /> -<br /> -Character set encoding: UTF-8</span></p> -</div> -<div class="noindent vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst" id="pg-start-line">*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK <span>A HERO OF LIÉGE</span> ***</p> <div class="noindent vspace" style="height: 4em"> </div> <p class="noindent pfirst" id="pg-produced-by"><span>Produced by Al Haines.</span></p> @@ -4956,347 +4931,6 @@ Pariset in Berlin.</p> <!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> <div class="backmatter"> </div> -<p class="pfirst" id="pg-end-line">*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK <span>A HERO OF LIÉGE</span> ***</p> -<div class="cleardoublepage"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="language-en level-2 pgfooter section" id="a-word-from-project-gutenberg" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<span id="pg-footer"></span><h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title">A Word from Project Gutenberg</h2> -<p class="pfirst">We will update this book if we find any errors.</p> -<p class="pnext">This book can be found under: <a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39150"><span>http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39150</span></a></p> -<p class="pnext">Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set -forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to -protect the Project Gutenberg™ concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge -for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you do not -charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the rules is -very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as -creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. -They may be modified and printed and given away – you may do -practically <em class="italics">anything</em> with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution.</p> -<div class="level-3 section" id="the-full-project-gutenberg-license"> -<span id="project-gutenberg-license"></span><h3 class="level-3 pfirst section-title title">The Full Project Gutenberg License</h3> -<p class="pfirst"><em class="italics">Please read this before you distribute or use this work.</em></p> -<p class="pnext">To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at -<a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/license">http://www.gutenberg.org/license</a>.</p> -<div class="level-4 section" id="section-1-general-terms-of-use-redistributing-project-gutenberg-electronic-works"> -<h4 class="level-4 pfirst section-title title">Section 1. General Terms of Use & Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works</h4> -<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">1.A.</strong> By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by -the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person -or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.B.</strong> “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.C.</strong> The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the -Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is in the public domain in the United -States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a -right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free -access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works -in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project -Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with -the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format -with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it -without charge with others.</p> -<p class="pnext"></p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.D.</strong> The copyright laws of the place where you are located also -govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most -countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the -United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms -of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.E.</strong> Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.E.1.</strong> The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work -on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the -phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed:</p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<p class="pfirst">This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at <a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org">http://www.gutenberg.org</a></p> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">1.E.2.</strong> If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is -derived from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating -that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work -can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without -paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing -access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with -or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements -of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of -the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in -paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.E.3.</strong> If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is -posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and -distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and -any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted -with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of -this work.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.E.4.</strong> Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project -Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a -part of this work or any other work associated with Project -Gutenberg™.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.E.5.</strong> Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute -this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg™ License.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.E.6.</strong> You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other -than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ web site -(<a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org">http://www.gutenberg.org</a>), you must, at no additional cost, fee or -expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a -means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original -“Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include -the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.E.7.</strong> Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.E.8.</strong> You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided -that</p> -<ul class="open"> -<li><p class="first pfirst">You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from -the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you -already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to -the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to -donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 -days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally -required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments -should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, -“Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation.”</p> -</li> -<li><p class="first pfirst">You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies -you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he -does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ -License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all -copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue -all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ -works.</p> -</li> -<li><p class="first pfirst">You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of -any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the -electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of -receipt of the work.</p> -</li> -<li><p class="first pfirst">You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free -distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.</p> -</li> -</ul> -<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">1.E.9.</strong> If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and -Michael Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact -the Foundation as set forth in Section 3. below.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.F.</strong></p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.F.1.</strong> Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend -considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe -and proofread public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg™ -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -“Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.F.2.</strong> LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES – Except for the -“Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the -Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the -Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a -Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.F.3.</strong> LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND – If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.F.4.</strong> Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set -forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS,’ WITH -NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.F.5.</strong> Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions.</p> -<p class="pnext"><strong class="bold">1.F.6.</strong> INDEMNITY – You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, -the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any -Defect you cause.</p> -</div> -<div class="level-4 section" id="section-2-information-about-the-mission-of-project-gutenberg"> -<h4 class="level-4 pfirst section-title title">Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™</h4> -<p class="pfirst">Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life.</p> -<p class="pnext">Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™'s -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain -freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To -learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and -how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the -Foundation web page at <a class="reference external" href="http://www.pglaf.org">http://www.pglaf.org</a> .</p> -</div> -<div class="level-4 section" id="section-3-information-about-the-project-gutenberg-literary-archive-foundation"> -<h4 class="level-4 pfirst section-title title">Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation</h4> -<p class="pfirst">The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -<a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf">http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf</a> . Contributions to the -Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to -the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.</p> -<p class="pnext">The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. -S. Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are -scattered throughout numerous locations. Its business office is -located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) -596-1887, email <a class="reference external" href="mailto:business@pglaf.org">business@pglaf.org</a>. Email contact links and up to date -contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at <a class="reference external" href="http://www.pglaf.org">http://www.pglaf.org</a></p> -<p class="pnext">For additional contact information:</p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line">Dr. Gregory B. Newby</div> -<div class="line">Chief Executive and Director</div> -<div class="line"><a class="reference external" href="mailto:gbnewby@pglaf.org">gbnewby@pglaf.org</a></div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -</div> -<div class="level-4 section" id="section-4-information-about-donations-to-the-project-gutenberg-literary-archive-foundation"> -<h4 class="level-4 pfirst section-title title">Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation</h4> -<p class="pfirst">Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without wide spread -public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing -the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely -distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest array of -equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to -$5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status -with the IRS.</p> -<p class="pnext">The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit <a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate">http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate</a></p> -<p class="pnext">While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate.</p> -<p class="pnext">International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.</p> -<p class="pnext">Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: <a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate">http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate</a></p> -</div> -<div class="level-4 section" id="section-5-general-information-about-project-gutenberg-electronic-works"> -<h4 class="level-4 pfirst section-title title">Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works.</h4> -<p class="pfirst">Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.</p> -<p class="pnext">Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the -U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition.</p> -<p class="pnext">Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's -eBook number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII, -compressed (zipped), HTML and others.</p> -<p class="pnext">Corrected <em class="italics">editions</em> of our eBooks replace the old file and take over -the old filename and etext number. The replaced older file is -renamed. <em class="italics">Versions</em> based on separate sources are treated as new -eBooks receiving new filenames and etext numbers.</p> -<p class="pnext">Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility:</p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<p class="pfirst"><a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org">http://www.gutenberg.org</a></p> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst">This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including -how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe -to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 39150 ***</div> </body> </html> diff --git a/39150-rst.zip b/39150-rst.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f4c360c..0000000 --- a/39150-rst.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/39150-rst/39150-rst.rst b/39150-rst/39150-rst.rst deleted file mode 100644 index a289635..0000000 --- a/39150-rst/39150-rst.rst +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5909 +0,0 @@ -.. -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-
-
-.. meta::
- :PG.Id: 39150
- :PG.Title: A Hero of Liége
- :PG.Released: 2012-03-14
- :PG.Rights: Public Domain
- :PG.Producer: Al Haines
- :DC.Creator: Herbert Strang
- :MARCREL.ill: Cyrus Cuneo
- :DC.Title: A Hero of Liége
- :DC.Language: en
- :DC.Created: 1914
- :coverpage: images/img-cover.jpg
-
-.. role:: small-caps
- :class: small-caps
-
-===============
-A HERO OF LIÉGE
-===============
-
-.. pgheader::
-
-.. figure:: images/img-cover.jpg
- :align: center
- :alt: Cover art
-
- Cover art
-
-----
-
-.. _`THE SPY UNMASKED`:
-
-.. figure:: images/img-front.jpg
- :align: center
- :alt: THE SPY UNMASKED
-
- THE SPY UNMASKED
-
-.. class:: center large
-
- |
- |
- |
- | A HERO OF LIÉGE
-
-.. class:: center medium
-
- | *A STORY OF THE GREAT WAR*
-
-.. class:: center small
-
- |
- |
- |
- | BY
-
-.. class:: center medium
-
- | HERBERT STRANG
-
-.. class:: center small
-
- |
- |
- |
- | *ILLUSTRATED BY CYRUS CUNEO*
-
-.. class:: center medium
-
- |
- |
- |
- | LONDON
- | HENRY FROWDE
- | HODDER AND STOUGHTON
-
-.. class:: center small
-
- |
- |
- |
- | *First Printed in 1914*
- |
- |
- |
-
-.. class:: center medium
-
- | HERBERT STRANG'S WAR STORIES
-
-.. class:: left medium
-
- | SULTAN JIM: A STORY OF GERMAN AGGRESSION.
- | THE AIR SCOUT: A STORY OF HOME DEFENCE.
- | THE AIR PATROL: A STORY OF THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER.
- | ROB THE RANGER: A STORY OF THE GREAT FIGHT FOR CANADA.
- | ONE OF CLIVE'S HEROES: A STORY OF THE GREAT FIGHT FOR INDIA.
- | BARCLAY OF THE GUIDES: A STORY OF THE INDIAN MUTINY.
- | THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY ROCHESTER: A STORY OF MARLBOROUGH'S CAMPAIGNS.
- | BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE: A STORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR.
- | KOBO: A STORY OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.
- | BROWN OF MOUKDEN: A STORY OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR.
- |
- |
- |
-
-----
-
-.. contents:: CONTENTS
- :depth: 1
- :backlinks: entry
-
-.. class:: center medium
-
- |
- |
- |
- | LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
-
-.. class:: left medium
-
- | `THE SPY UNMASKED`_
- | `THE PEASANTS SCATTERED OUT OF ITS PATH`_
- | `THE END OF THE ZEPPELIN`_
- | `CLEARING THE ROAD`_
- |
- |
- |
-
-
-CHAPTER I--THE OPENING OF THE GAME
-==================================
-
-At nine o'clock on Tuesday morning, August 4, Kenneth Amory walked into
-the private office of the head of the well-known firm of Amory &
-Finkelstein, gutta-percha manufacturers, of Cologne. Max Finkelstein,
-the head of the firm, swung round on his revolving chair, moved his
-hand backward over his brush-like crop of brownish hair, and looked up
-through his spectacles at Kenneth, his stout florid countenance wearing
-an expression of worry.
-
-"I sent for you to tell you to pack up and get away by the first
-train," he said, in German. "Things are looking very black; the sooner
-you are home, the better."
-
-"Our dear Max is jumpy," came in smooth tones from the third person in
-the room, the ends of his well-brushed moustache rising stiffly as he
-smiled. He was tall and slim--a contrast to his cousin Finkelstein,
-who had reached that period of life when good food, a successful
-business, and Germanic lack of exercise, tend to corpulence. "I tell
-him he need not worry," the speaker went on. "It will be as in '70."
-
-"Provided that England----" Finkelstein was beginning, but Kurt Hellwig
-broke in with a laugh.
-
-"Oh, England! England will protest a little, and preach a little, and
-take care not to get a scratch."
-
-"Don't you be too sure of that," said Kenneth, rather warmly.
-
-"No? You think otherwise?" Hellwig was smiling still. "Well, we shall
-see. Perhaps you have private information?"
-
-His mocking smile and ironical tone brought a flush to Kenneth's cheeks.
-
-"I don't want any private information to know what England will do,"
-cried the boy.
-
-"True, the public information is conclusive. England is helpless; she
-suffers from an internal complaint; she is breaking up."
-
-"That will do, Kurt," said Finkelstein, anticipating an explosive word
-from Kenneth, who was quick-tempered, and apt to fall out with Hellwig.
-"Really, Ken, you will be safer at home, and if you don't go now you
-will lose your chance; all the trains will be required for the troops."
-
-"I'd rather wait a little longer," replied Kenneth. "It's all so
-interesting. I've never seen a mobilisation before."
-
-"It will do him good to see how we manage things in Germany," said
-Hellwig. "And since England will remain neutral, he will run no risk."
-
-Finkelstein, easygoing and indolent where business was not concerned,
-yielded the point.
-
-"Very well," he said. "Do as you please. But I recommend you to pack
-up in readiness for a sudden departure. For my part, I hope Kurt is
-right; I think of my business."
-
-"We all think of our business," said Hellwig, with a slight stress upon
-the pronoun.
-
-"Our business--yes," said Finkelstein. "We shall all suffer, I fear.
-But if it is as in '70----"
-
-Kenneth did not wait to hear further discussion on the chances of the
-war. Remarking that he would see the others at lunch, he hurried away
-into the street. Awakened very early that morning by the rumbling of
-carts and the tramp of horses, he had got up and gone out, to watch the
-continual passage of regiments of infantry and cavalry, batteries of
-artillery, pontoon trains, commissariat and ammunition wagons, through
-the streets and the railway station. Everything was swift and
-systematic; the troops, though a little hazy as to their destination,
-were in high spirits; the war would soon be over, they assured their
-anxious friends.
-
-It was all very new and exciting to Kenneth Amory, who had only vague
-memories of the English mobilisation for the South African war, when he
-was a child of four. His father had founded, with Max Finkelstein, an
-Anglo-German business which had attained great dimensions. Finkelstein
-controlled the German headquarters at Cologne; Amory looked after
-things in London. The latter died suddenly in the winter of 1912,
-leaving his son Kenneth, then nearly seventeen years of age, to the
-guardianship of Finkelstein, in whom he justly placed implicit
-confidence.
-
-Since then Kenneth had spent much of his time in Germany, learning the
-business under Finkelstein's direction. He had a great liking for his
-father's partner, who was a keen man of business, scrupulously exact in
-his duties as guardian, and a "good fellow." Finkelstein had announced
-that Kenneth, as soon as he came of age, would be taken into
-partnership. The firm would still be Amory & Finkelstein.
-
-When Kurt Hellwig spoke of "our business," his use of the first
-personal pronoun must be taken to have implied a commendable feeling:
-he had no actual share in the business. His connection with it was a
-proof of his cousin Max's kindness of heart. Hellwig had brilliant
-abilities; in particular, remarkable linguistic powers; but he had
-never been able to turn them to account in the various careers which he
-had successively attempted. Finkelstein had more than once lent him a
-helping hand; since Mr. Amory's death he had employed him as occasional
-representative in England. Needless to say, he did not entrust any
-matter of importance to his erratic cousin; and the salary he paid him
-was proportionate rather to relationship than to services.
-
-Kenneth returned to Finkelstein's house for the midday lunch. Neither
-Finkelstein nor Hellwig was present.
-
-"Father sent word that he was detained," said Frieda, Finkelstein's
-daughter, a little younger than Kenneth. "We are not to wait for him."
-
-"He seemed very worried when I saw him this morning," said Kenneth.
-"Of course business will be at a standstill, especially if we come into
-the war."
-
-"It will be hateful if you do," said the girl. "But you won't, Kurt
-says. We have done nothing to you."
-
-"Kurt knows nothing about it. He thinks we are afraid to fight. He's
-wrong. Of course we are not concerned with your quarrel with Russia;
-but when it comes to your attacking France, quite unprovoked, and
-bullying Belgium to let you take the easy way, you can hardly expect us
-to look on quietly. But we won't talk about that, Frieda; you and I
-mustn't quarrel."
-
-Frieda and Kenneth were very good friends. One bond of union between
-them was a common dislike of Kurt Hellwig, whose sarcastic tongue was a
-constant irritant. Kenneth related what had passed at the office that
-morning.
-
-"Why has he come back?" said Frieda. "He has been away for weeks; I
-wish he would stay away altogether."
-
-"Do you?"
-
-"Of course I do. What do you mean?"
-
-"I fancy Kurt thinks you admire him--because he wants you to, I
-suppose."
-
-"Will you take me to Cousin Amalia's after lunch?" asked Frieda, with a
-disconcerting change of subject. "I promised to spend the rest of the
-day with her. And you'll fetch me this evening, won't you?"
-
-After escorting Frieda to her cousin's, Kenneth strolled about,
-watching the war preparations, then turned homewards to pack his bag,
-as he had promised Finkelstein to do. On the way he bought a copy of
-the *Cologne Gazette* containing a mangled version of Sir Edward Grey's
-speech in the House of Commons on the previous day. When he had
-finished packing, he sat down with the paper at the open window of his
-room. Having risen early, he was rather tired, and the heat of the
-afternoon soon sent him to sleep.
-
-He was wakened by voices near at hand. There was no one but himself in
-the room; after a moment's confusion of senses he realised that the
-sounds came up from the balcony beneath his window. It was reached
-from the drawing-room, and since it was shaded by a light awning,
-someone had evidently gone there for the sake of fresh air.
-
-The awning concealed the speakers from Kenneth's view, but in a few
-moments he recognised Hellwig's voice. The other speaker was a man and
-a stranger. Kenneth at first paid no attention to them; Hellwig had
-many acquaintances, and was fond of entertaining them. But presently
-he caught a sentence that made him suddenly alert.
-
-"The bridge has been mined."
-
-It was the stranger speaking, in German. Kenneth rose silently from
-his chair, and leant out of the window, so that he should not miss a
-word.
-
-"The train can be fired at any moment, thanks to our forethought in
-tunnelling between the mill-house and the bridge."
-
-"That is well," said Hellwig, in the tone of a superior commending the
-report brought him by a subordinate. "Get back as quickly as you can,
-and tell them to be ready to act instantly on receipt of a marconigram."
-
-"The stations are closed to private messages," remarked the visitor.
-
-"Yes: but mine will get through. What news have you?"
-
-"When I left yesterday the Belgians were becoming alive to their
-danger. They are mobilising feverishly. The forts at Liége are fully
-manned. But many people refuse to believe that we shall go to extremes
-and invade their territory. They say that its inviolability is
-guaranteed by treaty."
-
-Hellwig laughed.
-
-"Keep in touch with London," he said. "In a few hours I shall be cut
-off from London except through Amsterdam, and I shall have to move my
-headquarters there. You remember the address?"
-
-"As before?"
-
-"Yes. Send there any information that comes through from London, and
-keep me informed of your whereabouts."
-
-"There was talk, as I came through, of possible English intervention.
-I learn that crowds clamoured for war in front of Buckingham Palace
-last night."
-
-"A mistake: they were shouting against war. The British government
-will not dare to strike: even if they do, they will be too late. We
-are ready: they are not. Before they have made up their minds we shall
-be across the Belgian frontier and into France."
-
-The conversation continued for a few minutes longer, then the visitor
-rose to go. Acting on impulse, Kenneth ran out of his room, and was
-nearing the foot of the staircase as the two men came from the
-drawing-room. He had the *Cologne Gazette* in his hand.
-
-"Have you read Sir Edward Grey's speech?" he asked Hellwig.
-
-"Not yet. Is it worth the trouble?" replied Hellwig in his smooth
-mocking tones.
-
-"I thought you hadn't, or you wouldn't be so cock-sure," Kenneth
-returned. "I rather think the British government have already made up
-their minds."
-
-"So you have been eavesdropping?" said Hellwig quickly.
-
-"You are a spy!" cried Kenneth--"you and your friend."
-
-"Is that any concern of yours?"
-
-"Only to this extent; that I'll have nothing more to do with you," said
-Kenneth hotly, conscious at the moment that it was a foolish thing to
-say, and feeling the more irritated.
-
-"That will kill me," sighed Hellwig.
-
-"And Max shall know it," Kenneth went on. "He doesn't know that you've
-been up to this sort of thing, I'm sure."
-
-"Certainly; Max shall know that I am doing something for my country.
-You are, no doubt, doing wonders for yours."
-
-"I wouldn't do such dirty work as yours," cried Kenneth, more and more
-angry under Hellwig's calmness.
-
-At this moment the outer door opened, and Frieda came in from the
-street.
-
-"What is the matter?" she asked, looking from Kenneth's flushed face to
-Hellwig's smiling one, upon which, however, there flickered now a shade
-of embarrassment.
-
-"The fellow is a spy!" Kenneth burst out.
-
-"I was explaining, my dear cousin, that I am doing at least something
-for my country," Hellwig said.
-
-"We should have preferred that it were anything else," said Frieda
-coldly. "Come, Ken, I've something to say to you."
-
-She hurried along the corridor, not heeding Hellwig's bow as she
-passed. Kenneth followed her. Hellwig shrugged, and left the house
-with his friend.
-
-"How did it come out?" asked Frieda, when Kenneth was alone with her in
-the drawing-room.
-
-"They were talking under my window. He accused me of eavesdropping. I
-couldn't help hearing them at first; and when I found out what they
-were at, of course I listened. You have come back alone?"
-
-"Yes. I met Father. He says that your government has sent us an
-ultimatum, and war is certain. You must go home at once. Father sent
-me to tell you."
-
-"All right. He sneered about my doing wonders for my country. I'll do
-something better than spying. I'll volunteer for the Flying Corps."
-
-"Oh, don't do that! It's so dangerous."
-
-"No more dangerous than being in the firing line."
-
-"But why do anything at all--of that sort, I mean? War is
-horrible--horrible!"
-
-"It is, for everyone. I'm sure none of our people wanted it. But if
-we're in for it, every fellow who can do anything will be required, and
-you wouldn't wish me to skulk at home while others fight?"
-
-"I'd rather you should fight than spy. You must make haste. Martial
-law is proclaimed. Father called at the station, and found that there
-will be a train at half-past nine to-night: it will probably be the
-last. And the stationmaster said that anyone who wanted to secure a
-seat must be early, for there's sure to be a great rush. Have you done
-your packing?"
-
-"Yes; there's only one bag I need take. The less baggage the better.
-I'll run down to the station and get my ticket now, to make sure of it."
-
-"Don't be long. Father will be back to dinner, and he wants to say
-goodbye to you, and to give you some messages for business friends in
-London."
-
-Kenneth hurried to the station. There were signs of new excitement in
-the streets. Newsvendors were shouting that Belgium was invaded.
-People thronged the beer-shops, eagerly discussing the situation.
-Already there were cries of "Down with the English!" Tourists of all
-nationalities were flocking to the station and to the landing-stage for
-the Rhine steamers. Soldiers were everywhere.
-
-At the station ticket office there was a long queue of people waiting.
-Kenneth saw little chance of obtaining a ticket for some time; but
-being well acquainted with the stationmaster, he sought his assistance
-and was provided with a written pass.
-
-"I can't guarantee that you will get beyond Aix-la-Chapelle," said the
-official. "You must take your chance."
-
-Kenneth set off to return. Attracted by a crowd at the door of one of
-the hotels, he went up to discover the cause of the assemblage. A
-mountain of luggage was piled on the pavement, and the distracted
-owners, turned out of the hotel, were vainly seeking porters to convey
-it to the station. The riff-raff of the streets were jeering at them.
-Kenneth turned away, feeling that the scene was ominous.
-
-He had walked only a short distance from the spot when a hand touched
-his shoulder from behind.
-
-"You are under arrest, sir," said a police sergeant, who was
-accompanied by two constables.
-
-"Nonsense," said Kenneth, good-humouredly. "You have mistaken your
-man."
-
-"Your name is Kenneth Amory?" said the sergeant.
-
-"Something like that," said Kenneth, amused at the man's pronunciation.
-
-"There is no mistake, then. You are arrested."
-
-"Indeed! On what charge?"
-
-"As a suspect."
-
-"Suspected of what?"
-
-"Of spying."
-
-This took Kenneth's breath away. Mechanically he walked a few steps
-beside the officer, the two constables following. Then realising the
-nature of the charge against him, he stopped short.
-
-"It is false!" he cried. "I am no spy. Where is your warrant? What
-right have you to arrest me?"
-
-"No warrant is needed," replied the sergeant, courteously enough. "You
-will no doubt clear yourself if you are innocent."
-
-"Of course I am innocent. My friends will prove that. Oh! I won't
-give you any trouble: the sooner I get to the police-station, the
-better."
-
-"That is reasonable," said the sergeant.
-
-They marched on. Kenneth looked eagerly at all the passers-by in the
-hope of finding a friend who would vouch for him; but he recognised no
-familiar face. On reaching the station he was searched, but deprived
-of nothing except his pocket-book and the letters it contained.
-
-"They are only private letters," he explained. "The whole matter is
-ridiculous. You will let me write a note to a friend, who will speak
-for me?"
-
-"Certainly," said the officer, "provided I see what you say."
-
-Kenneth quickly scribbled a note to Max Finkelstein, and handed it to
-the officer, who remarked that it had nothing suspicious about it, and
-placed it in an envelope which Kenneth addressed.
-
-"I shall be released as soon as Herr Finkelstein comes?" asked Kenneth.
-
-"That is doubtful," replied the officer. "It will probably be
-necessary to bring you before the magistrate to-morrow."
-
-"But I am going to England to-night."
-
-"To England! That is suspicious. Herr Finkelstein may have influence.
-We shall see."
-
-A short conversation, carried on in low tones, ensued between the
-sergeant and his superior officer. They were consulting as to where
-the prisoner should be placed: the cells, it appeared, were full.
-Ultimately Kenneth was taken to a room on the ground floor. The window
-was barred and shuttered on the outside, and light entered only by two
-small round apertures in the shutters.
-
-"A black hole, this," he said to the sergeant.
-
-"It will not be for long, if you are innocent," replied the man.
-
-Then he shut and locked the door; Kenneth was left to himself.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER II--THE FIRST TRICK
-===========================
-
-With the door shut, the room was almost wholly dark. It contained no
-furniture but a plain deal table and a wooden chair. Kenneth sat down
-and ruminated. His position was annoying, but also mildly exciting.
-It would be something to tell his people when he got home, that he had
-been arrested as a spy.
-
-It was now five o'clock. Dinner was at seven: his train left at
-half-past nine, and the stationmaster had advised him to be at the
-station at least an hour in advance. He had addressed his note to
-Finkelstein at the office, and expected that his friend would arrive
-within half an hour or so and procure his release. In the absence of
-any evidence against him a prolonged detention would surely be
-impossible.
-
-Perhaps half an hour had passed when he heard footsteps on the passage;
-the key turned in the lock, and he started up, expecting to see
-Finkelstein. But there entered a constable, bringing a mug of beer and
-a piece of rye bread.
-
-"My friend Herr Finkelstein has not come?" Kenneth asked.
-
-"Nobody has come for you," replied the man.
-
-"My note was taken to him?"
-
-"If you wrote a note, I daresay it was."
-
-"Aren't you sure?"
-
-"I have only just come on duty, sir."
-
-The constable set the food on the table and went out, locking the door.
-
-Anticipating dinner, Kenneth was not tempted to eat the coarse fare
-provided. He was still not seriously alarmed, though his annoyance
-grew with the passing minutes. Finkelstein never left his office until
-half-past six; there was plenty of time for him to have received the
-note--unless there had been delay in delivering it. This possibility
-was somewhat perturbing.
-
-Kenneth began to wonder what had led to his arrest. He was quite
-unknown to the police; nothing in his appearance was aggressively
-English. So far as he knew he had no enemy in Cologne, so that it
-seemed unlikely that anyone had put the police on his track out of
-sheer malice.
-
-His thoughts reverted to the incident of the afternoon. The discovery
-that Hellwig was in the German secret service, surprising as it was,
-made clear certain things that had puzzled him. During his frequent
-visits to London, Hellwig was accustomed to stay at the Amorys' house,
-and had many callers who came to see him privately, on the firm's
-business, as Kenneth had supposed. It seemed only too probable now
-that they were agents in the work of espionage.
-
-A sudden suspicion flashed into Kenneth's mind. Was it possible that
-his arrest was due to Hellwig? From what he had overheard it was clear
-that Hellwig was a man of considerable authority in the secret service.
-A word from him would no doubt suffice. But what could his motive be?
-Kenneth was under no illusion as to the man's character. He had always
-thoroughly disliked and distrusted him, and felt instinctively that the
-dislike was mutual. Could it be that Hellwig, knowing himself
-discovered, and fearing that Kenneth, on his return to London, would
-inform the authorities, had taken this step to save himself? It seemed
-an unnecessary precaution, for if war broke out between Britain and
-Germany, Hellwig would make no more journeys to London for some time to
-come.
-
-The more Kenneth thought over the matter, the more convinced he became
-that Hellwig, whatever his motive might be, had caused his arrest. The
-conviction destroyed his confidence in an early release. The man would
-stick at nothing. He would have foreseen an application to
-Finkelstein, and taken steps to forestall it. What if the note should
-never reach Finkelstein?
-
-Kenneth was now thoroughly alarmed. The Germans had a short way with
-spies, or those they regarded as spies, even during peace; it was
-likely to be shorter and sharper than ever on the outbreak of war. The
-prospect of being taken out and shot sent cold thrills through him.
-
-Contemplating this dark eventuality he heard heavy footsteps overhead.
-He looked up, and for the first time saw a glint of light from the
-ceiling in one corner of the room. The footsteps passed: all was
-silent again.
-
-Kenneth sat thinking. If his suspicions were well founded, he felt
-that his doom was sealed. It would be easy for a man like Hellwig to
-fabricate evidence against him. In default of Finkelstein's
-assistance, which Hellwig would take care to prevent, his only means of
-safety lay in flight. But what chance was there of escaping from this
-locked and shuttered room? An examination of the window showed the
-hopelessness of it.
-
-The faint streak of light above again attracted his notice.
-Noiselessly drawing the table beneath it, he mounted to examine its
-source. A portion of the plaster had fallen away from the ceiling, and
-the light filtered through a narrow crack in the flooring above. This
-discovery, under pressure of circumstances, gave him a gleam of hope.
-Taking out his pocket knife, he began to scrape quietly at the plaster,
-gradually enlarging the hole. What there might be above he could not
-tell; judging by the passing in and out of the footsteps the room was
-unoccupied.
-
-While he was engaged on this work he heard steps in the passage
-without. Springing down, he swept on to the floor, and under the
-table, the plaster he had scraped from the ceiling, then stood waiting
-eagerly. Perhaps it was Finkelstein at last.
-
-The door opened. A man was thrust into the room, and the door again
-locked. The newcomer swore.
-
-"You're an Englishman?" cried Kenneth.
-
-"Do I find a companion in adversity?" said the man. "We can condole."
-
-"Who are you?"
-
-"What is your father? How many horses does he keep? Bless me, how
-this reminds me of my innocent childhood! 'More light,' as Goethe
-said. But I can see well enough to know that you are a youngster.
-Sad, sad!"
-
-Peering at the stranger, Kenneth saw a man of about thirty-five, with
-hair *en brosse*, Germanic moustache, and a German military uniform.
-
-"I should pass in a crowd, one would think," the man went on, smiling
-under Kenneth's scrutiny. "But Fate is unkind."
-
-"You are a spy?" said Kenneth.
-
-"And you, my friend?"
-
-"No. They say so, but I'm not."
-
-"They say so, and they will have their way. Ah, well! They say also,
-that it is a sweet and comely thing to die for one's country. I always
-thought I should die in my boots."
-
-"Can they prove it against you?"
-
-"A scrap of paper! They can't read it, but what matters that? A note
-in cipher is evidence enough. But I shall not die unavenged: they are
-crying in the streets that war is declared, and I fancy that Emperor
-William has bitten a little more than he can chew. What brings you to
-this deplorable extremity?"
-
-"I don't know: a private enemy, I think."
-
-"Well, the rain falls on the just and the unjust. I'm sorry for you.
-Haven't you any friend, though, who can get this door unlocked?"
-
-Kenneth explained briefly what had happened. Then, feeling a strange
-liking for his companion, he added:
-
-"When you came in, I was wondering about the chances of escape."
-
-"A waste of brain tissue, unless you have some talisman. But tell me,
-you have some definite idea?"
-
-"You see that hole in the ceiling? I was enlarging it."
-
-"Ha! A man of action! Nil desperandum, eh? Let me have a look at it."
-
-He mounted on the table, and thrust his hand into the opening.
-
-"I say, youngster," he said, a note of eagerness in his voice, "there
-is a chance, on my life there is. The boards above are not over firm.
-We may be skipping out of the frying-pan into the fire, but one can
-only die once. Continue with your work; I'll mount guard and warn you
-of anyone approaching."
-
-Kenneth scraped away with his penknife, until the hole was large enough
-to admit his head and shoulders. The light, coming through a single
-crack, did not increase, so that the enlargement of the hole might
-easily escape notice if a constable entered. The stranger put the
-chair on the table.
-
-"Mount on that," he said; "put your back against the boards, and
-shove--gently."
-
-Kenneth did as he was instructed. The pressure of his back started the
-nails, and a plank rose, with an alarming creak.
-
-"That won't be heard through the rumble of traffic outside," said the
-man. "Wait a little. You don't know anything of the room above?"
-
-"Nothing. I heard somebody go in and out a while ago; I think it is
-empty."
-
-"Well now: let us keep cool. We can get into the room: that is
-certain. Can we get out of it? We shall have to descend the stairs.
-Our chance of life depends on one half-minute. 'Can a man die better
-than facing fearful odds?' Look here: we'll toss. Heads: we'll go up;
-tails--why, hang it, we'll still go up! Fortuna fortibus! Wait till
-we hear the rumble of the next artillery wagon; then! ..."
-
-They had not long to wait. Heavy traffic passed at short intervals.
-
-"Now!" said the stranger.
-
-Kenneth gave a heave. In a moment two planks were removed. Resting
-his arms on the edges of those on either side of the gap, he hoisted
-himself up. His companion quickly followed. They stood in the room.
-
-The next half minute was filled to breathlessness. It was a bedroom.
-A street lamp outside threw a little light into it. Hanging from a peg
-on the door was a policeman's tunic and helmet.
-
-"Fortune's our friend," murmured the stranger.
-
-In ten seconds he had helped Kenneth to don the uniform. They crept
-out of the room, and peeped over the stair rail. The way was clear.
-All sounds within were smothered by the noise in the street. They
-stole downstairs, past the closed door of the guardroom, through the
-outer door, and into the open. "War with England!" shouted a newsman
-at the corner.
-
-"We win the first trick!" chuckled the stranger, as they hurried along.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER III--THE SECOND TRICK
-=============================
-
-"The first trick--yes: but what are trumps?" said Kenneth, in reply to
-his companion's remark.
-
-"Toujours l'audace!" the stranger answered. "But my life isn't worth a
-moment's purchase. I owe you a few minutes; 'for this relief much
-thanks.' Leave me now, and make for your friends. They will look
-after you. I have none."
-
-"Not a bit of it," replied Kenneth instantly. "We stick together. I
-know a quiet place where we can consult. Step out briskly, as if we
-have important business on hand."
-
-"There's nothing hypothetical about that," murmured the other. "On,
-then!"
-
-They hurried along the street, which was crowded with persons of all
-ages, some talking excitedly, others cheering and singing patriotic
-songs. Now and then there was a cry of "Down with England!" The two
-fugitives walked quickly, dodging among the crowd to avoid the wearers
-of military or police uniforms, their own uniforms clearing a way for
-them. As they passed a beershop, the outside tables of which were
-thronged, the drinkers cheered them and broke lustily into the song of
-Deutschland über Alles.
-
-As soon as possible they turned into a side street, less populous; and
-Kenneth, who knew the city well, directed his course towards the river,
-to a little secluded nook, where he hoped it would be possible to hold
-a quiet consultation. In the hurry of escape and the anxious transit
-of the streets he had been unable to devote a moment's thought to their
-future action. It was clear that their safety hung by a thread; their
-only chance was to lay their plans calmly, taking due account of the
-present circumstances and future contingencies.
-
-They reached their destination. There was nobody about.
-
-"We may have a few minutes to ourselves," said Kenneth. He took out
-his watch. "It is nearly ten o'clock. My train has gone, so that's
-out of the question."
-
-"You were leaving?"
-
-"Yes; my friends thought I had better go; that was before war with
-England was certain. I suppose it is true?"
-
-"The time limit has not expired, certainly; but there can't be any
-doubt about it. Germany can't afford to yield about Belgium, and we
-can't afford to let her have a walk over. We may be quite sure that no
-Englishman of fighting age will get away now without trouble. But your
-friends will protect you; again I say, don't consider me."
-
-"That's all right. In any case I don't want to get Max Finkelstein
-into a row."
-
-"Of Amory & Finkelstein?"
-
-"Yes; I'm Kenneth Amory. Do you speak German, by the way?"
-
-"Like a native. I was at school at Heidelberg."
-
-"That's a help. But for the life of me I can't think of a way of
-getting out. When they discover our escape they'll watch the stations,
-the piers, and the roads. Our uniforms won't be a bit of use."
-
-"Oh! for the wings of a dove!--or an eagle would be more to the
-purpose."
-
-"By Jove! that gives me an idea. I've done some flying; I was going to
-try for a place in our Flying Corps. If we could only bag an
-aeroplane!"
-
-"A sheer impossibility, I should say."
-
-Kenneth stood silent in the attitude of one deep in thought. Every now
-and again his right eyelid twitched--a little involuntary mannerism
-which came into play at such times. His companion watched him
-curiously. At last a look of resolution chased the doubt from his face.
-
-"It's the only way," he said; "we must have a try. There are plenty in
-Cologne. They've been using a new aviation ground lately; the regular
-aerodrome was too small for them. They don't fly at night. All the
-machines will be in their hangars. Of course they'll be under guard;
-but we might get hold of one by a trick. Give me another minute or two
-to think it out: I know the place well."
-
-After a few minutes' silence there ensued an earnest conversation
-between the two. The upshot of it was that they hurried by
-unfrequented roads to the new aviation ground. It was a large
-enclosure defended by a wooden fence about eight feet high, with barbed
-wire along the top. A sentry stood at the gate near the sheds. The
-whole place was in darkness, but a little beyond it, on the far side of
-the road, shone the lights of a beershop.
-
-Leaving his companion in a dark corner, Kenneth hastened alone to the
-beershop. At the tables outside sat several men, mechanics in
-appearance. Kenneth slackened his pace to a policeman's walk, and
-passed by, throwing a keen glance at the men, who gave him a
-perfunctory salute. On reaching the remotest table he whispered a word
-or two to the man drinking alone there. The man left his bock, and
-rising, joined Kenneth, who had drawn back into the darkness.
-
-"You can be discreet?" he said.
-
-"What is it, Herr Policeman?" the man replied, doubtfully.
-
-"It is a question of a spy. One of the mechanics is suspected. Do you
-know a short dark man who has recently come in?"
-
-The question was a bait cast at a venture; Kenneth was elated at the
-man's reply.
-
-"Yes, to be sure; there is a new fellow, mechanic to Herr Lieutenant
-Breul. None of us liked the look of him. If he is a spy! ... Not that
-he is particularly short."
-
-"Well, not so very short."
-
-"Nor more than common dark."
-
-"Not a gipsy, perhaps; but still, rather dark and certainly not tall."
-
-"That's the fellow to a hair. He's a boor: why, he called me a stupid
-pig only this morning. That's suspicious in itself; for I'm not a
-stupid pig; I can prove it by my school certificates."
-
-"Of course; you wouldn't be employed here if you were a stupid pig.
-Well now, Herr Lieutenant Breul ought to be warned."
-
-"That's true. The Herr Lieutenant is not here now; he has gone for the
-night with the other officers. But it would be better to arrest the
-man at once. A spy! We'll do for him, me and my mates."
-
-"Not so fast. We must make sure of the man. I ought to hold him under
-observation. But it is important to keep the matter quiet. The
-question is, can you manage to let me have a sight of the man without
-attracting attention?"
-
-The man scratched his head.
-
-"You don't want to enter by the gate, Herr Policeman?"
-
-"No. It would never do to let it get about that a spy was found here."
-
-"Well, it's not an easy matter, but I'll go to the sheds and see what
-can be done."
-
-The man went away, Kenneth hastened to the spot where he had left his
-companion.
-
-"Things look possible," he said. "But your uniform is a difficulty. A
-German officer mustn't enter the enclosure like a thief, and without
-the password you can't go in by the gate."
-
-"I must simply bluff it out. I'm a friend of Lieutenant Breul. I've
-played many parts in my time--not without success."
-
-"Come along then. There's no time to lose."
-
-They hurried back to the dark corner in which Kenneth had interviewed
-the mechanic. In a few minutes he returned.
-
-"This is a friend of the Herr Lieutenant's," said Kenneth. "I met him
-just beyond the gate, and he agrees with me that this disgraceful
-matter must be kept secret. Have you had any success?"
-
-"The fellow is overhauling the Herr Lieutenant's engine in preparation
-for a start to-morrow. He is the only man at work."
-
-"That's very suspicious," said Kenneth. "Don't you think, Herr
-Captain, that we had better climb the fence and keep a watch on the
-man? Who knows what mischief he may be doing?"
-
-"I'll go back to the gate and meet you inside," replied his companion.
-
-"I think you had better come with me, Herr Captain," said Kenneth,
-"Your presence would guarantee me if any soldier within chanced to
-suppose that I was intruding."
-
-"Very well," returned the other, with seeming reluctance. "But you
-also must guarantee me against damage to my clothes."
-
-"That is easily done. This man will throw his coat over the wire."
-
-"Certainly, Herr Policeman," said the mechanic, whom the presence of an
-officer had quite reassured.
-
-They moved off to a spot beyond the sheds. The mechanic laid his coat
-upon the wire, and assisted the fugitives to mount. Then he hurried
-back to the gate, entered the enclosure, and met them near the furthest
-shed. The whirring of a propeller was audible.
-
-"That's the shed," he said, pointing to the half-open door through
-which a bright light was streaming. "He's at work there, running the
-engine."
-
-"Very well," said Kenneth. "You had better get your coat and make
-yourself scarce. You won't want to appear in this."
-
-"Not I," said the man.
-
-"The Herr Lieutenant will reward you," said Kenneth's companion. He
-knew German officers too well to tip the man in the English way.
-
-The mechanic slipped away into the darkness. The Englishmen went to
-the shed. They opened the door and entered boldly. A man was bending
-over the engine, spanner in hand, adjusting a nut on the carburetter.
-He had not noticed the opening of the door or the entrance of the
-strangers. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looking up,
-was amazed to hear an officer say, through the noise of the propeller:
-
-"Villain, you are under arrest."
-
-Dumbfounded, he stared stupidly at the officer, and feebly protesting,
-stood back from the machine. Meanwhile Kenneth had taken a tin of
-petrol from a cupboard in the corner of the shed, and was filling up
-the tank. When this was done, he ran his eye rapidly over the
-monoplane, tested the stays, and finding all in good order, said in
-English:
-
-"We'll lock this fellow in the cupboard. Then you throw the door open,
-come back quickly, and get into the seat beside me. The engine is
-running well, and it will only take a few seconds to get off."
-
-At the first words of English the mechanic shouted with alarm; but his
-cry was drowned by the whirring of the propeller, and before he could
-repeat it he was locked into the cupboard. Then the Englishman carried
-out Kenneth's instructions. As soon as he was in his place, Kenneth
-threw the engine into gear, and the machine glided forward out of the
-shed into the dimly lit open space beyond. In a few yards it began to
-rise. There were shouts of surprise from the few men about the grounds
-and the mechanics in the beershop outside, scarcely heard by the airmen.
-
-The monoplane soared up and up, unnoticed by the noisy multitudes in
-the crowded streets below. It was soon out of sight. Suddenly a beam
-of blinding light flashed upon it from some point high above the ground.
-
-"The searchlight on the cathedral steeple," shouted Kenneth to his
-companion. "But there's no danger; they'll recognise it as a Taube."
-
-The searchlight followed its course for a few minutes; then was shut
-off.
-
-"The second trick is to us!" cried the passenger.
-
-But Kenneth did not hear him. His whole attention was given to the
-machine.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IV--IN NEUTRAL TERRITORY
-================================
-
-The sky was clear; there was very little wind; and Kenneth realised
-that the conditions could hardly have been more propitious. For some
-minutes he was too closely occupied with the mechanism to consider
-direction. The monoplane was strange to him. His experience of flying
-had been almost wholly gained in the machines of his friend Remi
-Pariset, son of the manager of the Antwerp branch of Amory &
-Finkelstein. Pariset was a lieutenant in the Belgian flying corps, and
-Kenneth had frequently accompanied him in flights, at first as
-passenger only, afterwards being allowed to try his hand in the pilot's
-seat. It had long been his aim to gain the pilot's certificate in
-England, and, as he had told Frieda Finkelstein, he hoped on the
-outbreak of war to get a commission in the Royal Flying Corps.
-
-Though he had never before managed a monoplane of the type of that
-which he had appropriated, he had often watched the German airmen, and
-after a little uncertainty in his manipulation of the controls, he
-"felt" the machine, and recognised that it would give him no trouble.
-Then he had leisure to determine his course.
-
-His first idea had been to make all speed to the Belgian coast, and
-take ship for England. But recollection of the conversation overheard
-between Hellwig and his visitor suggested that he might possibly do
-some preliminary service to the Belgians. A bridge was to be blown up.
-There could be no doubt that this operation was part of the German plan
-of campaign, and if it could be frustrated, this would represent so
-much gain to the defending force. The river spanned by the bridge had
-not been named, but there was a clue in the fact that the bridge was
-near a mill. His intention now, therefore, was to alight somewhere in
-Belgium and communicate his discovery to the military authorities.
-
-In the hurry of departure he was quite oblivious of the direction of
-his flight. Now that he had time to consider it, he saw by the compass
-that he was flying towards the north-east. Bringing the monoplane
-round, he set his course for the south-west, hoping to pick up in half
-an hour or so the lights of Aix-la-Chapelle. He failed to locate the
-railway line from Cologne to Aix, and the few scattered points of light
-in the black expanse below gave him no landmarks.
-
-After a while it occurred to him to switch on the electric light that
-illuminated the dial of a small clock. It was a quarter to eleven. He
-must have been flying for nearly half an hour, but neither to right or
-left nor straight ahead was there any sign of the expected lights of
-Aix. The country over which he was passing seemed to be hilly; it was
-possible that the lights of the city were hidden by the shoulder of a
-hill.
-
-Presently his companion shouted that he heard the sound of big guns
-away to the left. Kenneth listened, but could hear nothing through the
-droning whirr of the propeller.
-
-Every now and then he glanced at the clock, the only indication of the
-distance he had covered. When midnight was past, he felt sure that
-unless he had completely miscalculated his direction he must by this
-time have crossed the German frontier. He was thinking of landing and
-trying to discover where he was, when he caught sight in the starlight
-of a broad river flowing immediately beneath him from south-west to
-north-east. This, he had no doubt, was the Meuse, but he knew nothing
-of the course of the river, and could not determine whether he was in
-Belgium or Holland. At any rate he was out of Germany.
-
-Dropping a few hundred feet, and seeing below him a broad expanse of
-fields, apparently flat, he thought it safe to risk a descent. No
-lights were visible. A rapid swoop brought the machine into a meadow
-of long grass ripe for hay, and he came lightly to the ground.
-
-"I make you my compliments," said his companion, as they climbed out of
-their seats. "It is my first aerial voyage, and I am pretty sure that
-no one has ever tempted the empyrean under such exciting circumstances.
-But why did you come down? I hoped we should find ourselves at Ostend."
-
-"I'll tell you my reason. I don't know where I am, but we had better
-camp here till morning, and then explore. Keep a look-out while I
-glance over the engine; we must be ready to get off again at a moment's
-notice."
-
-He switched on the light and made a careful examination of the engine;
-then, rubbing his dirty hands on the grass, he threw himself down
-beside his companion.
-
-"We've had uncommon luck," he said.
-
-"You under-estimate the personal equation," returned the other. "I
-consider myself supremely lucky in having met you. Your daring is as
-great as your ingenuity, Amory. By the way, I have the advantage of
-you. I have as many names as the chameleon has colours, but the names
-given me in baptism were Lewis Granger. Now we're quits on that score."
-
-"Thanks. You are a spy, I suppose?"
-
-"Well, that rather opprobrious term would cover me, I presume. A
-sensitive person might prefer to call himself a secret agent. What's
-in a name?"
-
-"It's pretty dangerous work, anyhow, and I'm jolly glad you're out of
-the Germans' clutches. You asked why I came down. It's because I'm a
-sort of secret agent too."
-
-"You don't say so!"
-
-"Oh, it's quite involuntary. I happened to overhear a conversation a
-few hours before I was nabbed. I'll tell you about it."
-
-"Wait. I have no credentials. Do you think it wise to confide in a
-stranger?"
-
-"That's all right," said Kenneth, who had taken an instant liking to
-the man. "We're in the same boat. What I overheard was a scheme for
-blowing up a bridge somewhere in Belgium, and I thought that before
-going on to England I might put the Belgians up to it."
-
-"That's worth a few hours' delay. What you say confirms my own
-knowledge of the extraordinary minuteness of the German plans.
-'Somewhere in Belgium,' you say. You don't know where?"
-
-"No. The name of the river was not mentioned either by Hellwig or----"
-
-"Hellwig! Does his Christian name happen to be Kurt?"
-
-"Yes. Do you know him?"
-
-"I have crossed swords with him--not literally, you understand, though
-nothing would please me better than a bout with him with the buttons
-off. I have one or two scores to settle with him. His Christian name
-would be more truly descriptive with the loss of a T. But how in the
-world did you come across him? He's not the kind of man I should
-expect to meet in your company."
-
-"He's the cousin of my poor father's partner, Max Finkelstein. Max
-gives him a salary; he doesn't earn a penny of it, but Max is a
-kind-hearted beggar. He wouldn't do it if he knew that Hellwig was
-a--secret agent."
-
-"Don't mind my feelings, my dear fellow," said Granger, with a laugh.
-"We're a very mixed lot, I assure you. Do you mind repeating what you
-overheard, as nearly as you can remember it?"
-
-When the story was told, Granger acknowledged that ignorance of the
-position of the bridge was an obstacle to forewarning the Belgian
-authorities.
-
-"Still, they ought to know every inch of the probable theatre of war,"
-he said, "and may spot the place at once."
-
-"We'll see in the morning," said Kenneth. "Meanwhile we had better
-take watch and watch about during the rest of the night. I don't
-suppose any one will come by while it's dark, but it's as well to be on
-the safe side. I'll take first watch."
-
-"Very well. It will be light in less than five hours. I'll snooze for
-a couple of hours; wake me then."
-
-The night was warm, and Kenneth, in his policeman's coat, suffered no
-discomfort. His watch passed undisturbed, and he was very sleepy when
-he roused Granger.
-
-About five o'clock he was wakened from a sound sleep by a nudge from
-his companion.
-
-"Sorry to disturb you," said Granger, "but there's a group of peasants
-approaching with scythes. Evidently they are going to mow the meadow."
-
-Kenneth started up.
-
-"Belgians?" he asked.
-
-"Or Dutch," replied Granger. "We shall soon know."
-
-The peasants, more than a dozen in number, came straight towards the
-aeroplane. Recognising the German uniforms, as the two men rose from
-the ground, they halted, consulted for a moment or two, then advanced,
-holding their scythes threateningly.
-
-"I fancy they're Dutch," said Granger. "My good friends," he called in
-Dutch, "will you tell us where we are?"
-
-On hearing their own tongue the men consulted again. Then one of them
-left the party, and hurried back by the way he had come. The rest
-advanced slowly, keeping close together, not replying to the question,
-and wearing an air of suspicion and hostility.
-
-"They have sent a man back to his village to warn the authorities,"
-said Granger. "We must find out where we are."
-
-The peasants halted at a little distance, and stood in an attitude of
-watchfulness.
-
-"We are not Germans, in spite of our dress," Granger continued. "As a
-matter of fact, we are Englishmen who have lost our way."
-
-The stolid Dutchmen looked round upon one another with a knowing air as
-much as to say "We have heard that story before." Granger tried again.
-
-"Come, come, it is the truth, I assure you. All we want is to know
-where we are; then we will pursue our journey."
-
-There was again a consultation among the group. Then one of them said,
-pugnaciously:
-
-"You are near Weert, as you know very well."
-
-"Weert is some few miles north-east of Maestricht," Granger remarked to
-Kenneth. "We don't want to know any more. I think we had better be
-off. They don't believe we are not Germans, and as neutrals they will
-hold us up if we wait until the village authorities arrive. I hope
-they won't show fight, for we are absolutely unarmed, and those scythes
-are rather formidable implements."
-
-"We're in an awkward hole, certainly," said Kenneth. "By the look of
-them they'll set on to us as soon as they see us making ready to go."
-
-"The police took my revolver when they searched me," said Granger;
-"otherwise we might intimidate them."
-
-"I wonder--" began Kenneth, thrusting his hand into the inner pocket of
-his coat. "By Jove! What luck! Here's the policeman's revolver.
-Keep them back with that while I start the engine. I shall only be a
-minute or two."
-
-Granger took the revolver unobtrusively. Kenneth went to the front of
-the aeroplane and swung the propeller round, the peasants watching him
-at first without understanding. When the engine began to fire,
-however, they realised the meaning of the movements, and came on
-brandishing their scythes. Granger, standing close by the seat, lifted
-the revolver.
-
-"Now, my good men," he said amiably, "we are going to leave you, as you
-appear not to relish our company. If any of you come within a dozen
-yards of us I shall fire."
-
-The men came to a halt, scowling at the little weapon pointed at them
-by a steady arm. Kenneth got into his seat.
-
-"I'm ready," he said.
-
-Granger slowly backed and handed him the revolver, with which Kenneth
-covered the peasants as his companion clambered up beside him. Even
-before Granger was seated the aeroplane began to move. The peasants
-scattered out of its path, cursing the German pigs. It rose into the
-air; Kenneth swung it round to the south-west, and in half a minute it
-was sailing away out of danger. Glancing round, Granger smiled as he
-caught sight of a half squadron of Dutch cavalry galloping into the
-meadow behind them.
-
-.. _`THE PEASANTS SCATTERED OUT OF ITS PATH`:
-
-.. figure:: images/img-054.jpg
- :align: center
- :alt: "THE PEASANTS SCATTERED OUT OF ITS PATH"
-
- "THE PEASANTS SCATTERED OUT OF ITS PATH"
-
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER V--A CLOSE CALL
-=======================
-
-Remembering that they had crossed the Meuse the night before, Kenneth
-steered to the left until he sighted the river, then deflected
-southward, and followed its course, keeping on the side of the left
-bank.
-
-There was no means of telling at what point he would cross the northern
-frontier of Belgium. Ascending to a great height, in order to escape
-shots from either Belgian or Dutch frontier guards, he soon discovered
-a town of some size extended on both banks of the river. This could
-only be Maestricht. Within twenty minutes of passing this he came in
-sight of a much more considerable town through which the river flowed
-spanned by several bridges.
-
-"Better land now," shouted Granger, "or they'll be taking shots at us
-from the forts. This is Liége."
-
-Almost before he had finished speaking the monoplane began to rock like
-a ship at sea, and Kenneth had to exert his utmost skill to preserve
-its equilibrium. A shell had burst a few hundred yards below them.
-Some seconds later they heard the dull thunder of the gun's discharge.
-Clearly it was no longer safe to continue the southward course.
-Kenneth swerved to the right, and making a steep vol plane, swooped
-into the cornfield of a farmhouse close by the high road.
-
-The people of the farm, at the sight of the German uniforms, fled
-precipitately for shelter. Already "the terror of the German name" had
-become a by-word in the countryside.
-
-"We are in hot water, I'm afraid," said Granger. "Strip off your coat;
-you're all right underneath."
-
-Kenneth had hardly taken off his coat and helmet when there was a sound
-of galloping horses. A dozen Belgian mounted infantrymen dashed up the
-road, leapt the low wall of the farm steading, and shouted to them to
-surrender. Granger whipped out his pocket handkerchief and waved it in
-the air. The Belgians dismounted, and part of them advanced, the
-lieutenant at their head with revolver pointed, the men covering the
-fugitives with their rifles.
-
-"You are our prisoners," said the officer in bad German.
-
-"Charmed, my dear sir," replied Granger in excellent French. "Contrary
-to appearances, we are not Germans, but Englishmen."
-
-"Ah bah!" snorted the lieutenant. "You wear German uniforms."
-
-"L'habit ne fait pas le moine," said Granger with a smile. "The fact
-is as I state it: we are Englishmen who have escaped from Cologne."
-
-"The aeroplane is German," the officer persisted.
-
-"We commandeered it, there being no English machine available.
-Unluckily we have no papers on us to prove our nationality; they were
-taken from us by the Germans who arrested us as spies."
-
-"Bah!" said the lieutenant again. That two Englishmen arrested as
-spies should have been able to escape on a German monoplane laid too
-great a strain upon his imagination. "You are my prisoners. Hand over
-your arms."
-
-Granger at once gave up the revolver, and Kenneth allowed himself to be
-searched. The officer rummaged the aeroplane for plans and other
-incriminating documents, then ordered two of his men to mount guard
-over it, and marched the prisoners through the farmyard to the road,
-under the gratified glances of the farm people at their windows.
-Kenneth carried his policeman's uniform.
-
-After walking about a mile, they came to a regiment encamped in a field
-beside the road. The lieutenant led his prisoners to the commanding
-officer, and explained the circumstances of their capture.
-
-"You say you are English?" he said, scanning the two men.
-
-"I assure you that is the truth," replied Granger. "We were both
-arrested as spies in Cologne, but by an ingenious stratagem of my
-friend here we obtained possession of a German aeroplane, and are
-delighted to find ourselves in Belgian territory, among a friendly
-people."
-
-"You speak very good French."
-
-"Which is not to our discredit, I hope," said Granger with a smile.
-
-The Colonel was plainly even more incredulous than his subordinate. A
-man who spoke such good French must be a German spy! He took up the
-receiver of a field telephone. Ascertaining that an aide de camp was
-at the other end of the wire he said:
-
-"Two men, one in police, the other in military uniform, German, have
-landed from a Taube monoplane west of Liers. They say they are
-English, but they are clearly German spies. I await orders."
-
-The prisoners, who had heard all, watched his face grimly set as he
-held the receiver to his ear.
-
-"It's extraordinary, the persistence of a fixed idea," said Granger in
-a low tone to Kenneth. "If he heard us speaking English I suppose he
-would take it as a clinching proof that we are Germans! The uniforms,
-our salvation in Cologne, are here our damnation."
-
-"They'll send us to the General, won't they? He won't be such an ass."
-
-"We shall see."
-
-A few minutes passed. Then the look of blank expectancy on the
-Colonel's face gave way to a look of satisfaction. He laid down the
-receiver.
-
-"Shoot them!" he said laconically, turning to the lieutenant.
-
-Granger smiled at Kenneth, whose cheeks had gone red with indignation
-rather than pale from fear.
-
-"What rot!" said the boy.
-
-"I said I should die in my boots," remarked Granger. "My fate has been
-hanging over me these ten years. But there's a chance for you. Why
-not tell them about the bridge?"
-
-"They'd only think I was funking, and wouldn't believe me. I won't do
-it."
-
-They were led away towards a clump of trees on the outskirts of the
-camp. The lieutenant was selecting his firing party. A crowd of
-troopers, some in uniform, others in their shirt sleeves, came flocking
-around. One or two officers moved more leisurely towards the scene.
-Suddenly one of these started, and hurried forward with an exclamation
-of surprise.
-
-"Mon Dieu, it's you, Ken!" he cried, seizing Kenneth's hand.
-
-"Hullo, Remi," said Kenneth, his face lighting up. "Just tell your
-colonel I'm not a German, will you?"
-
-"Of course I will. And your friend?"
-
-"As English as I am. This is my pal, Remi Pariset," he said to Granger.
-
-"I am delighted to meet you," said Granger, bowing, "even though our
-acquaintance should prove of the shortest."
-
-Pariset, asking his fellow lieutenant to delay, ran to the Colonel, and
-returned immediately with him.
-
-"I beg a thousand pardons, gentlemen," said the Colonel. "I am
-desolated at the injustice I have unwittingly done you. Pray accept my
-apologies."
-
-"Not at all, Colonel," said Granger. "Appearances were against us.
-You were quite justified in your suspicions; it was our misfortune that
-we couldn't change our dress on the way.... I've had many a close
-shave," he added in an undertone to Kenneth, "but was never quite so
-near my quietus."
-
-"I was feeling rather rummy," Kenneth confessed: "a queer feeling, not
-exactly fear; a sort of emptiness."
-
-When the troopers learnt the truth, they broke into cries of "Vivent
-les Anglais! Vive l'Angleterre!" and the prisoners found themselves
-the idols of the camp. They were invited to join the officers at
-lunch, and ate with good appetites, having had no food but rye bread
-and beer since the previous midday. The officers drank their health
-with hilarity when Granger had related the trick by means of which they
-had escaped from Cologne, and Kenneth was toasted with embarrassing
-fervour.
-
-"The bridge! That will be a clincher," whispered Granger in his ear.
-
-Kenneth's French was not so good as his German, but he managed, even
-though haltingly, to convey to his interested auditors the gist of the
-scheme he had overheard. The officers were much concerned. None of
-them was able to identify the place from the bare description which was
-all that Kenneth could give them. The bridge was clearly not in the
-line of the Germans' probable advance; its destruction could only be
-meant to assist them. But the clues, slight though they were, must be
-followed up, and the Colonel declared that he would communicate with
-headquarters about the matter.
-
-After lunch he took Kenneth aside.
-
-"I gather that you have not known your companion long?" he said.
-
-"That is true," replied Kenneth. "I met him for the first time
-yesterday."
-
-"You will pardon me, I am sure. Lieutenant Pariset's voucher for you
-is sufficient; but in such times as these I should not be doing my duty
-if I allowed Mr. Granger to be at large without enquiry. Will you
-explain that to him, and ask him to give me a reference to a British
-authority?"
-
-"Certainly. I am sure you will find things all right."
-
-"The dear man!" laughed Granger when Kenneth told him this. "He
-needn't have been so careful of my feelings as to ask you to break it
-to me. I've no doubt I can satisfy him."
-
-He mentioned the name of an official high in the British Foreign Office.
-
-"A telegram to that address will bring me a character," he said.
-"Meanwhile I am out of work, and a sort of prisoner on parole. I am
-sorry, because I fear it means that we shall be separated for a time.
-You, I suppose, will want to be up and doing."
-
-"Yes. I've talked things over with Pariset, and he wants me to go with
-him in his aeroplane in search of that bridge. But we'll meet again
-before long. I'm jolly glad we came across each other."
-
-They shook hands cordially and parted.
-
-Meanwhile Lieutenant Pariset had been in consultation with the
-commander of the Belgian Flying Corps. It had been decided that
-Pariset, accompanied by Kenneth, should make a reconnaissance in his
-aeroplane along the railway lines with a view to discover the bridge
-that was threatened. The German monoplane, though faster than his own,
-was discarded: it would certainly have been fired upon as it crossed
-the Belgian lines. There was no clue as to the direction in which the
-bridge lay, whether north, east, south or west of Liége. But it seemed
-certain that the Germans would not wish to blow up any bridges on the
-east. They would rather preserve them, in order to facilitate their
-advance. It was more probable that the bridge in question was on a
-section of the railway by which reinforcements, either French or
-Belgian, might be despatched to Liége. It was therefore decided to
-scout to the west and south.
-
-Early in the afternoon Pariset and Kenneth started, working towards
-Brussels by way of Tirlemont and Louvain. Kenneth had been provided
-with field-glasses, through which he closely scanned every bridge and
-culvert, while Pariset piloted the machine. Flying low, they were able
-to examine the line thoroughly. All that Kenneth had to guide him was
-the knowledge that the bridge was near a mill. There was a tunnel
-between them. It was therefore pretty clear that the bridge and the
-mill could not be far apart.
-
-They flew over the main line as far as Brussels without discovering any
-bridge that fulfilled the conditions. Then they retraced their course
-and scouted along the branch lines running south from Louvain,
-Tirlemont and Landen respectively. Within a few hours they had
-examined the whole triangular district that had Brussels, Liége, and
-Namur at its angles. At Namur they descended for a short rest, then
-set off again, to try their luck on the lines running from the French
-frontier.
-
-Both felt somewhat discouraged. To trace the many hundreds of miles of
-railway that crossed the country between the Meuse and the Somme
-promised to be work for a week. Indeed, it was getting dark by the
-time they had run through the coal-mining and manufacturing district
-between Mons and Valenciennes. Alighting at the latter place, they
-heard that great numbers of German troops had already crossed the
-Belgian frontier, and the forts of Liége were being attacked. There
-was much excitement in the town, and Pariset had some difficulty in
-getting petrol to replenish his tanks.
-
-Next morning they set off early along the line running eastward through
-Maubeuge to Charleroi. It seemed unlikely that they would find the
-spot they sought in the midst of a manufacturing district, but if they
-were to succeed, nothing must be left untried.
-
-Towards ten o'clock they were crossing a stream to the south-east of
-Charleroi when Kenneth suddenly gave a shout. He had noticed on the
-stream a water-mill, between which and a larger river, apparently the
-Sambre, the railway crossed the stream on a brick bridge of four
-arches. The mill was at least two hundred yards from the bridge, a
-distance that seemed too great to have been tunnelled; but it was the
-first spot he had seen that in any way conformed to the particulars he
-had overheard, and it appeared worth while to examine the place more
-closely.
-
-The importance of the bridge was obvious. Its destruction would
-seriously delay the transport of any French troops that might be sent
-northwards to support Namur or Liége, and correspondingly assist the
-Germans in an attempt to take either of those towns by a coup de main.
-
-At Kenneth's shout Pariset turned his head, understood that some
-discovery had been made, and nodded. He did not at once prepare to
-alight. If Germans were in possession of the mill they would notice
-the sudden cessation of the noise of the propeller, which they must
-have heard, and might take warning from the descent of the aeroplane in
-their neighbourhood. Luckily he had been flying low, so that the
-course of the machine could not be followed for any considerable
-distance. Having run out of sight beyond a wood, he selected an open
-field for his descent, and alighted a few hundred yards from a
-farmhouse.
-
-"Have you found it?" asked Pariset eagerly.
-
-"I saw a mill and a railway bridge," replied Kenneth; "but we were
-going too fast for me to be sure it's the right place."
-
-"Well, we shall have to find that out. We'll get the farmer to help us
-run the machine into his yard, and then reconnoitre."
-
-The farmer and a group of his men were already hurrying towards them.
-In a few words Pariset enlisted their help. The aeroplane was run into
-the yard, and placed behind a row of ricks that concealed it from the
-outside.
-
-"We should like some bread and cheese and beer," Pariset said to the
-farmer. "May we come in?"
-
-"Surely, monsieur," was the reply. "Come in and welcome. Ah! these
-are terrible times. I don't know how long I shall have a roof over my
-head. But they say the English are coming to help us. Is that true?"
-
-"Quite true. My friend here is an Englishman."
-
-"Thank God! Oh! les braves Anglais! All will be well now. Come in,
-messieurs; you shall have the best I can give you."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VI--THE OLD MILL
-========================
-
-Sitting in the farm-kitchen, and eating the farmer's homely fare,
-Pariset talked a little about the war, and led the way discreetly to
-the questions he was eager to ask.
-
-"The mill, monsieur? 'Tis twenty years since it was used. I used to
-send my corn to it, but nowadays I send it to Charleroi, where a
-steam-mill grinds it more cheaply. The old miller is a good friend of
-mine, but he retired twenty years ago; he's a warm man, to be sure.
-That's his house yonder:" he pointed to a cottage half a mile away
-across the fields. "We often have a gossip over a mug of beer."
-
-"It's just as well he made his money before steam-mills became so
-common," said Pariset. "I suppose it wasn't worth any one's while to
-keep the water-mill going?"
-
-"No; there's no money in milling of the old sort now. But it goes to
-my heart to see the old mill idle. Such a loss, too. But the miller
-can stand it; he's a warm man, as I told you. And after all, he has
-made a little out of it lately. But it's a come-down, that's what I
-say."
-
-"It is idle, you said."
-
-"Yes, to be sure, and always will be. But the miller has let it for
-two years past. He makes a little out of it, and so do I, not so much
-as I should like, for the gentleman is only there now and then. He's a
-Swiss gentleman that keeps a hotel in Namur. A great fisherman, he is;
-he'll fish for hours in the millpond, and I wonder he has the patience
-for it, for there's not much to be caught there since the grinding
-stopped. Still, I don't complain; he buys my eggs and butter when he
-comes there, two or three times a year perhaps. He's there now, with a
-few friends of his."
-
-"I should like to have a chat with your friend the miller," said
-Pariset.
-
-"He'd like it too, monsieur. He doesn't have much company, and he'd
-like to hear about things from an officer; you can't believe what you
-read in the papers. I'll take you across the fields."
-
-In a few minutes they were seated in a cosy little parlour, opposite a
-sturdy countryman, hale and hearty in spite of his seventy odd years.
-He asked shrewd questions about the war, foresaw great trouble for his
-country, but, like the farmer, was cheered by the news that "les braves
-Anglais" were coming once more to her rescue. When Pariset led up to
-the subject of his mill he became animated.
-
-"Ah! the old mill is a rare old place," he said with a chuckle. "The
-things I could tell you! There was more than milling in the old days.
-Times are changed. We're all for law now. But in my grandfather's
-time--why, monsieur, he's dead and gone this forty years, so it will do
-him no harm if I tell you he was a smuggler. Many and many a barrel of
-good brandy used to get across the border without paying duty. Why,
-underneath the old mill there are cellars and passages where he used to
-store contraband worth thousands of francs. I used to steal down there
-when I was a boy, and ma foi! it made my skin creep, though there was
-nothing to be afraid of. But 'tis fifty years since my old grandfather
-closed them down, and they've never been opened up since."
-
-"Your present tenant is a hotel-keeper, I hear. He would be interested
-to know about the smuggling."
-
-"That he was, to be sure. He laughed when I told him about it. 'We
-can't get rich that way nowadays,' said he. He seems to have plenty of
-money, though; pays me a good rent. 'Tis strange what whims gentlemen
-have. A month's fishing in the pond wouldn't feed him for a week. He
-calls it sport; well, in my young days I liked something more lively.
-But the fishing is just an excuse; he comes there now and then for a
-change and quiet, though he's not a solitary, like some fishermen. He
-has a party of friends sometimes; all Swiss like himself."
-
-"French Swiss?" asked Pariset.
-
-"No, German Swiss. For my part, I've no great liking for German Swiss.
-They're only one remove from Germans. But his money is good, and it's
-something to make a little money out of the old mill after all these
-years."
-
-The old man spoke quite frankly, and evidently had no suspicions about
-his tenant. Pariset thought it safe to disillusion him.
-
-"Would you be surprised to learn that your fisherman is actually a
-German?" he said.
-
-"But that is impossible," said the miller. "He would have gone back to
-Germany, because of the war."
-
-"Unless he is a spy! We have reason to believe that he is, and that he
-is using your mill for the benefit of the enemy. That is what has
-brought us here."
-
-"Sacre nom de nom!" the old man ejaculated, and the farmer thumped the
-table and swore. "Is that the truth, monsieur?"
-
-"We suspect him of intending to blow up the railway bridge at a given
-signal."
-
-"Ah! the villain! And he will use the underground passages. That is
-why he pays me a high rent, parbleu! But he has come to the end of his
-tether. You are here to arrest him?"
-
-"No. We have no men with us. We came to learn whether our suspicions
-were justified. We are not sure of our man yet."
-
-"Bah!" shouted the old man, red with fury. "It is certain. He has
-fooled me. I will raise the countryside. We will fall on these
-Germans. Before night they shall lie in the dungeons of Charleroi."
-
-"Do you think that is the way to go to work?" Pariset asked tactfully.
-"They would hardly allow themselves to be caught napping; at the first
-alarm they would no doubt blow up the bridge, and I take it that to
-prevent that is even more important than to seize the men
-themselves--though our aim should be to do both."
-
-"It is true, monsieur. I am an old man. This is the day of young men.
-Oh that I were forty years younger and able to serve my country! But
-you will not let them go? You will bring some of our brave soldiers
-here and capture the villains?"
-
-"There may not be time for that. We must meet craft with craft. If we
-could only reconnoitre the mill we might be able to hit upon a plan.
-My uniform would give me away, if I approached the place as I am; you
-could no doubt lend me some clothes to disguise myself?"
-
-"Surely, monsieur; but----"
-
-He broke off, eyeing Pariset's face, with its small military moustache,
-doubtfully.
-
-At this moment they heard the rumble of a heavy vehicle on the road.
-
-"It is the beer, compère," said the farmer, glancing out of the window.
-
-"Ah! the beer!" repeated the miller. "I might have known they were
-Germans! Every week they have a barrel delivered from Charleroi, and
-it is not the local brew, but the Lion brew from Munich."
-
-He had moved to the window, followed by his visitors. A heavy dray
-laden with beer was lumbering down the road. As it came opposite to
-the house the drayman hailed the miller, pulling up his horses.
-
-"The Germans are shelling Liége," he said. "Maybe 'tis the last time I
-shall come this way. Your good tenants had better clear out."
-
-"Good tenants!" cried the old man explosively.
-
-"Quiet!" said Pariset, touching him on the sleeve. "Don't tell him
-they are Germans."
-
-"Ah! You are right, monsieur. But my blood boils. You are going to
-the mill?" he asked the drayman.
-
-"Yes. 'Tis only a small barrel to-day--not the big one they usually
-have. There aren't so many of them, seemingly. I was just loading up
-the usual nine gallons when the order came from the office to take a
-four-and-a-half instead."
-
-Pariset glanced quickly at Kenneth.
-
-"They're going to clear out soon," he said in a low tone. "It looks as
-though we're only just in time."
-
-They drew aside from the others while the miller gossiped with the
-drayman.
-
-"I say, you talked of disguising yourself," said Kenneth. "Why
-shouldn't you take the drayman's place and deliver the beer? You could
-then take stock of the place and the people."
-
-"A capital notion! I must take the drayman into my confidence. Wait a
-minute," he called out of the window, as the man was about to drive on.
-In a few words he explained the plan to the miller.
-
-"Parbleu, monsieur, but look at his size!" said the old man.
-
-"Yes, that's a difficulty, I admit," said Pariset ruefully. "He would
-make three of me. The Germans aren't fools, and if they saw me with
-his smock flapping about me they would smell a rat."
-
-"And your face and hands, monsieur--no, decidedly you could not pass
-for a drayman."
-
-Pariset bit his nails in perplexity. Kenneth stared musingly at the
-dray.
-
-"I've an idea!" he said. "Pretend that the drayman has been called up.
-The brewer is short-handed, and has to send clerks out of the office to
-deliver the beer: two clerks equal one drayman. Besides, if I go with
-you, I may catch sight of that fellow I saw with Hellwig, and make sure
-he's our man."
-
-"The very thing! Your clothes are all right; I must borrow a suit from
-the miller. But wait: won't Hellwig's man recognise you?"
-
-"I'll guard against that--smear my face with rust off the cask-hoops,
-and borrow a slouch hat which I'll keep well down over my eyes. It's
-worth trying."
-
-Delighted with the plan, the miller furnished them with the necessary
-garments. In a few minutes Pariset, got up passably as a clerk, went
-out to the drayman, who was becoming impatient. The man swore when he
-learnt that his customers were suspected to be spies, and readily
-agreed to remain in the miller's house and await the issue of the
-stratagem. Meanwhile Kenneth had rubbed his cheeks and hands with
-rust, and in the low flopping hat lent him by the miller would hardly
-have been recognised by his friends, much less, he hoped, by a man who
-had seen him for only a few minutes.
-
-"I had better drive," said Kenneth; "then I can keep in the background
-while you are delivering the cask, if you can tackle it alone."
-
-"That will be easy enough. I see there's a ladder or inclined plane or
-whatever they call it on the dray. I've only to roll the cask down and
-trundle it to the door. I don't suppose they'll let me carry it
-inside."
-
-Kenneth took the reins, and drove off, Pariset, who also had smeared
-face and hands, dangling his legs over the tail of the dray. They
-jogged down the road, passed under the railway bridge, and came in due
-course to the mill.
-
-The premises were surrounded by an old and dilapidated wall, but they
-noticed that along its top ran a row of formidable spikes, apparently
-of recent date. The front door of the mill-house faced the road. It
-was stoutly built of oak studded with nails, and was flanked on both
-sides by barred windows. The smuggling miller who built the place had
-evidently made himself secure against surprise.
-
-When the dray drew up before the door, Pariset sprang down and jerked
-the iron bell-pull. From the driver's seat Kenneth saw a face appear
-for an instant at one of the windows. After a short interval the bolts
-were withdrawn, the door opened, and a man stood on the threshold.
-Kenneth tingled; he had recognised him instantly as the man who had
-been in conversation with Hellwig. He turned his head so as not to
-show his full face, pulled his hat lower over his eyes, and hoped that
-the recognition had not been mutual. And he listened anxiously,
-wondering how Pariset would acquit himself in his novel part, and
-wishing for the moment that Granger was in his place.
-
-Pariset, however, was cool and collected. He took the bull by the
-horns.
-
-"I am sorry I am late, monsieur," he said, "but the fact is that all
-our carters are called up for transport purposes. Being anxious not to
-disappoint a valued customer, my master has sent us out of the office.
-We shan't be able to come again, for we're called up ourselves--all
-through those pigs of Germans, who are said to be across the frontier.
-We shan't be able to deliver any more beer, I'm afraid. It's a wonder
-we've any horses left."
-
-The German merely grunted in answer to this.
-
-"We're in for a very bad time," Pariset went on, as he hoisted the end
-of the cask on to the doorstep. "Hadn't you better go back to
-Switzerland, monsieur? Pardon the suggestion, but we don't know what
-may happen. If these German pigs come south----"
-
-"Just roll it into the lobby," interrupted the German. "Here's the
-money. By the way, have you seen an aeroplane in the neighbourhood?"
-
-"Yes, we saw one an hour or so ago. It was flying north-east. I
-shouldn't be surprised if it was German. The pigs are capable of
-anything. But they'll get a reception that will surprise them. Our
-little army--but there! You know what your own army would do, and your
-turn may come in Switzerland sooner than you think. Thank you: I am
-sorry we shan't be able to serve you again, by the look of things."
-
-He laid the cask in the lobby, pocketed the money, and returned to the
-dray.
-
-Meanwhile Kenneth had seized the opportunity to take a careful look
-around. It was clear that it would not be easy to take the place by a
-rush without giving the inmates sufficient time to fire the mine
-beneath the bridge. The fact that the German had come to the door
-himself, instead of the deaf old countryman whom he was said to employ
-as a man-of-all-work, showed that he was on the alert. Nothing would
-be easier than to overpower the man himself; but if any noise were made
-in so doing his companions would instantly come to his assistance, and
-at the first sign that the plot had been discovered the bridge would be
-blown up. It seemed that the ruse would prove fruitless after all.
-
-In turning the horses for the journey back, Kenneth contrived to bring
-the dray close against the wall, so that from his high seat he was able
-to look over. Through the open window of a room giving on the yard he
-saw a party of four men playing cards at a table. Close to the right
-hand of each stood a tall beer glass.
-
-"That explains why they are such good customers of the brewery," he
-thought.
-
-Pariset, sitting at the back of the dray with his face to the door,
-began to hum a tune, and Kenneth caught the words "En avant!" He
-whipped up the horses, big Flemish beasts that were evidently
-unaccustomed to go above a walking pace, and the heavy vehicle lumbered
-away.
-
-"Why did you want me to hurry?" asked Kenneth, when they were some
-distance along the road.
-
-"Because that fellow was standing at the door watching us," Pariset
-replied. "I wonder if he is suspicious?"
-
-"I shouldn't think so. You played your part quite naturally. But we
-are right, Remi: that's the fellow I saw with Hellwig."
-
-"Ah!" was all that Pariset said then.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VII--A HORNET'S NEST
-============================
-
-"I am not at all happy about this," said Pariset, after a brief silence.
-
-"We haven't learnt very much, certainly," said Kenneth.
-
-"I don't mean that. We have learnt enough if that is your man. But I
-see no means of preventing the destruction of the bridge."
-
-"We might fly to Charleroi and send a squadron of lancers back. There
-are only five men to deal with, apparently."
-
-"That's not the difficulty. The point is that at the first sign of
-molestation they would fire the mine. You may depend upon it that they
-are picked men, with resolution enough to do their job, even at the
-cost of their lives. It would not be much use to capture them after
-the mischief was already done."
-
-"The mine is to be fired on receipt of a marconigram."
-
-"You didn't tell me that. It may happen at any minute, then. They
-must have wireless rigged up in the mill-house. We might have cut a
-wire, but with wireless we are helpless."
-
-"Unless we could get into the mill," Kenneth suggested.
-
-"Ah, if we could! But there's no chance of it. The fellow is on the
-qui vive: I don't like the way he looked after us."
-
-"Wouldn't the old miller, as the landlord, have a right to go in?"
-
-"I daresay, but the old man couldn't do anything. Even if he knew
-anything about wireless or mines, he would only get flustered; he
-certainly would quite fail to do any damage."
-
-"Perhaps he could tell us of another way into the mill, so that we
-could do it ourselves."
-
-"That could only be in the darkness, and they may fire the mine before
-night. I see nothing for it, after all, but to bring some cavalry from
-Charleroi and take care the men don't escape. We can do that, if we
-can't save the bridge."
-
-"Why not wait a little? If the order to fire the mine comes suddenly,
-any time before night, we can't prevent it. But if it doesn't come
-before night, we still have a chance. In any case we ought to get some
-lancers over, to be in the neighbourhood at nightfall. It won't take
-long for one of us to get into Charleroi and back."
-
-"That would be risky after that fellow's question about the aeroplane.
-The best course will be to send in a message by the drayman. I'll
-write a note as soon as we get back."
-
-The drayman readily agreed to carry Pariset's note to the commandant of
-the Charleroi garrison. When he had departed, the miller was taken
-into consultation.
-
-"Is there any other entrance to the millhouse besides the front door?"
-asked Pariset.
-
-"There is a door to the stables, but that has long been nailed up," the
-old man replied.
-
-"Describe the interior as well as you can."
-
-"Well, monsieur, I lived there fifty years, so I ought to know
-something about it. You go in by the door; well, first there's the
-lobby; beyond that, straight ahead, is the kitchen, and beyond that
-again, looking on the stream, is the storeroom with the mill above. To
-the left of that is the hoist; and this side of it, overlooking the
-yard, is the big room, dining-room and parlour in one. There you have
-the ground-floor; the bedrooms are upstairs."
-
-"And the wall goes all round?"
-
-"Yes, right down to the stream on each side, and along the bank, except
-where the wheel juts out into the waterway. The old wheel is dropping
-to pieces; it hasn't been used these twenty years."
-
-"Couldn't we get in that way?"
-
-"Ma foi! That's an idea, now. Many's the time I got in that way as a
-boy, when the wheel was stopped--just a boy's devilry, you understand.
-You could get in that way yet, if the woodwork isn't too rotten to bear
-your weight. You would have to wade the stream, but that isn't deep or
-swift except in winter. Old as I be I'll show you the way myself."
-
-"We could get in without being heard?"
-
-"To be sure, if the woodwork doesn't crack and give way. The kitchen
-is the nearest room; old Jules, the handy man, is as deaf as a post,
-and his wife, who does the cooking, isn't much better."
-
-"And where is the entrance to the underground passages?"
-
-"To the left of the kitchen, in the floor of the hoist."
-
-As the miller answered his questions, Pariset sketched a rough plan of
-the building.
-
-"Is that something like it?" he asked, handing the paper over.
-
-The old man put on his spectacles deliberately, and examined the sketch.
-
-"Near enough," he said. "Ma foi! But I couldn't have done that
-myself."
-
-"Now the question is, when shall we try to get in?" asked Pariset.
-"The best time would be when the men are having a meal. The Germans
-take their meals seriously; if they are ever to be caught off their
-guard it is when they are feeding."
-
-"That's true," said the miller. "They have their supper somewhere
-about seven o'clock. I know that because one evening I met old Jules
-coming back from the village all puffing and blowing. I asked him why
-he was in such a hurry for an old man; had to ask three times before he
-heard me; and he told me he'd forgotten the vinegar, and the gentlemen
-were very angry."
-
-"Well, it's dusk at seven; the lancers will be here by half-past.
-We'll make our attempt then."
-
-"Better go a little earlier, while it's light enough to see our way,"
-suggested the miller. "I'm not so young as I was, and I doubt whether
-I could find my way in the dark."
-
-"Very well. It's now nearly five; we have nearly two hours to wait.
-You'll give us a meal, miller?"
-
-"To be sure; the best I have. I'd feed a regiment to capture a German
-spy."
-
-Just before seven Pariset and Kenneth left the house with the miller.
-Pariset had given the farmer a note addressed to the officer of the
-expected lancers, asking him to leave the horses at the farm, and post
-his men behind the hedge lining the road in the neighbourhood of the
-mill, ready to break in if they were called upon, or to intercept the
-Germans if they tried to escape.
-
-The miller led the way across the fields, by a route which did not
-expose them to view from the mill-house until they arrived within a few
-yards of the bank of the stream opposite the wheel. The last part of
-the journey lay through a cornfield, the wheat growing so high that by
-stooping they completely hid themselves.
-
-All was silent in the mill-house. Dusk was just falling. A lamp had
-already been lit in the kitchen, sending a ray of light across the yard
-to the left. The rear of the building, facing the stream, was dark.
-
-Following the miller, the two young fellows stepped into the stream,
-and waded across knee deep till they stood below the wheel. It was an
-undershot wheel. The chains confining it were deeply rusted. Some of
-the floats had fallen away; others were broken; all were more or less
-decayed.
-
-"I've done my part," the miller whispered. "You must squeeze through
-into the wheel and slide along the axle. Where it is let into the
-brickwork you'll find a hole big enough to crawl through. Climb up,
-and you'll find yourselves in a little room that used to be the
-tool-shop. Take care you don't stumble over the tools on the floor.
-At the further side there's a door into the storeroom. I can do no
-more. Que le bon Dieu vous protège!"
-
-He shook hands with them in turn, recrossed the stream, and disappeared
-among the wheat stalks.
-
-With some difficulty Pariset squeezed his body between two of the
-floats, hoisted himself up, and stood in the interior of the wheel.
-The rotten woodwork creaked, and the wheel itself groaned slightly as
-it moved an inch or two; but the movement was checked by the rusty
-chains. Kenneth followed more easily. They swung themselves on to the
-axle, jerked their way along it, came to the hole of which the miller
-had spoken, and clambering up through it, stood on the floor of the
-toolroom. Hands and clothes were coated with red rust.
-
-The room was lit by a small window overlooking the stream. To their
-surprise, it was not empty except for a few rusty implements, as they
-had expected from the miller's description. A new deal bench stood
-against the wall, flanked by a turning lathe, and an elaborate
-engineering equipment.
-
-"Electrical!" Pariset whispered.
-
-Treading very carefully, they gently opened the door, took a look
-round, and passed into the capacious storeroom. Here they found the
-plant of a wireless telegraphy installation. The antennae passed
-through holes in the ceiling, emerging, as they guessed, under cover of
-the parapet, on the flat roof of the mill.
-
-In the fast-fading light they were just able to see a doorway on the
-right, leading, as they knew from the miller's description, to the
-hoist and shoot. In front of them was another door, now open, giving
-access to a passage between the kitchen and the dining-room. Pariset
-slipped off his wet boots.
-
-"Wait here," he whispered.
-
-Stealing along the passage, he came to a door on the right. He put his
-ear against it, and heard the clink of knives and forks mingled with
-guttural conversation. Creeping back again, he whispered:
-
-"They are feeding. Come along!"
-
-They passed from the storeroom into the chamber which had formerly
-contained the hoist. Here they noticed a tall heap of earth.
-
-"They dug that out when continuing the underground passage to the
-bridge," said Pariset.
-
-"Here's the trap-door," returned Kenneth. "Look! There's a wire
-running through it, connecting with the room behind."
-
-"It's all very thorough, confound them!" said Pariset. "I hope the
-trap-door won't creak."
-
-They lifted it gently, and found that it moved on a central axis, well
-oiled. Peering into the dark depths, Kenneth discovered a wooden
-ladder. They crept down this, into a large underground chamber flagged
-with stone, and ventilated by narrow gratings in the brick walls, above
-the level of the stream.
-
-"We had better not both go on," said Pariset. "I'll go up and keep
-watch. You proceed, and cut the wires at the further end of the
-passage."
-
-"Why not here?" said Kenneth. "It would save time."
-
-"But if the word should come to fire the mine, and they find the
-apparatus doesn't work, they'd soon discover the cut here and repair
-it. Much better do the damage at the other end."
-
-"Very well. You'll use your revolver if they come before I get back?"
-
-"Yes. I'll take my chance. They probably won't guess that there's any
-one below, if I shut down the trap-door. You know what to do: cut the
-wire, or disconnect the terminals."
-
-With the trap-door closed, it was pitch dark in the chamber. Kenneth
-struck a match, and making his way carefully over the flagstones found
-himself in a narrow passage, which led into another large chamber like
-the first. This again was connected with a third by a short passage.
-The floor of the third was heaped with newly excavated earth, and the
-sole outlet from it was a low tunnel, which a man could enter only by
-bending low.
-
-Kenneth crept into it, breathing with difficulty in the stuffy
-atmosphere impregnated with the smell of earth. It seemed endless, and
-must have cost prodigious labour. On and on he went, his back and legs
-aching, his breathing more and more oppressed. The thought came to
-him, what if the tunnel were obstructed at the further end? When the
-wire had once been laid, the Germans would have no interest in keeping
-the passage clear. What if the roof fell upon him? What if--direst
-possibility of all!--the mine were fired while he was still in the
-tunnel? At this thought he felt a momentary "sinking," and dropped his
-match-box. Taking a grip upon himself he waited a few moments until
-his nerves were steadied, groped for the match-box, struck another
-match, and went on.
-
-A few yards more brought him to an enlargement of the tunnel, where he
-could stand upright. And here he found that the wire, laid along the
-floor, ended in a metal case, which he guessed to contain a detonating
-apparatus, like the floating mines employed at sea. It was the work of
-a moment to sever the wire. Then, turning his back on this terrible
-agent of destruction, Kenneth hurried along as fast as possible towards
-the open end of the tunnel.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VIII--A FIGHT IN THE MILL
-=================================
-
-Kenneth returned more quickly than he had gone. He was consumed with a
-feverish impatience to assure himself of Pariset's safety. Pariset had
-been very confident; but it was at least within the bounds of
-possibility that, if discovered by the Germans, he might be overpowered
-before he had time to fire a warning shot.
-
-When he reached the trap-door he tapped lightly on it. It was raised
-at once.
-
-"Good!" whispered Pariset. "Is it done?"
-
-"Yes, the wire is cut."
-
-"Capital! You have only been twenty minutes."
-
-"Has anything happened?"
-
-"A minute or two ago there was a ring at the bell, and I heard someone
-go to the door. I was afraid that some friend of these fellows had
-discovered the lancers and come to give warning; but it can't be that,
-because all is quiet."
-
-"Still, he may be a friend, and that will mean that we have six men to
-deal with instead of five."
-
-"It doesn't matter, now the wire is cut. We had better creep out
-again, go round by the field, cross the bridge, and join the lancers in
-an attack on the house."
-
-"Suppose the lancers haven't come!"
-
-"We have to reckon with that possibility, of course; but it's not
-probable. I'll just reconnoitre again; then we'll get back. If the
-lancers have not arrived, we must get the assistance of some stout
-fellows from the farm. I'm determined that these Germans shall not
-escape."
-
-"Let me go," said Kenneth. "You don't know German; I do; and I might
-overhear something worth making a note of."
-
-"That's a good notion. We may get on the track of other operations of
-theirs. Take off your boots; I'll tie them to mine."
-
-A minute later Kenneth tiptoed in his stocking feet along the dark
-passage. Through the closed door of the kitchen on the left came the
-sounds of some one moving about. On the other side he heard the voices
-of the men in the dining-room, the door of which was ajar. Grasping
-his revolver, he bent his ear towards the opening. At the first words
-he caught he started. The voice was only too familiar to him. It was
-the voice of Kurt Hellwig.
-
-Was he there before, Kenneth wondered, or was he the newcomer whose
-ring Pariset had heard? In a few seconds the point was cleared up.
-
-"Yes," Hellwig was saying, "I had intended to give you the word by
-wireless myself. But the chief wanted me to come through and see that
-all was ready. The wire is fixed?"
-
-"I guarantee that," was his friend's reply. "You don't want to go
-along the tunnel yourself?"
-
-"No, I'll take your word for it. I'm very tired; thought I should
-never get through. Our friend Spiegel was caught in Liége before my
-eyes, and taken away to be shot. The soldiers could hardly save him
-from lynching, the mob was so furious."
-
-"The Belgians are going to be troublesome, then?" said another voice.
-
-"It appears so. We opened the attack on the forts yesterday, and the
-fools had the audacity to reply. They did some damage, too, worse
-luck. Von Emmich is attacking again to-day in full force, and with his
-numbers he'll sweep the idiots away. There'll not be a man left. The
-orders are to spare nothing and nobody."
-
-"When are we likely to get the word?" asked his friend.
-
-"Probably not at all. If our men are already in Liége, as I expect is
-the case, we shall leave the bridge intact: the railway will be useful.
-It is only to be blown up in case of a check, to prevent the Belgians
-from being reinforced from France. But that's not at all likely."
-
-"I suppose it is true that England has declared war?"
-
-Hellwig's ironical laugh made Kenneth's blood boil.
-
-"Yes, it's true," he said. "It's the chance we've been waiting for for
-years. They've next to no army; they're never ready; and within a week
-there'll be a rebellion in Ireland which will keep the whole of their
-forces busy. Within a month we shall have France under our heel; then
-we'll turn back and crush the Russians, who've no organization. Then
-with the Channel ports in our possession the rest will be easy. By
-this time next year the Kaiser will be dictating peace in London."
-
-"Well, you ought to know the English; you've lived among them. How
-they got their empire I can't understand.... Then we shall be leaving
-here soon? It's quite time."
-
-"What do you mean?"
-
-"It may be all right, but thinking it over I can't help feeling a
-little suspicious. The beer delivered to-day was brought by two
-clerks. They said the draymen had been called up, and they were doing
-duty in their place. It didn't occur to me till they were driving off
-that the clerks, well-set-up young fellows, were likely to have been
-called up before the draymen. The man who usually comes is a big fat
-fellow who couldn't march a mile without collapsing. But nothing has
-happened, so I suppose I was suspicious for nothing."
-
-"They didn't come into the house?"
-
-"No; the fellow who brought the cask into the lobby didn't seem at all
-curious. Ah!"
-
-He was interrupted by the ticking of an instrument on a table at the
-far end of the room. There was silence for a moment as he read the
-message.
-
-"The bridge is to be blown up," said the man, returning. "At last!"
-
-"Give me a few minutes to finish my meal," said Hellwig. "I've had
-nothing to eat for twelve hours. A quarter of an hour, say; that won't
-make any difference. I wish your cook would hurry up."
-
-Kenneth turned to go back, anticipating a possible visit to the
-kitchen. At the same moment the kitchen door opened, and an old woman
-bearing a tray came into the passage. The light from the lamp behind
-her fell on an unfamiliar figure at the door of the dining-room--a
-bootless man with a revolver in his hand. The woman screamed; the tray
-fell from her hand, and a pool of soup spread over the floor. There
-was an outcry in the dining-room; the man nearest the door flung it
-fully open, to find the muzzle of a revolver within a few inches of his
-head.
-
-In the moment allowed him for thought, Kenneth had realised that he
-could not escape if he dashed past the old woman with armed men at his
-back. With an inward tremor he made up his mind to the bold course.
-
-"Hands up!" he cried, as the startled man recoiled.
-
-The German instantly flung up his hands. But his companions realised
-the position. One of them sprang across the room to an electric push
-in the wall. Another, covered by the man who had flinched, whipped out
-his revolver, and took a snapshot at Kenneth. But a slight movement of
-the man between them brought him in the line of fire, and he fell with
-a bullet through his head.
-
-It was no time for half measures. Kenneth covered his assailant,
-fired, and brought him down. Through the shrieks of the old woman in
-the passage there came to his ears a shout of encouragement, and
-immediately after he had fired his shot Pariset rushed up to the
-doorway, reaching over Kenneth's shoulder to point his revolver. At
-the sight of this the three remaining men dashed to the open window and
-leapt out; the last of them, pausing to close the window, was winged by
-Pariset's flying shot. Kenneth and his friend sprang across the room,
-threw the window open, and jumped into the yard. But the brief delay
-at the window had given the fugitives time to make their escape in the
-darkness. They were not to be seen.
-
-"The lancers will get them!" Kenneth panted.
-
-"If they've come!" replied Pariset.
-
-He blew his whistle. There was no response. They dashed across the
-yard, wondering how the Germans could have escaped, for there was no
-outlet on this side of the house, and the wall was high and spiked.
-But after a minute or two they discovered a gap in the base of the
-wall, large enough to admit a man crawling. On the outside it was
-concealed by long grass and weeds. Wriggling through this they
-sprinted along by the wall to the road. And then they heard the
-distant galloping of a troop of horsemen. Pariset blew his whistle
-again, and in a few seconds a half squadron of Belgian lancers reined
-up.
-
-"Three men have escaped," cried Pariset. "Round them up!"
-
-The horsemen galloped off, some along the road, some along the grassy
-bank of the stream, the rest into the field beyond the hedge.
-
-"A pity they were late," said Pariset, walking slowly with Kenneth back
-to the house. "When I heard your shot I expected that they'd force the
-door and rush in."
-
-"I hope they will catch the Germans," said Kenneth. "One of them--it
-was the last comer, the man whose ring at the bell you heard--was
-Hellwig. I shall be particularly disgusted if he gets off."
-
-"What led to the row? You weren't rash enough to attack them?"
-
-"No; but I wasn't so careful as I ought to have been, I'm afraid. You
-see, hearing no knives and forks going, I thought they had finished
-their meal, and everything was cleared away, and didn't expect any
-danger from the kitchen. As soon as I knew there was something
-preparing for Hellwig I backed, straight into the old woman with a
-tray. It was all up then, of course."
-
-"You've had a lucky escape. But we have saved the bridge."
-
-"One of the fellows dashed to an electric push," said Kenneth, smiling.
-"I was too busy to notice how he looked when the explosion he expected
-didn't happen, but I've no doubt it was the surprise of his life."
-
-"We'll have a look round. I'll give the old woman a soothing
-explanation, and borrow a lamp."
-
-Their investigation added little to their knowledge. The luggage of
-the spies contained no papers bearing on espionage. But the wireless
-installation, carried up inside the chimney, was very powerful. The
-electrical apparatus for firing the mine was in perfect order.
-
-"There is nothing amateurish about it," said Pariset. "This is spying
-reduced to a science."
-
-It was some time before the lancers returned. They brought with them
-the man who had been wounded as he sprang through the window. The
-others had got away. The man who had fired at Kenneth was dead; his
-comrade, to whom he owed his death, Kenneth had wounded.
-
-After consultation with the captain of lancers, it was decided to leave
-a dozen men to occupy the mill, pending the receipt of instructions
-from headquarters. Kenneth and Pariset begged a lodging for the night
-from the old miller, who was delighted at the success of their scheme,
-and lavishly hospitable.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IX--IN THE TRENCHES
-===========================
-
-Next morning the two friends flew into Charleroi. The town was
-seething with excitement. People were laughing and singing, cheering
-every soldier who passed along the street, congratulating each other on
-the good news. It had become known that the fierce German assaults of
-the previous day on Liége had been beaten back by the guns of the forts
-and the steady rifle fire of the men in the trenches, and that the
-Germans had asked for an armistice.
-
-"Splendid!" said Pariset, when he learnt the news from a brother
-officer: "though we mustn't crow too soon. The cessation of the attack
-gives us the chance I wanted, then. We can take advantage of it to get
-into Liége. I should like to report our little coup in person."
-
-"There will be no difficulty in my getting away, I suppose?" asked
-Kenneth.
-
-"What do you wish to do?"
-
-"Get to England and join the Flying Corps."
-
-"They would take you?"
-
-"Well, my chest measures thirty-six inches, my teeth are sound, and
-I've no varicose veins. The only doubt is about my sight: my right eye
-is a trifle astigmatic. But I think I should pass the doctor."
-
-"I wish you could stay with us. But I understand your wish to serve
-with your own army. As soon as we get back I'll ask the commandant if
-I can be spared to carry you to Ostend."
-
-Kenneth agreed to this, and they started eastward. It was nearing
-midday when they swooped down from a great height on to an open space
-some three miles west of Liége. Pariset had pointed out the positions
-of the forts as they descended; but Kenneth had been able barely to
-distinguish them while in the air, and when he came to the ground they
-were quite out of sight.
-
-But the intervening space had been carefully prepared for infantry.
-Trenches had been dug, barbed wire entanglements stretched from point
-to point, every natural feature adapted to the purposes of defence. At
-the present moment the trenches were not manned. Pariset learnt from a
-comrade in the flying corps that though the armistice had been refused,
-the Germans had not as yet renewed the attack. Their losses on the
-previous day had been very heavy, and the garrison were confident of
-their ability to repulse any further assaults if the Germans persisted
-in attacking in the same dense masses, and were not supported by
-heavier artillery than that which they had employed hitherto.
-
-Kenneth listened eagerly to the conversation between the two airmen.
-He learnt how the German infantry, covered by artillery, had advanced
-again and again in close formation, only to be hurled back by the fire
-from the forts and the trenches, followed up with the bayonet. The
-Belgians were amazed at the doggedness with which their enemy had
-pressed on, careless of cover, though great gaps were torn in their
-packed columns. Such a wastage of men pointed to a vast confidence in
-the ultimate superiority of numbers, the crushing of the defence by
-sheer weight rather than skill.
-
-Pariset explained, when Kenneth questioned him, the importance to the
-enemy of the capture of Liége. Encircled by its twelve forts,
-constructed by the engineering genius of General Brialmont, the town
-stood as a formidable obstacle to the advance of the Germans through
-the valley of the Meuse, the easiest way into France. Every day it
-could be held was a day's delay in the prosecution of the enemy's plan
-of campaign, which, as everybody knew, was to crush France before
-Russia had time to threaten Germany on her eastern border.
-
-"The Germans have, they think, a very perfect military machine,"
-Pariset continued; "I daresay they have, though perhaps they are a
-little too cocksure about it. They've had no experience of war for
-forty years, and their easy victory in 1870 has possibly produced what
-you call swelled head. Anyhow, the most perfect machine may be
-dislocated by a little grit, and Liége, we hope, will be the little
-grit for the occasion. Now we had better get some lunch; then we'll
-fly north. I'll report myself to my commandant, and ask for leave to
-carry you to Ostend."
-
-They walked away to the rear of the lines, towards a cottage on which
-the canteen flag was flying. Before they reached it they met a general
-officer on horseback, cantering along accompanied by an aide-de-camp.
-Pariset saluted, the officers touched their hats and passed.
-
-"General Leman, commanding the forts," said Pariset.
-
-"He looked just like an Englishman," Kenneth replied.
-
-Pariset smiled, and was beginning a chaffing remark when he was hailed
-from behind. Turning, he saw that the officers had reined up, and
-turned their horses' flanks towards him. He hurried back, Kenneth
-taking a step or two in the same direction.
-
-"Lieutenant Pariset, I understand?" he heard the general say. "I
-compliment you on your little exploit. You did very well; thank you!"
-
-Pariset murmured something, saluted again, and the officers rode off.
-
-"He didn't give me time to tell him about you," said Pariset, rejoining
-his friend. "He is evidently in a hurry to get back to Fort Loncin."
-
-"It doesn't matter about me," said Kenneth. "How did he know about it
-at all?"
-
-"He must have got the news by telegram or wireless from Charleroi. But
-really it was your doing, you know. I must make that clear."
-
-"Don't talk rubbish! I only gave you the information. I liked the
-look of him. What keen eyes he has!"
-
-"He's a splendid fellow. But come along! Our men are a hungry lot,
-and I don't want to find the board cleared."
-
-They were sitting at lunch among a group of cheery young officers when
-a bugle rang out. The officers sprang up, seized their arms, and
-rushed out of the cottage.
-
-"The Germans are coming on again," cried Pariset. "Come and see."
-
-They ran back towards the trenches, which were already filling with
-riflemen. A deep boom sounded from some distant spot.
-
-"A German gun!" said Pariset.
-
-"I don't see the shell," said Kenneth, looking round.
-
-"My dear fellow, it had fallen somewhere before we heard the sound.
-Ah! the forts are replying."
-
-In a few minutes the silence of the summer noon was shattered by the
-continuous thunder of artillery. With the deep slow booms of the big
-guns was mingled the quicker, sharper bang of machine guns somewhere
-out of sight.
-
-"Get down, you asses!" cried an officer, as they drew near to the
-trenches. "Do you want to be marked?"
-
-They took cover behind a hedge. Kenneth tingled from top to toe as he
-heard the crash of the guns, and felt the earth and the very air shake
-with the concussion. Presently a shrill whistle sounded; it was
-followed almost instantaneously by a prolonged crackle, which had
-hardly died away when from above them came a zip, zip, zip, like the
-notes of some tuneless bird.
-
-"The Germans are firing anyhow," said Pariset in an involuntary whisper.
-
-Round the hedge came swiftly two men in blue coats with the red cross
-on their sleeves, carrying an ambulance. A groan rose from it.
-
-"I can't stand this," said Pariset.
-
-He dashed along the hedge and into the open. Kenneth instinctively
-followed him, not doubting for a moment what it was that Pariset could
-not stand. Pariset, with Kenneth close at his heels, made straight for
-the nearest trench, heedless of the shot and shell whistling, singing,
-crashing around them. They flung themselves into the trench, and
-Kenneth, without understanding how it had happened, found himself
-leaning forward, rifle in hand, listening to a droning monotone from
-Pariset a yard to the left of him.
-
-"Mark your man.... Don't be in a hurry.... Keep your head as low as
-possible.... You'll soon get used to the noise."
-
-It was a minute or two before Kenneth realised that the rifle had been
-thrust into his hand for use. Looking over the parapet of the trench
-he was still confused and bewildered. Pariset expected him to fire,
-but where was the enemy? He saw the long grass waving in the breeze, a
-few scattered trees in the field beyond, wisps and cloudlets of
-smoke--and then, as the range of his vision increased, in the far
-distance a bluish-grey mass rolling like a billow towards him.
-
-At last he understood. That bluish-grey mass was the enemy. It
-represented brute force, broken faith, merciless tyranny. It was the
-devastating flood which these brave soldiers about him were giving
-their lives to check.
-
-Presently he distinguished individuals in the mass.
-
-"Mark your man!"
-
-The words, coolly spoken by Pariset on his left, set his imagination on
-fire. It was his privilege to have a share in their fight for freedom.
-He laid the rifle to his shoulder, marked his man along the sight, and
-a touch of his finger sped a bullet on its way.
-
-For the next half-hour Kenneth lost account of everything but the task
-so suddenly thrust upon him. The deafening din of bursting shells and
-rifle fire, the quick silent activity of the ambulance bearers, the
-shouts and groans of men, were unnoticed by him in his constant
-preoccupation. He learnt afterwards how the Germans had pressed on
-with marvellous passive courage under the hail of lead and shell from
-the forts and trenches; how the gaps cleft in their close-packed ranks
-had been instantly filled up, as if men had sprung out of the earth.
-He fired until the chamber was empty, refilled and fired again, every
-now and again hearing Pariset's monotonous cry, "Mark your man!"
-
-Presently there was a shrill whistle. Instantly, in the trench on
-either side of him, the men who had been lying flat sprang to their
-feet and dashed forward with a joyous shout. He was up and after them,
-running across the field, with bayonet out-thrust, towards the stalwart
-men in blue-grey, who had hitherto come nearer and nearer like the
-irresistible tide. But now he became suddenly conscious that the tide
-was receding. These stout warriors whom shot and shell had failed to
-daunt had turned tail at the sight of gleaming steel. Their ranks
-broke; they wavered, spun round, and fled in panic disorder across the
-field.
-
-As Kenneth, with parched lips and trembling limbs, returned with
-Pariset from that victorious charge, an officer of the general's staff
-met them.
-
-"This will never do, lieutenant," he said to Pariset; "we have plenty
-of brave fellows to man the trenches, but we haven't too many airmen,
-and we can't afford to risk them in field operations. You have no
-business here, you know."
-
-"But wasn't it glorious, colonel?" said Pariset, glowing.
-
-"They are men to be proud of. But I am quite serious; get back to your
-corps; there will be plenty of work for you. Has this man no uniform,
-by the way?"
-
-"They have run short, colonel," said Pariset instantly. "We will rig
-him up in a day or two."
-
-"See to it. If the Germans capture a man in civilian dress they will
-shoot him at sight. Now, get back at once."
-
-"I thought it better not to go into particulars," Pariset remarked to
-Kenneth as they went on. "There might have been a row."
-
-"It's just as well," said Kenneth. "But, I say, I think I'll go into
-the infantry after all."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER X--BROKEN THREADS
-=========================
-
-On returning to his headquarters, some eight miles west of the town,
-Pariset asked permission of his commandant to convey Kenneth to Ostend.
-He met with a peremptory refusal; he could not be spared.
-
-"You'll have to go by train," he said to Kenneth. "It will take you a
-long time, the railway is so congested with troops and refugees. Must
-you go?"
-
-"What else can I do?"
-
-"Well, we're short of men. I'd like to keep you. If I get you a sort
-of appointment, will you stay?"
-
-"Rather! It might be months before I got a job at home."
-
-"Then I'll see the commandant again and try to arrange it."
-
-When he returned half-an-hour later, Kenneth knew by his expression
-that he had been successful.
-
-"It was easier than I expected," he said. "He was good enough to say
-that you're just the man we want. He told me, too, that we have
-already accepted the services of two English airmen who have
-volunteered, so everything is quite in order. We'll go into Liége and
-get you a suit of overalls. I am delighted."
-
-After the necessary purchases had been made, they went into the Hôtel
-de l'Europe for dinner. The dining-room was crowded, and Kenneth, as
-he entered, glanced somewhat confusedly around the tables. Suddenly he
-heard his name, uttered in a low tone, and turning round in surprise,
-saw Granger beckoning him to a small table at which he sat alone.
-
-"There's room here for you both, at a squeeze," he said. "I'm glad to
-see you again."
-
-"It's all right, then?" asked Kenneth as they sat down.
-
-"Oh yes! They got a reassuring telegram from my chief this morning.
-What's more, I am to stay in Liége for the present; I am lent to the
-Belgians."
-
-"That's capital. I have lent myself."
-
-"'Loan oft loses both itself and friend.' I hope it won't be so in our
-case! Well, what have you been doing?"
-
-Kenneth plunged into an account of the affair at the mill. Granger
-interrupted him when the waiter came for orders, and again when the man
-returned with the dishes. At the conclusion of the story, which
-Kenneth gave only in outline, Granger said:
-
-"Hellwig is in Liége. My own stay here is not unconnected with him.
-He is one of the most resourceful, ingenious and dangerous of the
-thousands of spies in the German service.... They were all County
-Kerry men, and when they stood at attention you might have heard a pin
-drop."
-
-His companions stared at him in amazement. His last sentence,
-apparently unconnected with what had gone before, had been spoken
-without change of voice or expression, and he imperturbably sucked his
-lemon squash through a straw before he went on:
-
-"He has a marvellous command of languages; is Protean in his disguises;
-and in nimbleness of wit outdoes any other German I have ever come
-across.... They mixed the salad with engine oil, and when Lady Barbara
-took a mouthful of it, she swallowed it without blinking, and remarked
-to me, 'The chef is a perfect marvel in inventing new flavours.' ...
-Waiter!"
-
-"Monsieur?" said the waiter, smiling and bowing.
-
-"Another lemon squash."
-
-When the waiter had gone, Granger said:
-
-"I must have that fellow arrested."
-
-"What on earth for?" asked Pariset.
-
-"And what are you driving at, with your County Kerries and your Lady
-Barbaras?" said Kenneth.
-
-"The waiter has been hovering round a little more closely than the most
-officious garçon need do. You didn't notice him, perhaps? He speaks
-pretty good French, with a strong Belgian accent. Did you see what
-happened when I called him?"
-
-"What was it?" asked Kenneth.
-
-"I put something of the parade ground tone into my voice, and the
-fellow brought his heels together in the correct German style. One
-could almost hear the click. Well greased as his hair is, you can see
-it trying to rise *en brosse*, and I caught him just now twirling an
-invisible moustache."
-
-"A spy?"
-
-"Unless my instinct and my judgment are equally at fault. But here he
-comes; don't be surprised if I break off into irrelevancies; answer in
-kind."
-
-The waiter placed the glass on the table, and withdrew, to attend to a
-man at the next table.
-
-"As I was saying," Granger went on, "Hellwig is here, in what shape I
-don't know, but I hope to catch him yet. Your friend Finkelstein, by
-the way, has been arrested in Cologne and thrown into prison."
-
-"Good heavens! Not through me, I hope," said Kenneth.
-
-"On a charge of espionage, at any rate. I have no doubt he owes that
-to ... Yes, it was a very dark night, and he didn't recognise me until
-I was as near to him as I am to you. Then ... he owes it to Hellwig."
-
-"But what can his motive be? He's his cousin."
-
-"The nearer the bone ... Finkelstein has a daughter, I believe?"
-
-"Yes."
-
-"Well, what more natural than that Hellwig should be appointed trustee
-to his cousin's daughter and manager of the business?"
-
-"I did suspect that he wants to marry Frieda."
-
-"Ah! Motive enough! ... Waiter!"
-
-The others watched the man. His manner was a strange compound of two
-servilities--the waiter's and the German private's.
-
-"Monsieur?"
-
-"Bring coffee."
-
-The waiter departed.
-
-"I must certainly have him arrested," said Granger. "So you see, my
-dear fellow, that if I manage to lay Hellwig by the heels I shall
-perhaps be able to make you some return for what I owe you."
-
-"But that won't release Max Finkelstein."
-
-"I confess I was at that moment thinking of the daughter," said Granger
-with a whimsical look at Kenneth. Pariset glanced at his friend and
-smiled.
-
-"The idea of her marrying that cur!" said Kenneth.
-
-"It won't bear thinking of, will it?" said Granger. "That fellow is
-rather long with the coffee."
-
-They waited, discussing the probable course of the war. After a while
-Granger summoned the head waiter.
-
-"Our waiter has been over long fetching our coffee," he said. "Will
-you stir him up?"
-
-In a minute or two the head waiter returned, carrying the coffee
-himself.
-
-"Pardon, messieurs," he said. "Gustave was suddenly taken sick, and is
-not able to serve at present."
-
-"I have lost this trick," said Granger ruefully, when they were again
-alone. "While I had my eye on the German, he evidently had his eye on
-me. And for once the German was the quicker to act. Well, we all have
-our ups and downs--I might have said our exits and our entrances: exit
-spy, enter staff-officer, who is looking for you, Monsieur Pariset, if
-I am not mistaken."
-
-A Belgian captain was threading his way across the room, looking
-quickly from table to table, here and there acknowledging or returning
-a greeting, but briefly, in the manner of one preoccupied. His glance
-suddenly falling on Pariset, he smiled, and came directly towards him.
-
-"I heard that you were here," he said. "Have you finished?"
-
-"Yes."
-
-"Then give me a minute privately."
-
-His eyes rested for a moment on Kenneth and Granger, whom he did not
-know.
-
-"Certainly," said Pariset. "Let me introduce my friends."
-
-The introduction made, the officer's manner changed.
-
-"Let us all go into the smoking-room together," he said. "The matter
-I've to speak about need be no secret among us four."
-
-"You'll excuse me," said Granger, whose tact never failed. "I have one
-or two things to attend to; I hope I may have the pleasure some other
-time."
-
-He left the others, and they made their way to the smoking-room.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XI--THE CENTRE ARCH
-===========================
-
-"You know the railway bridge over the Ourthe, at Sy, just south of
-Hamoir?" the captain began, lighting a cigarette.
-
-"Yes," said Pariset.
-
-"A section of our sappers were told off to blow it up this morning.
-Their work was only half done when they were surprised and cut up by a
-patrol of Uhlans. The Germans very quickly repaired the damage, and
-are now using the line to bring up troops and material against the
-Boncelles and Embourg forts."
-
-"Well?" said Pariset, as the officer paused.
-
-"It occurred to the Chief that you who had saved one bridge might
-perhaps destroy another. It is a mere suggestion, not a command. The
-work would be very risky; it is not your job, and all that part of the
-country is in German hands. But when the matter was mentioned I said I
-thought you would at least make a reconnaissance and learn what
-prospect there is of a successful attempt."
-
-"Of course," said Pariset at once. "You don't know exactly how much
-damage was done?"
-
-"No. Perhaps a bomb or two would complete it."
-
-"That is rather doubtful," said Pariset musingly. "The chances of
-hitting the bridge at the right spot from an aeroplane flying very high
-at speed are slight, and we should have to fly high to escape the
-German shot."
-
-"Unless we flew in the Taube," suggested Kenneth. "In that we might
-get low enough to smash the bridge before they suspected us."
-
-"The objection to that is that you would be in almost as great danger
-from our own guns as from the German," said the captain. "The forts
-would certainly fire on you. But stay: if you decide on that, I will
-'phone the southern forts to pass a Taube showing the Russian flag.
-That would protect you until you are clear of our lines."
-
-"Very well," said Pariset. "We will start early in the morning. Do
-you mind getting us a Russian flag while I talk over things with my
-friend?"
-
-"Not at all. I will bring it to you here."
-
-He left them.
-
-"It is frightfully risky," said Pariset, "but we must make the attempt.
-We must wear German uniforms. Your friend Granger's will come in
-handy."
-
-"You have practised bomb-dropping, of course," said Kenneth.
-
-"Yes, but, as I said, it's a most uncertain thing. Besides the
-difficulty of hitting the vulnerable spot, the bombs sometimes do
-little damage. We might drop a dozen, and yet fail to destroy the
-bridge. It's essentially a job to be done on terra firma."
-
-"It's not likely we should be able to land. Even if there is at the
-moment no considerable force in the neighbourhood the bridge is sure to
-be guarded."
-
-"That's certain. Still, it's just as well to be provided for the off
-chance, so I'll take, along with the ordinary bombs, a small case of
-gelignite and a little electric battery--a pick-axe, too: that may be
-useful."
-
-"How far is it?"
-
-"About twenty miles. The bridge is at a narrow gorge by the village of
-Simon's Inn. There's a tunnel beyond, and the banks of the river are
-steep. The railway crosses the river several times, but I'm pretty
-sure of the particular bridge they have tried to destroy."
-
-They waited nearly an hour before the captain returned.
-
-"I have had the greatest difficulty in getting the flag," he said,
-placing a parcel in Pariset's hands. "I tried several shops in vain,
-then it occurred to me to apply at the Russian consulate, and they
-happened to have a spare one. I wish you luck. Report to me at
-head-quarters."
-
-At seven o'clock next morning, equipped with the needful apparatus,
-they ascended from their headquarters in the Taube monoplane, took an
-easterly course, then swung southward and passed between the Flemelle
-and Boncelles forts. It was a beautiful summer morning. The country
-was bathed in sunlight, and no warlike sounds disturbed the still air.
-But south of the town clouds of dust hung over every road, and they
-caught sight of masses of men moving northward, the sun glinting on
-weapons and the spikes of helmets. Pariset, in the observer's seat,
-felt sick at heart. How was it possible for the little Belgian army to
-resist these immense hordes?
-
-The well-known shape of the aeroplane (they no longer showed the
-Russian flag) purchased immunity. They flew over the railway, then
-over the Meuse north of Huy, then sweeping to the east soon came in
-sight of the Ourthe winding between meadows and precipitous cliffs, and
-the railway to Neufchâteau. The valley broadened out. Instructed by
-Pariset, Kenneth steered the monoplane over the village of Hamoir on
-the left bank. Almost immediately afterwards they came above the
-cluster of houses at Sy, and the bridge crossing the gorge, beyond
-which the railway entered the tunnel.
-
-On the north side of the bridge stood a long goods train, apparently
-waiting the signal to proceed. On the south side, part in, part out of
-the tunnel, was a train of passenger coaches, gaily bedecked with leafy
-branches of trees. A few soldiers had got out of the train, and were
-sitting smoking in the meadow. At each end of the bridge four guards
-were posted.
-
-The aeroplane passed over the cliff through which the tunnel ran, then
-bore to the left in the direction of Werbomont and was soon out of
-sight from the bridge. Choosing a lonely field sheltered by a wood,
-Kenneth brought the machine to the ground.
-
-"We can't destroy the bridge with bombs," said Pariset, "but it's just
-possible to do it with the gelignite if you are game."
-
-"What's your idea?" asked Kenneth.
-
-"There's clearly a block on the line somewhere to the north. It may be
-a long time before it is cleared, giving us just the opportunity we
-want. There's a path through the fields on the left bank, leading to
-the bridge. It seems fairly covered. My idea is that you should go
-down to the bridge with the gelignite."
-
-"But it is guarded," Kenneth interrupted.
-
-"Don't be impatient. I was going on to say that I will fly over the
-bridge and stampede the guards. That will give you a chance to creep
-up. Your uniform will protect you long enough for the purpose, I hope.
-The Germans won't suspect you until the explosion occurs. Then it will
-be a ticklish moment. The fellows who have got out of the train may
-fire at you; but they are a good distance away, and you ought to have
-time to rush back under cover before they can do any damage. I'll be
-ready to pick you up. Or, if you like, I'll take the gelignite and you
-drop the bombs."
-
-"No. I've had no practice at that. I'll take my chance. But we're
-about two miles from the bridge, I fancy. It will take me at least
-half an hour to get there, not knowing the way. Anything may happen in
-that time."
-
-"I'll come with you until we find a guide. There will be plenty of
-time for me to come back to the aeroplane and still reach the bridge
-before you. I will give you half an hour from now before I fly off."
-
-They set off together, walking rapidly over the fields. Turning into a
-lane, they came suddenly face to face with a farm boy of about sixteen
-years. His jaw dropped, and a look of terror showed in his eyes when
-he saw the German uniforms. Pariset spoke to him rapidly in Walloon,
-and gave him money. Thus reassured, he agreed to conduct Kenneth
-across the hill to the path which Pariset had mentioned.
-
-"Good luck!" said Pariset, as they parted. "Don't risk too much. If
-the stratagem fails, make your way back to the same spot."
-
-Kenneth carried the gelignite and the battery. He gave the pick-axe to
-the boy. Pariset had learnt from him that no Germans had been seen on
-the lanes and roads, but they walked across the fields under cover of
-the hedgerows in case patrols or foraging parties should appear.
-
-Their course brought them within half an hour to a field some little
-distance above the bridge. Kenneth dismissed the boy, and keeping
-under cover to avoid observation from the trains, which were stationary
-in the places where he had seen them forty minutes before, he crept as
-near to the bridge as he dared, and waited. He heard the water lapping
-the piers, the voices of the guards at the nearer end, the distant hiss
-of the locomotive of the troop train blowing off steam--and then a
-faint deep *burr*, growing louder moment by moment.
-
-The guards raised their voices.
-
-"Another Taube," said one.
-
-"He's flying very high," said another. "Thinks we are Belgians,
-perhaps."
-
-"But he's coming down," said the third. "Look at that swoop! It
-fairly makes me sick to see him."
-
-Kenneth, posted under cover, was not yet able to see the aeroplane, but
-from the silence that fell upon the guards he guessed that Pariset was
-executing one of those steep dives which make the onlooker hold his
-breath.
-
-"I hope he won't come too low," he thought.
-
-And then, in pursuance of the plan arranged, he began to steal along
-the bank of the river towards the bridge, confident that the attention
-of the guards was riveted on the aeroplane. He saw it now, sweeping
-round in a huge circle, still at a great height.
-
-When the expected signal came, it was startling in its suddenness.
-Kenneth had not seen an object fall from the aeroplane, but there was a
-sharp explosion just beyond the bridge, a cloud of dust, and cries of
-amazement and fear from the guards. He moved nearer to the bridge.
-From the direction of the troop train he heard the crackle of rifles.
-The eyes of the guards were still turned upwards upon the monoplane,
-which was circling round at a height of three or four thousand feet
-above the bridge, within range, indeed, but a difficult target.
-
-Taking advantage of the excitement of the men, Kenneth had crept
-through the scrub on the river bank and come beneath the end of the
-bridge. He had already perceived that the stone arch at each end had
-been destroyed, but the centre arch was intact, and the gaps had been
-covered with stout balks of timber on which the railway track was laid.
-His aim must be to destroy the central arch. With that broken down, to
-repair the bridge a second time would be a much more difficult matter.
-
-Covered now by the bridge, he waded out to the central arch, carrying
-his apparatus. He had supposed that it would be necessary to hack out
-with the pick-axe a hole in the masonry large enough to hold the case
-of gelignite, and the risk of being heard strung his nerves to a high
-tension. It was with great relief that he discovered a hole already
-made. Apparently a charge had been laid there by the Belgian
-engineers, but it had failed to explode, and probably had been removed
-by the Germans.
-
-He lost no time in wedging the case of gelignite into the cavity,
-attached the detonator, and waded back to the bank. There was now
-almost continuous rifle fire from the troops, who had alighted from the
-train and lined up on the track. The incessant noise smothered the
-whirr of the propeller, but it was clear that Pariset was still
-absorbing the attention of the Germans. Kenneth crept along up stream,
-paying out the wire as he went, until he reached the shelter of a dense
-thicket. Then he made the connection with the battery.
-Instantaneously there was a deafening roar, the arch collapsed, and the
-whole bridge fell with a crash into the river.
-
-Somewhat breathless, Kenneth remained hidden for a minute. The rifle
-shots had ceased; there was a confused shouting from the troops; and
-through it he heard again the hum of the aeroplane. A bomb burst on
-the ground near the end of the bridge. The fusillade recommenced.
-Seizing the opportunity, Kenneth quitted his hiding-place, and made the
-best of his way back across the field, observing that Pariset was still
-circling round in order to distract the enemy, but rising ever higher.
-
-When Kenneth reached the rendezvous Pariset was awaiting him.
-
-"Hullo! You're wounded!" cried Kenneth, noticing that Pariset was
-grasping his right wrist.
-
-"Bruised by a splinter, that's all," said Pariset. "It's painful, but
-not dangerous. The planes are riddled; I'm very lucky to have fared,
-no worse. You managed that splendidly, Ken. I was surprised you did
-it so quickly."
-
-"There was already a cavity in the arch, which saved labour."
-
-"We have both earned our dinner. You will pilot the machine back?"
-
-"Of course. Are you sure you are not seriously hurt?"
-
-"Quite. I only hope I get nothing worse before the war is over."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XII--A FIGHT WITH A ZEPPELIN
-====================================
-
-Nearing Liége on their return journey, the airmen became aware of a
-momentous change from the peaceful scene of the morning. A pall of
-smoke hung over the country for miles. Wherever there were rifts in
-it, they caught glimpses of immense grey masses that appeared to be
-crawling towards the city from every side except the west. It was
-evident that the Germans were attacking in stupendous force.
-
-Kenneth steered to the west, doubtful whether he should find the
-headquarters of the Flying Corps in the spot where he had left it. The
-monoplane escaped the Germans' attentions, and when it came within
-range of the Belgians' rifles, Pariset hung out the Russian flag, which
-was his surety.
-
-Locating the aeroplane park with some difficulty, considerably to the
-westward of its former position, Kenneth at length brought the machine
-to the ground. The air quivered with the shock of artillery fire; the
-noise was incessant.
-
-"What is the news?" asked Pariset of a comrade who had come up to greet
-him.
-
-"They are shelling us with heavy guns, and devoting particular
-attention to Fort Loncin, where General Leman is," was the reply. "And
-it is said that they have got into the town. The people are making off
-in crowds.... You have had a knock!"
-
-"A slight bruise. We managed it!"
-
-"What?" asked his friend, who was unaware of his errand.
-
-"Blew up the bridge above Sy, and held back a troop train, for the rest
-of the day, I hope. I must go and report to the chief; tell you all
-about it later."
-
-In giving in his report Pariset did not fail to emphasise the hazardous
-part that Kenneth had had in the operation. The commandant
-complimented them both, and made an entry against Kenneth's name in his
-notebook. Then he said:
-
-"We have had our first encounter with a Zeppelin, and unluckily had the
-worst of it. The Zeppelin was reconnoitring, and Boissel went in
-pursuit. The crew opened fire with their machine guns when he was
-manoeuvring for position, and a shot smashed his arm. He managed to
-land, and then collapsed. The machine was slightly buckled up in
-coming to ground, and will be useless for a day or two."
-
-"I'm sorry for Boissel," said Pariset. "He will be cut up at being
-knocked out so soon. Has the Zeppelin been seen since?"
-
-"No. The forts opened fire upon it, apparently without success, for it
-sailed away to the north-east."
-
-"Shall we tackle it if it comes back?" Pariset asked eagerly.
-
-"Hadn't you better rest? You have done a good day's work already, and
-I don't want to lose you as well as Boissel."
-
-"To tell the truth, our job at the bridge has whetted my appetite, and
-I am sure Amory is ready for another go."
-
-"Whenever you please," said Kenneth.
-
-"Very well," said the commandant. "But I beg that you won't be rash.
-Boissel was a little too eager--a pardonable fault; but prudence is a
-positive merit."
-
-"We will be discretion itself," said Pariset.
-
-Kenneth smiled; he did not know Boissel, but he could not imagine any
-airman more likely to show reckless daring than his friend.
-
-They snatched a meal, then set about their preparations. The Zeppelin
-being manned with a numerous crew armed with rifles and machine guns,
-and equipped for bomb-throwing, it was axiomatic that the aeroplane
-must try to accomplish by superior speed, climbing power, and
-manageability what it could not hope to achieve by force. If it were a
-mere question of manoeuvring the advantage would lie with the
-aeroplane. The Zeppelin would be at a disadvantage in that it
-presented a bulkier target.
-
-After a hurried discussion--for the Zeppelin might return at any
-moment--the two airmen decided to get a number of bombs with time
-fuses, and to fix in front of the pilot's seat a small petrol lamp,
-sheltering it from the wind by a zinc screen that would almost enclose
-it; the fuse could be lit from this.
-
-"It won't be wise to trust to bombs exploding by contact," he
-explained. "They might miss the mark, big as it is; and the envelope
-of the airship is so fragile that it is quite possible for a bomb to
-pass through it without exploding."
-
-"But wouldn't the gas escape through the rent, and the thing collapse?"
-Kenneth asked.
-
-"The envelope consists of several compartments, and one might be
-injured without affecting the others."
-
-"You won't try rifle shots?"
-
-"Very little use, my son. We should only bore a few holes in it.
-Their Mausers would be much more dangerous to us. We shouldn't have
-the slightest chance against them, any more than a torpedo boat would
-have against a Dreadnought, so far as armament is concerned. But I am
-simply panting for the chance to match the aeroplane against the
-airship. I hope they'll come back."
-
-"I dare say they will, having got off scot free before. We must be
-ready to fly off at a moment's notice. The Zeppelin is very fast, I've
-heard."
-
-"But no match for my machine. We'll use that instead of the Taube.
-I'm more used to it; it is faster and better for bomb-dropping."
-
-"You won't pilot it, surely!"
-
-"Indeed I shall! My arm doesn't bother me much, and you know I have
-had much more experience than you."
-
-"I've had absolutely no experience of bomb-throwing," Kenneth protested.
-
-"Well, you play golf, don't you? Do you remember the first time you
-went round?"
-
-"Yes. Why?"
-
-"Simply that, like everybody else, you probably got round in fewer
-strokes than you did for months afterwards."
-
-"That's true; and very sickening it is. I'll do my best, then."
-
-When everything was ready, they sat on the grass beside the aeroplane,
-scanning the sky for the Zeppelin. Kenneth, it must be confessed, was
-less impatient than Pariset, whose mercurial temperament ill-brooked a
-waiting game. He was constantly up and down, snatching up his
-field-glasses every few seconds, "fidgeting about," as Kenneth said to
-himself.
-
-It was drawing towards evening when, just as Pariset had dropped his
-field-glasses with a gesture of annoyance, a messenger came running
-from the commandant to say that the Zeppelin had been sighted.
-
-"How does he know?" asked Pariset, incredulously.
-
-"He had word by field telephone," was the answer. "The airship is
-coming from the north-east."
-
-Pariset instantly started his engine. But before the aeroplane was
-aloft, the airship appeared in the distant sky, like a torpedo of the
-air. There was a certain fascination in its swift and steady approach,
-growing bigger and bigger to the sight. Its course would bring it
-within half a mile of the portable sheds; perhaps its object was to
-destroy the Belgian aeroplanes.
-
-Having a reasonable respect for the Zeppelin's machine guns, Pariset at
-first kept well away from its course. He bore to the east, so as to
-avoid a direct meeting with it, and to get between it and its base.
-That the aeroplane had already been seen from the airship, high above
-it, was proved by the smack of several bullets upon parts of its
-structure; but they had not heard the crackle of the rifles, what with
-the whirr of their engine and the incessant thunder of artillery.
-
-Comparing notes afterwards, they agreed that their first impression was
-wonder at the speed and accuracy with which the Germans had got their
-range. Pariset at once flew off at a wider angle, trusting to his
-superior speed to carry him out of danger until he had had time to rise
-above the Zeppelin. He could climb only gradually, if he was to take
-full advantage of his speed. It was nearly ten minutes before Kenneth
-reported that they were about equal with it in height. The airship was
-now at least two miles astern, and had slightly altered its direction.
-Pariset now swung round. He guessed that the Zeppelin was making for
-Fort Loncin, probably to reconnoitre, for its bombs would have little
-or no effect on the armoured cupola of the fort. Flying back, he
-steered so as to approach the airship on its flank, and succeeded in
-his aim of showing the enemy that the aeroplane was to be reckoned
-with. It again altered its course; Pariset shifted his rudder also;
-and the Zeppelin gave chase.
-
-Bullets whistled around the aeroplane, which by this time had risen
-several hundred feet higher than the enemy. Adjusting his planes to
-secure the maximum lift, Pariset began to climb steeply, and for some
-minutes the Zeppelin gained on him in horizontal direction. But the
-rapidity of his ascent rendered the task of its marksmen very
-difficult; and they seemed to realise that they were themselves in
-danger, for they altered their course, bearing to the east, as if they
-had abandoned the chase.
-
-The parts were now reversed. The aeroplane became the hunter, the
-airship the hunted. Still rising, Pariset gradually reduced the
-horizontal distance between them, gaining assistance from the
-manoeuvres of the Zeppelin, which yawed now and again in order to bring
-its guns to bear more effectively, thus losing pace. The aeroplane
-began to close in with it, and Pariset suddenly became aware that he
-was closing in too rapidly, for the airship either stopped her engines
-or reduced their speed. Before he had time to meet the manoeuvre he
-had come within effective range. Bullets pattered around like hail,
-and only by a swift wheeling movement did he escape destruction.
-
-Learning caution, he rose still higher, until he estimated that he was
-at least 3000 feet above the enemy. At this elevation the swelling
-bulk of the envelope rendered the machine guns useless, and there was
-indeed little chance of the aeroplane's being hit even by the rifles.
-
-Pariset's object was now to get as nearly as possible vertically above
-the Zeppelin, which the Zeppelin could only prevent by constantly
-changing its course and its speed. But Pariset was an adept in the
-handling of his machine. He watched every twist and turn of the enemy,
-and seemed to Kenneth to anticipate them, as a skilful boxer
-anticipates the feints and rallies of his opponent.
-
-"Get ready!" he shouted to Kenneth at last. "A twenty-second fuse!"
-
-Kenneth grasped the bomb, leaning over his seat ready to drop it at the
-word. He had lost all sense that this was warfare, and throbbed with
-the same excitement as stirs the batsman or the three-quarter.
-
-"Now!" cried Pariset.
-
-The bomb fell plumb, but at the same instant the Zeppelin checked, and
-the bomb burst many yards ahead, though whether above or below the
-airship he could not tell. Pariset at once wheeled round, and within a
-few seconds brought his machine once more above the enemy. At the
-critical moment Kenneth dropped a second bomb. There was a flash and a
-burst of smoke and metal between the two vessels, momentarily hiding
-the lower from view. But that no harm had been done was proved by the
-Zeppelin shooting ahead on another tack.
-
-"A little too far away," cried Pariset. "No time to descend. Throw
-the next, don't drop it."
-
-In its efforts to escape the fate which threatened it the Zeppelin was
-now keeping a straight course. Its skipper evidently realised that in
-moving from side to side it enlarged the area of possible disaster. A
-third time the aeroplane soared over it, and though its engines were
-instantly stopped, its length was fatal. Kenneth threw the bomb with
-all his force. The result evoked from Pariset a shout of exultation.
-The bomb burst a few yards to the right of the airship. For a second
-or two the effect of the explosion was, as it were, in suspense. Then
-there was a burst of flame; the body of the enormous vessel beneath
-them slowly crumpled up; with incredible rapidity it lost all shape;
-the formless mass became smaller to their sight; and in a few seconds a
-cloud of dust at an incalculable distance below showed the now
-horrified airmen where the wreck had struck the earth.
-
-.. _`THE END OF THE ZEPPELIN`:
-
-.. figure:: images/img-143.jpg
- :align: center
- :alt: THE END OF THE ZEPPELIN
-
- THE END OF THE ZEPPELIN
-
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIII--THE GREAT GUNS
-============================
-
-After the fight Pariset steered over the town at a great altitude, and
-Kenneth employed his field-glasses in the hope of picking up some
-information.
-
-"I say," he called, "it looks very much as if the Germans are really in
-the town. Firing has stopped."
-
-"They can't have taken the forts already," cried Pariset. "We'll get
-back."
-
-On coming to the ground miles to the west, they learnt that Kenneth was
-right: the Germans had entered the town, lined all the bridges with
-sentries, taken possession of the railway station, and begun to billet
-themselves. It was rumoured also that Fort Loncin had fallen, that
-General Leman was a prisoner, and that the Belgian field army was
-concentrated about Fort Lantin, north of the town.
-
-The officers of the Flying Corps were deeply dejected. All the efforts
-of their gallant men seemed to have been thrown away. Their thoughts
-being centred on Liége alone, they did not as yet realise that the
-strenuous resistance to the passage of the German army had dislocated
-the imperial plans, and caused a delay in the march on Paris which was
-destined to save Europe.
-
-Kenneth and his friend were taking their evening meal in a village inn,
-the owner of which had announced that next day he intended to pack up
-and start for Ostend. Only a few peasants were on the premises; all
-the more well-to-do of the villagers had already joined the stream of
-refugees.
-
-Suddenly there was a shot outside. The innkeeper dived into his
-cellar; his guests jumped up, grasping their revolvers. The door
-opened, and a man in the coarse soiled clothes of a farm labourer
-entered. On his head was a wide-brimmed slouch hat, and the lower part
-of his face was concealed by a tangled brown moustache and beard.
-
-"What was that shot?" asked Pariset, in Walloon, and gasped with
-amazement when the stranger, taking off his hat, said in perfect
-English:
-
-"Here is a part of its track."
-
-He pointed to two bullet-holes, one on each side of the crown of the
-hat.
-
-"Granger!" exclaimed Kenneth.
-
-"A very good disguise, isn't it?" said Granger. "But there is little
-time to spare. The bullet is in an amiable Teuton who popped round the
-corner at an unfortunate moment--for him. No doubt he was shadowing
-me: I must make another change in my outward favour, that is clear.
-His confederate missed me and winged the accomplice. I couldn't catch
-the fellow. Probably he has gone back to the town to get assistance,
-and I must be moving. I've a few minutes, however, and you can help
-me. I was on my way to headquarters. I have just heard that the
-Germans are bringing up some heavy siege guns to demolish the forts.
-They are coming by road: were last heard of at Crefeld--huge things,
-drawn by innumerable traction engines from the estimable millionaire's
-works at Essen. Will you carry the news to headquarters for me? You
-will save time--and probably my skin."
-
-"Certainly," said Pariset at once. "This explains the cessation of the
-bombardment."
-
-"No doubt. They did not expect that poor little Belgium would turn
-into a Jack-the-Giant-Killer, or they would have brought up these
-monsters of theirs before. They represent the last word in
-Culture--according to the gospel of Krupp. I will leave you, then."
-
-"Ware spies!" said Kenneth, as they shook hands.
-
-"We set a thief to catch a thief, don't we?" said Granger with a smile.
-
-He put on his hat and was gone.
-
-"We had better get away at once," said Pariset, biting the end off a
-Dutch cigar. "But I don't care about reporting by hearsay. What do
-you say to taking a look at them?"
-
-"At what?"
-
-"At these new apostles of culture."
-
-"The big guns!--why not?"
-
-"We shall have to cross into German territory--a risky game. If caught
-we shall be instantly shot."
-
-"We've risked a good deal already without damage. Let us try it. I
-know the country; I've often cycled from Cologne to Crefeld."
-
-"That's to the good. Very well, then; I'll get leave to go first thing
-in the morning. We'll use the Taube and wear German uniforms. And in
-case any one comes hunting for Granger, let us pay our bill and go."
-
-----
-
-At six o'clock next morning the inhabitants of an old farmhouse at
-Erkelenz, not far from the Dutch frontier, were seated at breakfast.
-There was an old man of some sixty years, his wife and daughter, boys
-and girls, and two women servants. The farmer himself and his male
-hands were all on service.
-
-"I wonder where Daddy is now?" said one of the boys.
-
-"And Fritz and Hans?" said a girl.
-
-"Somewhere on the way to Paris, little ones," said the grandfather.
-"He will bring you back some fine playthings. Granny is wearing the
-brooch I brought from Paris forty years ago."
-
-"Mother says Daddy may be killed," piped another boy.
-
-"Nonsense!" said the old man. "Was I killed? Not even wounded. Why
-should your father be?"
-
-"How long will he be away?" asked another.
-
-"Not long. How long was I away in '70, Granny?"
-
-"Six months," said the old woman. "Du lieber Himmel! but it seemed
-like six years. Wilhelm was in long clothes when you went, and when
-you came back he was running about. Ah! may God bring him back safe
-and sound!"
-
-"Listen! What is that?" cried the children's mother.
-
-A humming sound, like the buzzing of a monster bee, floated in through
-the open window. The children ran to the door.
-
-"An aeroplane! An aeroplane!" they shouted. "See! it is coming down
-in the meadow."
-
-The household flocked to the door and window.
-
-"A Taube!" said the old man. "Run and see what the airmen want, Karl."
-
-A boy of twelve ran across the farmyard into the meadow. The monoplane
-had alighted, and a tall man in the uniform of a German captain was
-hastening towards the house.
-
-"Have you any petrol, boy?" asked the airman.
-
-The country boy looked up with awe, and said nothing. The sight of a
-German officer afflicted him with shyness. He ran back to his
-grandfather.
-
-"The Herr Captain needs petrol," he said.
-
-"That is unlucky, Herr Captain," said the old man, saluting the
-officer. "We have no petrol; I doubt whether you will get any in
-Erkelenz; it has all been bought for the army."
-
-"Well, give me something to eat and drink."
-
-Kenneth tried, without great success, to adopt the German officer's
-peremptory manner.
-
-"No, I won't come in," he added. "Bring it to me here; I've no time to
-spare."
-
-The women hastened to bring him of their best.
-
-"And the Herr Captain's companion--shall we take something to him?" one
-of them asked.
-
-"He cannot eat or drink with his face bandaged like that," said
-Kenneth, glancing back at the aeroplane.
-
-Pariset, who could not speak German, had swathed his jaw in a linen
-bandage.
-
-"Ach, lieber Gott! he is wounded," said the old man.
-
-"We have had an exciting trip," replied Kenneth laconically. "I
-suppose I shall have to go on to Crefeld. Is anything happening here?
-I notice that transport is being diverted from the main road to a
-by-way. Why is that?"
-
-"An accident, Herr Captain," said the man. "A traction engine, drawing
-a very heavy load, slipped over the edge of the causeway three miles
-yonder. Something broke; it was late last night, and I heard they had
-to send to Crefeld for a steam crane to lift it. Maybe it is done by
-now."
-
-"It was drawing an ammunition wagon, I suppose?"
-
-"It did not look like that, Herr Captain. I walked over to see. But I
-could not guess what it was, for it was covered all over with
-tarpaulin."
-
-"Lend me a horse; I'll ride over. Perhaps there's some petrol in the
-baggage train."
-
-"I am sorry, Herr Captain; all the horses are taken."
-
-"I must walk then. This boy can come and show me the way, and carry
-back the petrol."
-
-"Surely, mein Herr."
-
-"Keep a look-out, will you? If you see any one approaching, warn the
-Herr Lieutenant. There may be spies about."
-
-He set off behind the boy. The causeway, he remembered, ran beside the
-little river Roer, that fell into the Meuse farther west at Roermond.
-He needed no guide, and indeed did not intend to go right up to the
-scene of the breakdown; but the boy was useful as a cloak to his real
-design.
-
-Half an hour's walk across the fields brought him to a hayrick
-something less than a mile from the spot.
-
-"I ought to be able to get a view from the top of that," he thought.
-
-Bidding the boy wait below, he climbed a ladder set against the side of
-the rick, raised his field-glasses to his eyes, and adjusted the focus.
-Meanwhile two old farm labourers had slouched across the field and
-asked a question of the boy, which he answered in a word.
-
-Kenneth had reason to congratulate himself on having gone no farther.
-Between him and the causeway a half-troop of cavalry had off saddled,
-and were smoking near the broken traction engine, which had apparently
-swerved over the edge, and completely blocked the road. Behind it were
-two huge lorries, carrying between them a large mass of indefinite
-shape covered with tarpaulin. At the further end of the causeway was
-another traction engine with a similar load. Besides the spick and
-span cavalry there were a number of men in dirty clothes, some of whom
-appeared to be engaged in tinkering at the engine.
-
-"Those are the heavy guns, without a doubt," thought Kenneth. "I wish
-I could have a good look at them, but I'm afraid it's too risky. I
-might have guessed there would be a cavalry escort."
-
-Obviously it was dangerous to attempt to carry off his imposture with
-the German officers. It would have been another matter if only the
-motor men had been concerned. He was disappointed.
-
-As he continued to gaze, however, an idea flashed into his mind. It
-was pretty clear that the road would remain blocked until some
-contrivance had been rigged up for lifting the engine. Would Pariset
-venture a bold stroke? It would be a feather in his cap if he could
-destroy one, perhaps two, of these monster siege guns.
-
-Shutting up his glasses, he climbed down the ladder, ignored the
-labourers and their humble salute, and began to hurry back in the
-direction of the farm. Surprised, the boy stood watching him for a few
-moments. Then he ran after him, and, plucking up courage, said--
-
-"Will not the Herr Captain go on and get the petrol?"
-
-"I will come in the aeroplane, boy; we have enough to bring us here."
-
-The boy, rather crestfallen, had to trot to keep pace with Kenneth's
-long strides. He had hoped to receive a few pfennigs for carrying the
-petrol. Kenneth, busy with his thoughts, forgot the youngster until he
-was paying the civil farm people for his food. Then, catching sight of
-the boy's woebegone face, he handed him a silver coin that drove the
-clouds away. It was lucky, he reflected, that he still had some German
-money in his possession. A Belgian coin would have given him away.
-
-After five minutes' talk with Pariset, out of earshot of the people,
-who had gathered about at a little distance, they once more took the
-air. They had managed to compress a good deal into that brief
-conversation. Pariset had accepted Kenneth's suggestion with delight.
-The problem, they agreed, was twofold: they had first to deal with the
-escort, then with the guns--if they were guns. When they soared away
-over the meadow they had formed a clear idea of the means by which they
-would attempt to solve it.
-
-Making a wide sweep, east, north, and west, they approached the
-causeway south of the spot where the breakdown had occurred. The sight
-of a Taube monoplane flying obliquely over the road aroused curiosity
-but no suspicion in the minds of the Germans. But suddenly one of them
-gave a shout. Next moment a small bomb fell close beside one of the
-lorries, throwing up a shower of dust and stones. The engineers
-scuttled away; the troopers rushed to their horses, which, startled by
-the noise of the explosion, were threatening to stampede.
-
-Pariset banked the aeroplane steeply and wheeled round. As it passed
-again over the causeway, Kenneth dropped another bomb, which fell close
-to the first. The men on foot were rushing wildly up the road; on the
-open fields there was no cover. Most of the troopers had mounted; some
-had seized their rifles and were firing. But the sight of the
-aeroplane wheeling again struck them with panic, and with a shout they
-dashed after their comrades, galloping across the fields.
-
-The aeroplane followed up the fugitives. Owing to its speed, Pariset
-had to steer a zigzag course in order not to overtake them. Each time
-it wheeled he contrived to bring it close behind the rearmost horseman,
-like a sheep dog driving a flock, and Kenneth dropped a bomb to hurry
-the pace.
-
-They kept up the chase for some minutes; then, there being no sign of
-rallying, they darted back to the causeway, where the traction engines
-and lorries now stood deserted. The level field on one side afforded a
-good alighting place. They came to the ground, sprang from their
-seats, and as they ran to the causeway noticed one or two men lying
-wounded.
-
-"We simply haven't time to attend to them," panted Pariset. "The
-fellows will be riding back in a minute."
-
-They reached the unwieldy vehicles. The impressions of the moment came
-back to them afterwards--the huge wheels with their grooved rims, the
-deep ruts they had carved in the road. There were plenty of tools
-lying about. Kenneth cut the lashings of one of the tarpaulin covers,
-stripped off the cover, and found, as he had expected, that beneath it
-lay a portion of a huge weapon, half gun, half mortar, with a bore
-seventeen inches in diameter.
-
-"It's not the breech block; try the next lorry," urged Pariset.
-
-"I'll deal with this; you go on to the next," said Kenneth.
-
-Each had carried from the aeroplane a cylindrical parcel wrapped in
-cotton wool. From the end of this a short length of wire protruded.
-Climbing into the lorries they pushed these parcels into the breech end
-of the bore of the guns. Then each began to connect the wires with a
-small battery furnished with a clock-work timing mechanism.
-
-While still engaged in this operation, they heard the clatter of hoofs,
-and looking up, saw a squadron of cavalry galloping down the road
-little more than half a mile away.
-
-"How long?" shouted Kenneth.
-
-"Sixty seconds," Pariset replied. "Say when you are ready."
-
-Pariset, the more experienced of the two, was ready first.
-
-"Quick!" he cried, running towards the aeroplane.
-
-"Right!" shouted Kenneth, scrambling down and sprinting after him.
-
-By the time he had vaulted into his seat the engine had been started.
-Pariset jumped in, threw the engine into gear, and the machine started
-forward. At the same moment bullets began to fly around. Pariset paid
-no heed to them. He had less than half a minute to get beyond the
-range of explosion.
-
-The machine had barely risen from the ground when there was a deafening
-report, that seemed to be immediately beneath him. A few moments later
-there was a second crashing roar. The aeroplane was tossed about like
-a feather in a gale. It dipped, and for an instant Pariset feared that
-it would dash to the earth. During the few seconds this miniature
-tornado continued the airmen's hearts were in their mouths.
-Involuntarily they bent low to avoid the bullets which the horsemen,
-now come to a halt, were volleying at them. Keeping a firm grip of the
-controls, Pariset flew straight onward, rising as rapidly as possible.
-
-Not until he had gained an altitude which seemed to promise immunity
-from rifle fire did either of them think of turning to see the effect
-of the explosions. Then Pariset wheeled round, and flew back, Kenneth
-examining the causeway far below through his field-glasses.
-
-The lorries, as complete vehicles, had disappeared. The remains of one
-gun lay scattered on the field; those of the other were
-indistinguishably mixed up with earth, stones, and the debris of the
-lorries on the causeway.
-
-The leading files of the troopers appeared to have come within a
-hundred yards of the scene at the moment of the first explosion. A few
-lay on the ground; some were galloping on their affrighted steeds over
-the field; only the rear ranks had been able to rein up, and fire their
-ineffectual shots at the aeroplane hopelessly beyond range.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIV--HUNTED
-===================
-
-It occurred to Pariset that, so perfect was the German organisation,
-the army besieging Liége might be informed within a few minutes of this
-audacious raid upon one of their transport trains. He therefore swept
-round in a wide circle southward, in order to approach the city from
-the south-west.
-
-Both he and Kenneth were deeply impressed with the enormous westward
-movement of troops and transport which they saw in their flight. The
-country beneath them seemed to be alive, like an anthill; with this
-difference, however, that although there were cross currents the
-general movement was all in one direction. Such might have been, in
-days long past, the migrations of the Huns or of the Kalmuck Tartars.
-
-Over the Meuse, which wound like a silver streak four thousand feet
-beneath them, there appeared to be a number of pontoon bridges. Every
-road was a continuous stream of moving objects. Far away to the right
-they heard at times, above the whirr and hum of the engine, the dull
-boom of heavy guns; and now and then patches of white and yellow
-appeared in the air as from nowhere, spread into fantastic shapes, and
-finally thinned away.
-
-They had just passed over the little town of Verviers, and were bearing
-away to the west-south-west, so as to pass round Forts Embourg and
-Boncelles, when the engine suddenly stopped. It had behaved well in
-their previous excursions, and had been thoroughly overhauled before
-they started. There was only one thing to be done: to make a vol plane
-and land as best they could. The aeroplane was very high, and there
-was plenty of room, but little choice of a landing place. Pariset
-worked the controls for a long spiral descent, and came down in a field
-between a wood and a highroad, which he believed to be the main road
-between Liége and Luxemburg.
-
-There was no traffic at this spot, and they at once began to examine
-the engine.
-
-"The plugs are choked," said Pariset after a few moments. "Luckily
-it's only a five minutes' job."
-
-"Hadn't we better wheel the machine round the corner of the wood?"
-suggested Kenneth. "We don't know but that some Germans may come up at
-any moment."
-
-"Come along then," said Pariset.
-
-But they had hardly moved the machine three yards when they heard the
-clatter of hoofs, and a patrol of Uhlans came dashing round a bend in
-the road. Neither hedge nor dyke bordered the field, and the Uhlans
-rode straight across it towards the aeroplane.
-
-"We are in for it!" said Pariset, hastily adjusting his bandage. "For
-goodness' sake try to bluff it out."
-
-Kenneth went hot and cold; his brain seemed paralysed; and when the
-Uhlans reined up a few yards away he had cudgelled his wits in vain for
-something to say. A lead was given him by the lieutenant in command.
-
-"Do you want any help, Herr Captain?" he said. "I saw you come down
-suddenly, and guessed there was something wrong."
-
-"Thanks; it is a mere trifle," replied Kenneth somewhat breathlessly.
-"Two of the sparking plugs need cleaning. In five minutes we shall be
-up again."
-
-He bent down to assist Pariset, who had turned his back and was
-unscrewing the plugs.
-
-"Have you been hit?" asked the lieutenant, noticing the bandage.
-
-"No, luckily; he ought to have gone to the dentist long ago, but
-couldn't bear the idea of losing a moment at a time like this. A
-swollen jaw is very painful; you can't eat with any comfort. The only
-thing to do is to bandage it tightly. But he'll have to go to the
-dentist."
-
-"You're not attached to the 4th army corps, are you? I haven't noticed
-you among our airmen."
-
-"We are on special service," said Kenneth, feeling that matters were
-getting warm in spite of the officer's apparent freedom from suspicion.
-"You'll excuse me, won't you? we are anxious to get to Liége."
-
-"Certainly."
-
-He watched the two men at their work, remarking that it was a very
-dirty job.
-
-Meanwhile one of the troopers had been edging his horse close to the
-aeroplane. Pariset, out of the corner of his eye, noticed him looking
-at it critically. He bent down to examine one of the planes, gave a
-grunt of satisfaction, and glanced at his officer, as if wondering
-whether he might venture to address him directly. Concluding that this
-might be a breach of discipline, he backed gently towards the
-Wachtmeister--the sergeant-major through whom he might communicate with
-the lieutenant without being snubbed.
-
-This by-play escaped the notice of Kenneth, who was half-turned towards
-the lieutenant. That officer, having satisfied his curiosity about the
-nature of sparking plugs, bade him good-bye, saluted, and gave the
-order to ride on. The patrol moved away before the trooper had
-finished his communication to the Wachtmeister.
-
-As soon as they were out of earshot, Pariset whispered:
-
-"One of those fellows suspects something. If they ride back before we
-have got these plugs in place we must bolt into the wood."
-
-While speaking he kept his eye on the Uhlans without rising from his
-stooping posture. They were only a hundred yards away when the
-Wachtmeister rode alongside the lieutenant and spoke to him. The
-officer gave the order to halt, reined up, and wheeled his horse.
-
-"Get your revolver ready," whispered Pariset.
-
-He reached for one of the smallest bombs, and fitting a short fuse
-prepared to light it from the petrol lamp.
-
-The lieutenant was not yet riding back. He had taken out a
-pocket-book, and was consulting one of its pages. Pretending to be
-still busy with the engine, the airmen watched him anxiously. The
-Wachtmeister called up the trooper, who, sitting his horse stiffly,
-saluted, and spoke in answer to a question from the lieutenant.
-
-"He's got a description of the aeroplane," whispered Kenneth.
-
-"Yes--probably circulated to every patrol," said Pariset. "Run for
-dear life if he comes this way."
-
-As he spoke the lieutenant shut up his pocket-book, and began to canter
-back.
-
-"Now!" said Pariset, lighting the fuse, and laying the bomb swiftly but
-gently behind the engine. Then, taking care to keep the aeroplane
-between them and the Uhlans, the two dashed towards the wood, about a
-hundred and twenty yards away.
-
-The majority of the patrol, having received no order, had not turned
-their horses, nor even ventured to glance round. Only the lieutenant,
-the Wachtmeister, and the suspicious trooper had seen the flight of the
-airmen during the first few seconds. But now the lieutenant shouted an
-order, the men wheeled round, and galloped after their officer, who dug
-his spurs into his horse and dashed after the fugitives, followed
-closely by his two troopers.
-
-He had plucked out his revolver, but the aeroplane stood between him
-and the airmen, running like sprinters towards the wood. Swerving to
-the left to get a clear field of fire, the lieutenant discharged all
-its chambers one after another on the chance of a lucky shot. But the
-fugitives, having made the most of their start, were out of range.
-They gained the outer fringe of trees and plunged in, the lieutenant
-being then about thirty yards behind them. He had drawn his sword.
-His men were strung out at short intervals in his rear.
-
-There was not much cover at the edge of the wood, and the airmen dashed
-on towards the spot where the trees grew more densely, Pariset leading
-by a few yards. By the time he reached it, Kenneth heard the
-lieutenant's horse pounding the turf almost at his heels. It seemed
-that in a second or two he must be ridden down. With instant decision
-he dived to the right behind a large tree. The lieutenant, unable to
-check his horse in time, galloped past, shouting to his men to catch
-the spy. Kenneth took a flying shot at him, missed, and rushed after
-Pariset, who at the sound of the shot turned and fired at the
-Wachtmeister, now only a few yards behind his leader. There was a
-howl. Neither of the airmen stayed to see the effect of the shot.
-They plunged into the brushwood, which grew more and more densely as
-they proceeded, and was more closely set with trees.
-
-"They can't ride through this," Kenneth panted as he overtook Pariset.
-"They would be swept from their saddles."
-
-"Yes; we're as good as they on foot; we are safe for a while. Did you
-hear the bomb?"
-
-"Rather: it went off all right; the Taube must be blown to atoms."
-
-The pursuing horsemen, on finding themselves checked by the undergrowth
-and the trees, flung themselves from their saddles. They lost a few
-minutes in tethering their horses, so that when they pushed on on foot,
-the fugitives had been enabled to penetrate deeper into the wood.
-
-"I hope they'll give it up soon," said Pariset, hearing the troopers'
-movements in the rustling and crackling undergrowth. "To rout us out
-they must beat the wood thoroughly."
-
-"It's lucky they're only a patrol and not a whole squadron, or they
-might encircle the wood," responded Kenneth in the same low tone.
-
-They went still farther among the trees, moving as quietly as they
-could. It was soon evident that they were being followed up. Every
-now and then they heard the same sounds of movement, and shouts in
-different directions behind them. Apparently the Uhlans were
-scattering to beat the wood systematically.
-
-"Our uniforms account for their perseverance," Pariset remarked. "The
-Germans don't scruple to wear Belgian uniform, or to dress as
-civilians; nothing makes them more angry than that we should do the
-same."
-
-"And they know it was their own Taube, purloined at Cologne," said
-Kenneth. "You may be sure they are particularly incensed at that."
-
-"We are outstripping them," said Pariset a few moments later. "The
-sounds are fainter."
-
-"The question is, what shall we find at the other side of the wood? If
-open fields, we shan't stand a dog's chance against their rifles.
-Perhaps we had better dodge about among the trees."
-
-"With the risk of tumbling up against one! No, we had better go
-straight on."
-
-Again they pressed forward in silence. The sounds behind them grew
-still fainter, but they became aware in a few minutes that the number
-of their pursuers had increased. There were more voices, distributed
-over a wider area.
-
-"The regiment has come up, I fancy," said Kenneth. "Very likely some
-of them will ride round the wood. We're in a tight corner, Remi."
-
-"Hurry on, man. Our one chance is to be first out."
-
-From the continual diminution of the sounds it was plain that the
-Uhlans were moving with great caution. No doubt they feared an enemy
-in every bush. The fugitives, on the other hand, pressed on as fast as
-they could, guarding against a circular course by means of the small
-compass which Pariset wore in a strap on his wrist.
-
-After a quarter of an hour's hot exertion they came suddenly to the
-farther edge of the wood. The country immediately in front was open
-and level, dotted about with single trees and small clumps. In the
-distance they saw a farmhouse, and still farther away, a picturesque
-chateau on the side of a hill.
-
-"Shall we make a run for it?" said Kenneth, as they paused a moment
-before leaving the shelter of the trees.
-
-For answer, Pariset caught him by the sleeve, and drew him back.
-
-"Cut off?" asked Kenneth.
-
-"Yes; a troop of Uhlans are galloping along the edge of the wood away
-there to the left; nearly a mile away, thank goodness!"
-
-"Fairly trapped!" said Kenneth, with nervous twitching of his eyebrow.
-
-In the excitement of the last half hour their thoughts had been too
-busy to give them time for apprehension. But now, with Uhlans on foot
-spread out in the wood behind them, a troop on horseback approaching on
-their left, possibly another on their right, they began to realise what
-it was like to be hunted. They felt as if inexorable walls were
-closing upon them to crush them. It would be madness to take to the
-open. The impulse to turn to the right in the wood, away from the
-galloping Uhlans, was dulled by the fear that a second troop had been
-sent to head them off in that direction. They adopted the wisest
-course in such a situation: remained where they were, some few yards
-from the outer fringe of trees, and tried to think out their problem
-calmly.
-
-"It will be safer to let them pass us," said Pariset presently. "They
-will expect to see us emerge; let us go to meet them. Can you hear the
-fellows behind us in the wood?"
-
-They stood listening.
-
-"No," said Kenneth. "I daresay they are stealing up quietly."
-
-"We must keep our ears open. Now, as quickly as possible."
-
-They threaded their way cautiously through the wood towards the
-oncoming Uhlans. Very soon they heard the thuds of the horses' hoofs
-to their right. Among the trees they could neither see nor be seen.
-The sound ceased suddenly. Then came the muffled murmur of voices.
-Apparently the Uhlans had drawn rein almost at the spot where the
-fugitives had intended to break cover.
-
-"A clever lot!" whispered Pariset. "They calculated to a yard or two
-where we should be likely to come out. A good thing we turned this
-way."
-
-The Uhlans, in fact, only about two hundred yards away, had dismounted,
-and leaving their horses tethered in the charge of two of their number,
-had entered the wood, spread out, and begun to beat the coverts in the
-direction of their comrades advancing from the farther side.
-
-The fugitives pressed on rapidly, parallel with the edge of the wood,
-hoping that they would not meet the men at the extremity of the
-far-extended line. There was no sound to guide them or give warning.
-Presently they ventured to draw a little nearer to the edge, where the
-trees were sparser and they could move more quickly. Pariset
-constantly consulted his compass. Their course was northward, in the
-direction of Liége.
-
-For twenty minutes or more they jogged on, careful not to lose their
-wind. Then they discovered that the wood was narrowing, and a few more
-minutes brought them within sight of its end, the apex of a triangle.
-Peering out cautiously through the trees, they saw a little way ahead
-the fork of two roads. That to the left was evidently the main road
-near which the aeroplane had landed. That to the right must be the
-byroad along which the Uhlans had ridden to cut them off. Beyond, on
-either side, were open fields.
-
-They halted in perplexity, anxious though they were to lose no time. A
-false move, an unfortunate decision, and they were lost.
-
-"If we dash across country we may be seen," said Pariset. "If we take
-to the road we may meet more troops. But we can't stay in the wood.
-The Uhlans will beat it thoroughly."
-
-"Could we climb a tree and hide in the foliage?" suggested Kenneth.
-
-"We mightn't be as lucky as your Merry Monarch," said Pariset. "The
-fellows are capable of burning down the whole wood if they can't find
-us. And in a very short time they are sure to draw a cordon round it.
-We must get out, somehow or other. If only the roads were hedged, like
-your English country roads, we should stand a chance."
-
-They were still discussing their quandary when they heard the rumble of
-an approaching cart. Looking eagerly ahead, they saw a large wagon
-piled with loose hay. The driver appeared to be a Belgian peasant.
-Beside him sat an armed soldier in the bluish grey German uniform.
-They seemed only half awake. The two horses were plodding slowly, with
-drooping heads. The appearance of men and beasts suggested that they
-had been travelling all night.
-
-There was a gleam in Kenneth's eyes as he turned to Pariset.
-
-"Into the hay?" he whispered.
-
-"The wagon will pass the Uhlans," Pariset replied.
-
-"So much the better."
-
-"But the hay may be for their horses."
-
-"Not very likely. It must have been definitely requisitioned, and they
-wouldn't dare to touch it."
-
-Pariset pondered. A faint sound came from the depths of the wood.
-
-"It's our only chance," he said, "but in ten minutes we may have lances
-or bullets through us. A la bonne heure!"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XV--HUNS AT PLAY
-========================
-
-The wagon rumbled heavily along the road. The two men stood just
-within the wood, watching the driver and the soldier, looking up and
-down the road with a half-formed fear that more troops would come in
-sight. They allowed the wagon to pass them; then, running behind it on
-tiptoe, they leapt up, and plunged into the hay, which was loosely
-piled, just as it had been pitched down from a looted rick.
-
-They burrowed their way through the scented mass, drawing it closely
-behind them to cover their tracks. The creaking of the cart wheels,
-the loud tramp of the big Flemish horses, the sleepiness of the men in
-front were all in their favour. They reached the forepart of the wagon
-without having attracted attention. Kenneth's nostrils itched. It was
-lucky, he thought, that the hay was dry and the season far advanced, or
-a fit of sneezing would have betrayed him.
-
-To get air, and to enable them to see down the road, they made little
-gaps in the hay, scarcely broader than two fingers. Then they lay
-still, happy in their escape from the Uhlans, but desperately anxious
-about what might come.
-
-The wagon was travelling towards Luxemburg. Presently, muffled by the
-hay, the sound of men's voices reached their ears. These continued for
-some minutes; no doubt they proceeded from the Uhlans in the wood.
-After about twenty minutes they heard a louder voice, close at hand.
-The wagon stopped.
-
-"Have you seen two officers?" asked a man in German. "Dressed as
-Germans. One a lean ugly fellow, the other a round moon-faced baby.
-They are spies."
-
-The soldier, pulling himself together, answered briskly "No!"
-Conscious of having been dozing on duty he went further.
-
-"We have seen nobody for the last three miles," he said. "The whole
-country is deserted. What is doing about here?"
-
-"The spies came down in that aeroplane yonder, and escaped into the
-wood."
-
-"Teufel! I see no aeroplane."
-
-"It is in ruins; the fellows blew it up. It was one of ours, too, a
-Taube. They stole it."
-
-"There will be fine shooting when they are caught. These Belgians are
-the very deuce. Half my regiment are down. My horse was shot. I'm
-going to take one of these cart horses when we get to Spa. They are
-rather heavy, but one must take what one can get. Horses are scarce."
-
-The Uhlan who had spoken came round to the back of the wagon, and
-pulled out an armful of hay for his horse. The fugitives shivered. If
-others of the troop did the same thing, their screen would be removed,
-detection was inevitable.
-
-"Not too much," called the trooper in front, standing up and peering
-round the corner of the load. "Don't get me into trouble. I was
-ordered to bring back a full load, and the Herr Major is a terrible man
-in his anger."
-
-"Where did you get it from?" asked the Uhlan, now joined by several of
-his comrades who had been left in charge of the horses of those
-searching the wood.
-
-"From a farm about two hours' journey back, somewhere about Theux, I
-think they call it. It's an out-of-the-way place, but we got the tip
-from a Hussar who lodged with the farmer for a year or two; there
-wasn't much he didn't find out; and he knew exactly how much fodder he
-had."
-
-"Did you leave any?"
-
-"Two good ricks. Are you short?"
-
-"Yes, our supplies haven't come up. Plenty of beer on the farm?"
-
-"Not so much as there was," replied the man with a laugh. "But enough
-to get properly drunk on if they give you time."
-
-"That's the place for us. How do you get there?"
-
-"Up the road about five miles, turn down a by-road on the right;
-there's a row of poplars on one side; you can't miss it. We must move
-on. I hope you'll catch the spies. Good luck!"
-
-The wagon jogged on.
-
-"Whip up your horses," cried the soldier to the driver. "We have been
-too long on the road."
-
-The fugitives, on tenterhooks all this time, breathed more freely when
-they had passed the spot where the Uhlans were grouped on the grass,
-guarding the horses and the ruins of the aeroplane. But they realised
-that they were escaping one danger only to fall into another. The
-destination of the wagon was Spa, no doubt filled with Germans. They
-must leave the wagon before it reached that town.
-
-They were thinking of slipping out at a quiet stretch of the road, and
-taking their chance of bolting across the fields, when the wagon was
-met by another Uhlan patrol, who after questioning the trooper, wheeled
-their horses and rode alongside.
-
-"You are just in time, Schmidt," said one of the newcomers.
-
-"What for?" asked the trooper, who evidently belonged to the same
-regiment.
-
-"To see how we reduce the population. There's a big farm in a hamlet a
-quarter-mile up the road. Rumpelmeyer was shot near there, so we
-routed out all the men in the place except the farmer, who escaped. As
-soon as he is rounded up we are going to shoot the lot."
-
-They rumbled on into the hamlet, and pulled up at the gate of the farm.
-The terrified villagers were penned up like cattle in the farmyard,
-guarded by a dozen Uhlans. A few women at the wall, imploring the
-Germans to have mercy, were answered with brutal jeers.
-
-"A dirty herd!" said the trooper on the wagon. "Why don't you shoot
-them at once?"
-
-"The Wachtmeister thinks that would be too good for them. First
-dinner, and then sport, says he. He is a humorist, our Wachtmeister.
-Here he is."
-
-"Thank goodness I needn't go any further on this lumbering wagon," said
-the trooper. "Is the whole regiment coming up from Spa?"
-
-"In the course of the day. Fifteen of us came in advance. Two are
-hunting for the farmer."
-
-"Well done, Schmidt," said the sergeant, coming up to the wagon.
-"You've a good load there."
-
-"Shall I unload, and give the horses a feed?" asked the trooper.
-
-"They can wait. There's a hot dinner ready, prepared by our kind
-friends the Belgians. They entertain us; afterwards we shall entertain
-them. Poor Rumpelmeyer has gone. But a dozen Belgians are waiting
-yonder to join him. A dozen Belgians are not worth one good German,
-but it's something to go on with. We shall find others; it would be a
-pity to leave too many to bother us when the country is ours."
-
-Kenneth, under the hay, was squirming. Pariset, knowing no German, was
-not aware of what was coming, but his apprehension was all the greater
-for his ignorance. Kenneth whispered that the wagon was not to be
-unloaded yet; he dared not say more at the moment, with so many enemies
-within hearing.
-
-The sky was becoming overclouded. The wagoner took the horses out, and
-led them to loose boxes in the stables. The trooper Schmidt had sprung
-down and entered the house, where all the Uhlans except three left on
-guard over the prisoners had assembled for the good dinner prepared by
-the women of the farm under the eye of their truculent visitors.
-
-The wagon having been left standing at the gate, Kenneth ventured to
-repeat to Pariset the gist of the conversation he had heard. The
-Belgian swore under his breath.
-
-"We must get out while they are at dinner," Kenneth whispered.
-
-"Those three brutes would see us," said Pariset, eyeing the three
-Uhlans savagely through his peephole.
-
-"I'm afraid they would," Kenneth agreed. "But we are bound to be
-discovered when they unload."
-
-"Well, we'll get away if we see half a chance. We must wait. I wish
-we could do something for those poor wretches in the yard. These
-Germans have much to answer for, Ken; and they shall pay--they shall
-pay!"
-
-They lay in their stuffy shelter, listening to the sounds of
-merriment--heavy-hoofed merriment--from within the house, the grumbles
-of the Uhlans who had been left outside and were losing the fun, the
-sobs of the women at the wall. The sky grew blacker and blacker, rain
-began to fall. The Uhlans on guard turned up their collars and swore.
-
-Presently there was a diversion. The two Uhlans who had been out
-rounding up the missing farmer had caught him and a second man, and
-were bringing them along at a trot, prodding them with their lances to
-make them keep up with the horses. There were cries of dismay from the
-herded prisoners, and of pity from the women. The attention of the
-Uhlans on guard was somewhat diverted from the prisoners to the
-newcomers, as these were marched through the gate and across the
-farmyard to the hurdles within which their fellow villagers were
-confined.
-
-"Now's the time!" whispered Kenneth. "Creep behind the cart and round
-by the stables. There's just a chance."
-
-They slid out of the wagon, slipped into the yard, and ran to the
-stables, being screened from the guards' observation by the horses of
-the Uhlans who had just returned. Behind the stables there was a barn,
-with a ladder reaching to its high loft.
-
-"Up there!" whispered Pariset. "We should be seen if we ran across the
-fields."
-
-They clambered up, and panting with excitement and haste threw
-themselves on the floor of the loft.
-
-"Perhaps we can remain here until night," said Pariset. "The place is
-empty; they've no reason for visiting it again."
-
-They heard the newly-arrived troopers lead their horses to the stables
-and address some one there in loud peremptory tones. Then their
-spurred boots were heard clanking over the cobbles, and they went into
-the house. Shouts of applause followed their entrance; no doubt they
-had reported their capture.
-
-"I wish we could do something!" murmured Pariset restlessly. "But we
-can't tackle twelve or fifteen."
-
-A few minutes later, when the tremors of excitement had ceased, Kenneth
-got up.
-
-"We can at least go and see who is in the stables," he said. "Perhaps
-we could make off with a couple of horses."
-
-"Anything rather than lie here idle," said Pariset.
-
-They crept down the ladder, and stole round the outbuilding towards
-where they knew by the sounds the door of the stable was. It was on
-the side remote from the corner where the prisoners were herded.
-Peeping in at the door, Kenneth saw the driver of the wagon sitting
-disconsolately on an upturned pail, and beckoned to Pariset to precede
-him. They slipped into the stable. The wagoner jumped up with a start
-when he saw two Germans, as he supposed.
-
-"Hist! I am a Belgian," whispered Pariset hurriedly in Flemish. "My
-friend is an Englishman."
-
-The man looked at them narrowly, only half believing.
-
-"It is true," said Pariset. "We want to save the prisoners. Do you
-know the place? Will you help?"
-
-Convinced by their appearance and by Pariset's Flemish the man said:
-
-"My word! will I help! One of them is my brother; two are my cousins.
-Only tell me what I can do, mijnheer. But not here; it is not safe;
-come to the back."
-
-"Wait!" said Pariset, pointing to a door at the further end of the
-stable. "Where does that lead to?"
-
-"Into the harness room."
-
-"And beyond that?"
-
-"The kitchen."
-
-"Who are in the kitchen?"
-
-"I do not know; maybe the mistress and the women servants. They cook
-the meals for those hogs."
-
-"Is the door unlocked?"
-
-"Most likely; it is never locked during the day."
-
-"Then creep into the kitchen and tell the women we are here. Quickly!
-We will hide in the harness room. And find out where the Germans have
-stacked their rifles, and how many there are."
-
-The man passed through the door, followed by Pariset and Kenneth, who
-remained among the harness while the wagoner went on to the kitchen.
-
-"It's a frightful risk, Remi," whispered Kenneth.
-
-Pariset set his teeth.
-
-"I'm a Belgian," he said. "It's not your job. Go back to----"
-
-"Rubbish!" Kenneth interrupted. "We sink or swim together.... Here he
-comes!"
-
-"I saw the mistress," said the man. "They have caught the master; she
-is frantic. There are ten Uhlans in the big room; the sergeant is
-alone in the parlour beyond. The maids are serving them."
-
-"The rifles?" said Pariset.
-
-"They are not stacked, mijnheer. There is no room between the wall and
-the big table. They are laid anyhow in the corner near the kitchen
-door."
-
-For a minute or two Pariset and Kenneth conversed in rapid whispers.
-While they were speaking the farmer's wife, a large capable Flamande,
-came to the door, an expression of mingled agitation and hope on her
-broad red face.
-
-"We try it?" said Pariset to Kenneth.
-
-"Yes."
-
-The three men entered the kitchen.
-
-"If you can save my husband and my son--" began the good woman
-imploringly.
-
-Pariset cut her short. She had the appearance of abundant energy.
-
-"We want your help, meffrouw," he said. "Courage! Can you smuggle
-some of the rifles out of the room? Not all."
-
-"I will try, mijnheer," she said quietly, with the firm look of the
-Flemish housewife.
-
-There was much noise from the room beyond. The troopers were eating
-and drinking hard. Pariset and Kenneth stepped behind a large Dutch
-clock when the women pushed open the door, carrying a dish of steaming
-stew. They saw her recoil a little when the Germans hailed her
-appearance with boisterous shouts. She beckoned to her two maids,
-stout Flamandes like herself, then disappeared towards the right.
-
-The two airmen waited anxiously. Would the housewife's nerve fail?
-Would the Germans detect her? They had fallen gluttonously on the new
-dish, praising Belgian viands after the short commons of the days
-preceding.
-
-Presently the woman reappeared at the door. Her face was pale; she was
-grimly pressing her lips together, and when she had entered the kitchen
-and closed the door she took from the folds of her gown a rifle.
-
-"The maids stood in front of me," she murmured.
-
-"Take the rifle into the harness room," said Pariset to the wagoner.
-"Another, meffrouw."
-
-The poor woman trembled, but summoning her courage she passed again
-into the room. The door at the further end was now open, and the
-sergeant stood in it. He had consulted his dignity by dining alone in
-the parlour.
-
-"More wine!" he shouted. "It's poor stuff, mother, but I must make the
-best of it till we get to Champagne. Then we'll break a few necks--of
-bottles and Frenchmen."
-
-Roars of laughter from the men greeted this sally. One of the maids
-carried a fresh bottle into the parlour. Meanwhile the housewife had
-taken advantage of the diversion caused by the sergeant's pleasantry to
-remove another rifle. Three more she brought out at intervals; then
-Pariset said it was enough; to abstract more might lead the men to
-notice the diminution of the pile. Pariset examined each of the five;
-there were cartridges in all.
-
-"Do your maids know German?" he asked the woman.
-
-"Katrinka knows a little," she replied.
-
-"Ask her to take some wine to the men on guard outside--it is by the
-sergeant's orders. You and the other maid each take a bottle too.
-Supply the Uhlans in there with plenty of food first, to keep them
-occupied. They will gorge themselves so long as you please."
-
-While the women carried into the room dishes loaded with cakes and
-patties, Pariset and the two others held a whispered conversation in
-the harness room. On the return of the women, Pariset asked the
-mistress to give the carrier a bottle of wine. The man took it in his
-left hand; his right held a knife.
-
-The inner door of the kitchen was closed. They moved quietly to a side
-door opening directly on the farmyard. Rain and mist threw a murky
-gloom over the scene. The women, carrying bottles, moved quickly
-towards the discontented Uhlans, who uttered guttural exclamations of
-pleasure when the girl Katrinka gave the message with which Pariset had
-primed her. Behind them slouched the wagoner, lifting his bottle to
-his lips with ostentatious enjoyment. Within the shadow of the door
-Pariset and Kenneth stood with levelled rifles, their eyes fixed on the
-scene in front, their ears alert for sounds in the rear.
-
-The women had given the Uhlans a bottle each. The good wife had a
-second in reserve. Turning their backs upon the prisoners, the guard
-broke the necks of the bottles, and drank with great gulps. Unnoticed,
-the wagoner slipped round behind them, cut the cords that bound the
-nearest prisoner, handed him the knife, and edged towards the Uhlans,
-still taking pulls at his bottle.
-
-Five of the prisoners had been released by their companion before one
-of the guards, half-turning, noticed a commotion within the pens, and
-at a second glance saw with amazement what was happening. Dropping his
-bottle with a furious oath, he seized his rifle, but before it reached
-his shoulder the wagoner swung his uncorked bottle with all his force
-and broke it on the Uhlan's head, stretching him on the ground in a
-crimson pool of wine. He caught the man's rifle as it fell, and
-bayoneted the second German, who had turned at his comrade's cry. The
-third, evading a blow aimed at him with her bottle by the sturdy
-housewife, shouted for help, and was lifting his rifle when it was
-wrenched from his hands by the villager who had been first released,
-and he fell beside the others, stunned by a blow from the butt end.
-
-Kenneth and Pariset, who had followed every movement with breathless
-anxiety, felt that the party outside would give no trouble for a time,
-at any rate. They turned sharply round on hearing a commotion from the
-inner room, where the guzzling Uhlans had heard, through their own
-noise, the shout from the farmyard. Jumping to their feet, they
-crowded towards the rifles in the corner, and had just discovered that
-the weapons would not go round, when the door was thrown open, and they
-saw standing in the doorway two German officers.
-
-"Achtung!" cried Kenneth, in the short sharp tone he had many a time
-heard in a German drill yard.
-
-The men sprang to attention, clicked their heels, and saluted. They
-had no time to think; they acted with mechanical obedience. Standing
-thus rigid they were amazed to see the officers cover them with their
-rifles, and to hear a peremptory summons to surrender. Fuddled,
-astounded, they threw up their hands.
-
-At this moment the door of the parlour was flung open, and the
-sergeant, red with wine and rage, before he had taken in the scene,
-demanded what the noise was about. His voice dropped at the end of the
-sentence, when he saw, as he thought, a captain and a lieutenant before
-him. A sound of rushing feet behind him caused him to swing round
-hastily. With a startled cry he raised his revolver, and fired; but he
-was immediately hurled backward to the floor by a dozen sturdy
-peasants, the foremost of whom held a knife.
-
-There was a great silence in the farm.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVI--THE CARETAKER
-==========================
-
-"We shall have to clear everybody out of this double quick," said
-Pariset. "If the regiment comes up every soul will be massacred."
-
-"You mean that we must all trek?" said Kenneth.
-
-"Yes. You and I must rig ourselves up as Uhlans, and pretend that we
-are convoying prisoners. The villagers had better gather what
-valuables they want to save, and migrate, it doesn't much matter where
-to, so long as it is as far as possible from the line of the German
-advance."
-
-He explained his plan to the farmer and the other Belgian peasants.
-They suggested that a short and easy way of securing safety was to
-shoot all the Uhlans and bury them, but Pariset would not agree to
-that. The men having surrendered, their lives at least must be spared.
-
-Without delay preparations were made. The body of the dead sergeant
-was hastily buried. The Uhlan prisoners were stripped of their
-uniforms, clad in coarse garments provided by the villagers, and roped
-together. The wagon was emptied of its hay and loaded up with such
-little treasures as the villagers possessed, among them an
-extraordinary number of birdcages. Then it rumbled off, followed by
-the whole population of the hamlet, men, women, and children, setting
-off through the rain to some sequestered village off the main route,
-where they might hope to be left untouched by the German tide.
-
-Pariset and Kenneth exchanged their uniforms for those of two of the
-Uhlans, provided themselves with civilian clothes, selected two of the
-best horses, and after a few minutes' puzzled consideration what to do
-with the rest, removed their trappings and let them loose in the fields.
-
-It was now getting late in the afternoon. Rain was still falling
-heavily, which was at once an inconvenience and an advantage. For
-safety's sake Pariset bandaged his head again; then they started,
-Kenneth riding ahead, the captive Uhlans between him and Pariset.
-
-They were under no illusion as to the danger they were incurring. If
-they should meet any considerable body of Germans, a word from one of
-the prisoners would be their undoing. But what with the rain and the
-approach of darkness they hoped to avoid any such contretemps. The
-direction of their march was westward, their intention being to
-approach Liége from the south-west. So far as they knew the Germans
-had not pushed their way in force farther west than Stoumont, so that
-they were unlikely to encounter anything more serious than patrols and
-outposts. Such were formidable enough.
-
-Marching across fields, by by-ways, through woods, they arrived by
-nightfall in the neighbourhood of the river Ourthe. Some few miles
-beyond that river they believed that the French army was in line. As
-they were passing a cluster of cottages a voice in German called upon
-them to halt. Pariset moved up to the front of the prisoners, and
-pointing his revolver threatened to shoot if any man spoke a word.
-Kenneth meanwhile, answering in German, had ridden a few paces ahead,
-and explained to the sentry who had challenged that he was escorting
-some Belgian civilians as prisoners to Erézée, and asked in his turn
-for news. To his surprise and alarm he learnt that the Germans were in
-force a few miles to the south, and expected next day to force the
-passage of the Ourthe. At the hamlet at which he had arrived a small
-infantry outpost had quartered itself that afternoon.
-
-Getting from the sentry the direction of Erézée, he rode back and led
-the party away from the hamlet to the south-west.
-
-"That was a near thing, Remi," he said. "We shall never be able to get
-these fellows to our own lines."
-
-"Pity we didn't let the farmer's men shoot them," returned Pariset.
-"They'll be our ruin."
-
-"I vote we leave them at the next village we come to. They'll be
-discovered by the Germans in their advance to-morrow."
-
-"Not a man of them! The villagers would have put them out of sight by
-to-morrow. We must leave them on the road if you want to keep them
-alive."
-
-They had still not determined what to do with their troublesome charges
-when they caught sight of lights twinkling mistily through the
-rain-laden darkness ahead. Kenneth slipped down from his saddle, and
-went forward on foot to reconnoitre, the rest halting. In a few
-minutes he returned.
-
-"The place is evidently full of Germans," he said. "I heard the
-eternal 'Deutschland über Alles'; the bosches certainly sing well! We
-must make up our minds once for all what to do."
-
-After a brief discussion they retreated some distance up the road, out
-of earshot from the village. On one side was an extensive plantation,
-probably the covert of some Belgian nobleman. Here they decided to
-leave their prisoners. The trees would give the men a certain
-protection from the rain. They could make themselves heard when their
-troops passed along the road in the morning. There accordingly the two
-young fellows placed the Uhlans, eking out the rope to bind their legs
-as well as their arms. Then they struck down a bridlepath that ran
-westward, the direction of the Ourthe.
-
-The night was so dark that though the rain ceased towards midnight they
-made but slow progress. In changing clothes neither had provided
-himself with matches, so that Pariset's compass was useless. Groping
-from bridlepath to lane, from lane to high road, which they quitted as
-soon as possible, stealing past the few cottages they came upon, they
-wandered for an hour or two until both felt that they must wait for
-daylight, if they were to secure themselves against the risk of falling
-unawares among the enemy. They tethered their horses in a copse, and,
-being wet through, paced up and down to maintain their circulation
-until the dawn stole through the trees. Then, weary, hungry, and
-bedraggled, they remounted, and pursued their way along a narrow sunken
-road. Ignorant of their whereabouts, they could only trust to chance
-and the compass, unless they should presently come upon Belgians whom
-they might ask to direct them.
-
-But the country appeared to be deserted. When they cautiously
-approached the first wayside cottage they came to, they found no one
-there. Everything was in order; the Germans had not yet visited it;
-clearly the inhabitants had fled at the mere rumour of their advance.
-
-About eight o'clock they came in sight of a large country-house, lying
-back from the road in extensive grounds. The aspect of it, and an
-armoured motor-car standing at the gates, caused them to draw up within
-the cover of the trees bordering the road. The gates were broken,
-there were gaps in the wall, and one side of the house was damaged by
-shells.
-
-"We had better go back a little, and cut across the fields," said
-Pariset. "That car is probably German; there may be Germans inside.
-It would be risky to pass the house."
-
-"Perhaps it's a Belgian car," Kenneth suggested. "I'm inclined to wait
-until we know. We have hopelessly lost our way."
-
-"Look out!" said Pariset.
-
-Two men in German uniform had descended on the far side of the car, and
-begun to walk up and down in front of the gates, in the manner of men
-stretching their legs after long waiting. Pariset and Kenneth drew
-farther back, behind a clump of trees, dismounted, and watched.
-
-In a few minutes they heard the characteristic clatter of a motor
-bicycle. From beyond the house a cyclist in uniform dashed up at full
-speed; he halted at the gates, dismounted, and exchanging a word with
-the waiting men walked up the drive and entered the house. Soon he
-reappeared, with a German officer and a civilian. These entered the
-motor-car with the two men, and drove away in the direction from which
-the cyclist had come. He remounted and rode after them. An old man
-had tottered after the Germans; he closed the gates, or what remained
-of them; then, after watching the vehicles out of sight, he returned to
-the house, stepping much more briskly than when he came from it.
-
-"He's glad to see the backs of them; a Belgian, without doubt," said
-Kenneth. "Let us go and ask him the way."
-
-"I'll go; you remain with the horses," said Pariset.
-
-Looking along the road to make sure that no enemy was in sight, Pariset
-hurried to the gates, walked up the drive, and rang the bell at the
-front door. It was only after ringing twice that his summons was
-answered. The door opened; the bent old man, white of hair and beard,
-rubbed his hands nervously together as he stood on the threshold.
-
-"Good morning!" said Pariset in French. "You don't speak German?"
-
-"Alas, we Belgians are backward in many things," replied the man in
-French with a provincial accent and in quavering tones. "What can I do
-for you?"
-
-"First, tell me where I am, where does the road lead to?"
-
-"By Hamoir to Liége."
-
-"Who were the party who left just now?"
-
-"Officers of your own army": he glanced at the Uhlan uniform.
-
-"And the cyclist?"
-
-"A despatch rider, I think." Then, in the same trembling uncertain
-voice of an old man, he went on in English: "He was a glue merchant in
-the Minories six months ago--Ernst Lilienthal & Co., 2nd floor: mind
-the lift! And if I were you, Herr Pariset, I should wear that tureen"
-(pointing to the Uhlan helmet) "a trifle more upright, and your
-shoulder strap a little more aslant, when you meet more Germans than
-you care to tackle single-handed."
-
-At the first words of English Pariset stared; then he smiled; before
-the seeming old man had concluded Pariset grasped his hand.
-
-"Mr. Granger! Your disguise is complete, wonderful."
-
-"My dear sir!" said Granger deprecatingly. "But come inside. I want
-news of our friend Amory."
-
-"He is only a few yards away. I'll fetch him; he is in Uhlan uniform,
-like me. Is it safe?"
-
-"A little more than safe, I hope," said Granger with a smile. "We have
-some few hours to spare; not too many, perhaps. You have horses?"
-
-"Yes."
-
-"Tether them behind that shrubbery yonder. I don't recommend the
-stables. Bring Amory straight into the house."
-
-Pariset hastened back to the spot where he had left Kenneth.
-
-"Come along!" he said. "I have discovered a friend."
-
-"That's capital!" said Kenneth. "Is he an old friend?"
-
-"Not exactly an old friend. It is that old man you saw come to the
-gate. I have only known him a few days--since I met you, in fact."
-
-"That's odd," said Kenneth, puzzled. "We have been together
-practically every minute since we met, and I wasn't aware you had made
-a new acquaintance of any old man except that farmer and his friend the
-miller."
-
-"What is odder is that he asked after you."
-
-"Really! Who is he?"
-
-"Come and see. You'll be glad to meet him."
-
-"Hang your mystifications!"
-
-"Not mine. But there he is at the door. Those fellows, by the way,
-who went off in the automobile were Germans, but the old man assured me
-it is quite safe to accept his invitation."
-
-While speaking they had led their horses to the house. They tied them
-up in a thick shrubbery behind the lawn, and went up the steps to the
-front door.
-
-"How do you do, Amory?" said Granger in his natural voice, holding out
-his hand.
-
-"By George!" gasped Kenneth. "A splendid get-up; I shouldn't have
-known you. What a Proteus you are!"
-
-"Without his prophetic gifts, or I should have expected you. Come in:
-I have some interesting news for you."
-
-"But what----"
-
-"What am I?" Granger interposed. "I am an old family servant who, like
-the domestic cat, stuck to the old place after the family had left. I
-am caretaker, *pro tem.*--and the time will be very short, I fancy. We
-will bar the door; I am very vigilant. Now I am at your service."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVII--A BARMECIDE FEAST
-===============================
-
-Granger laughed when Kenneth related the incidents of the past
-twenty-four hours.
-
-"You are uncommonly lucky young daredevils," he said. "To the best of
-my knowledge Proteus, for all his quick changes, had only one life; you
-seem to have several apiece. The only pity is that you couldn't enjoy
-the triumph that would have attended your marching of the prisoners
-into camp."
-
-"Yes, I should have liked that," said Kenneth. "But what are you doing
-here? What is your game? Your disguise is perfect, upon my word!"
-
-"I will tell you--in confidence," he replied with a sly look. "From
-information received I arrived here yesterday afternoon. As you see,
-the amiable Teutons have left their mark on the house. My informant
-had led me to expect that it would be visited by certain German
-gentlemen. Sure enough, late last night an armoured car honked at the
-door, and when I lifted the bar with my fumbling fingers, there entered
-an officer and a civilian. A sergeant and three privates remained
-outside until the major ordered them in to search the house. The
-civilian was clearly a man of some importance, judging by the
-deference--somewhat strange among Germans--paid to him by the soldier
-occupants of the car. He went by the name of Brinckmann, but as an
-ornament of society in Cologne, and occasionally I believe in London
-also, he was known as Kurt Hellwig."
-
-"By George!" exclaimed Kenneth.
-
-"I thought I should interest you."
-
-"The cur!"
-
-"Hush, my dear fellow! Hellwig enjoys imperial favour. He boasted of
-a particularly cordial interview with the War Lord, who appears to take
-a close personal interest in underground operations. Well, the major
-and Hellwig dined together--if the scratch meal that my trembling hands
-prepared for them could be called a dinner. They had to be content
-with inferior wine: thirsty compatriots of theirs had consumed the
-best. I waited at table: in our--profession, we play many parts. They
-were expecting a visit from a high-placed officer this morning; that
-was the item in my original information that led me to impersonate the
-aged servitor, sans teeth, sans eyes--you know the quotation. As a
-Belgian peasant, speaking French only villainously, I could not be
-expected to understand the language of these lords of the world. They
-conversed quite freely, and confirmed my informant in every particular.
-I hoped to hear more this morning, but unluckily Fate has robbed me of
-the opportunity. A despatch rider came up a little while ago on one of
-those noisy mechanical monstrosities that have ousted the thoroughbred
-of former days."
-
-"Oh, come now! The motor cycle is much more useful than the horse,"
-Kenneth interrupted.
-
-"Especially when a tyre bursts, a nut falls off, or the gearing goes
-wrong! However, it appeared that the appointment was cancelled. The
-high officer would not come here, but summoned my gentlemen to meet him
-at Marche, some fifteen miles west."
-
-"They have advanced as far as that, then?" said Pariset ruefully.
-
-"They are on the way to Paris, my dear sir," said Granger. "They have,
-I understand, given rendezvous there for the 26th of this month. Their
-confidence is, perhaps, a little ahead of their capacity. But your
-unexpected arrival--we cannot know everything!--is very welcome. I
-seem to see that by this happy chance my time may not be wholly wasted.
-You will make very good Uhlans when I have touched you up a little."
-
-"What do you mean?" asked Kenneth.
-
-"Hellwig said, on leaving, that he and his friends would return about
-midday. In his pleasant way he threatened to burn the house over my
-head if I did not prepare a better dejeuner than the dinner he suffered
-last night. Imagine my agitation! What a calamity! How should I meet
-my master when he returns? My hands shook so violently that I began to
-be afraid of overdoing my part! ... But now, gentlemen, for Herr
-Hellwig's dejeuner. I can count on your assistance. He will need a
-good digestion!"
-
-"You mean to tackle them?" asked Pariset.
-
-"I don't want to be unfair to either party--to take you at the Germans'
-valuation, or to rate them too low. Suppose I stand aside; there will
-then be two against two."
-
-"But there are four others," said Kenneth.
-
-"Who being of inferior clay are not allowed to contaminate the air for
-their betters. They remain outside. Last night they took turns at
-sentry-go in the rain in front of the house, and when not on duty dozed
-in the car."
-
-"They may bring others back with them," suggested Pariset.
-
-"They will not, if I know my Hellwig," answered Granger. "Of course we
-are wofully outnumbered if they all take a hand, to say nothing of the
-machine gun. The sound of that would probably bring down upon us a
-swarm of gentle Germans."
-
-"Are they so near?" asked Kenneth.
-
-"I tottered through a large camp of them a couple of miles to the
-north, and this morning I saw from the upper windows troops moving
-along a road within a mile and a half to the west."
-
-"Then we should have tumbled right into the camp if we had gone on,"
-said Kenneth.
-
-"I think better of you than that! But you see that we must keep the
-machine gun quiet at all costs. A revolver shot would be safe,
-perhaps; but if we can avoid that, too, so much the better. Now I
-really must go and make my perquisitions. Last night I cooked some
-new-killed beef they brought with them; to-day they expect something
-more choice. I must scour the neighbourhood. There will be plenty of
-time, I think; if they should return before I do, I must leave you to
-exercise the same resourcefulness as has defied the superman hitherto.
-They may search the house as they did last night. As a precaution, I
-suggest that you take refuge in the garden during my absence. The
-shrubberies are excellent."
-
-"Can you give us something to eat?" said Kenneth. "We are famished."
-
-"Unhappily they cleared the board this morning, leaving me nothing but
-the crumbs. But I will be as quick as possible. You shall breakfast
-royally."
-
-He left them. Instead of adopting his suggestion they went to the top
-of the house and watched the long defile of German troops on the
-western road. They would hear or see the returning car in good time to
-make their escape by the back door.
-
-Within an hour Granger returned, with a couple of fowls, a duck, and
-other comestibles purchased at high prices from the few peasants in the
-neighbouring village whom the approach of the Germans had not scared
-away. Among his many accomplishments was a considerable skill in
-cooking. He roasted the duck and one of the fowls, prepared bread
-sauce and apple, boiled potatoes to a nice point of flouriness, turned
-out Brussels sprouts dry and crisp.
-
-"Now we will make a start," he said. "I can always work better if I am
-well fed, and you, I am sure, are very sharpset."
-
-"We are indeed," said Kenneth. "But what about the Germans?"
-
-"There will be at least a smell of cooking when they arrive. The
-pleasures of hope are keener than the pleasures of memory, I believe.
-While you eat, I will talk. What I say may aid your digestion; but you
-must exercise your own united judgment. When you have finished, I
-suggest that you rest until they come; they are not soft-tongued, and
-if you fall asleep their entrance will waken you. There are excellent
-divans in the smoking-room on the other side of that curtain."
-
-During the meal Granger outlined the plan which their arrival had
-suggested. It was audacious enough, but, as he remarked with a smile,
-they had had some training for important parts. When there was nothing
-left of the poultry but the bones, they went into the smoking-room and
-threw themselves on two luxurious divans upholstered in saddle bags.
-Granger cleared away, and placed clean plates and cutlery on the table.
-
-Fatigued though they were, excitement kept them awake. Soon after one
-they heard the car approaching. It drew up at the gates, which were
-closed, and the soldier-chauffeur sounded his horn, while two of his
-comrades alighted and pushed the gates open. Granger, after glancing
-into the smoking-room, hastened to the front door, which he opened,
-once more a frail old servingman, as Hellwig and the major, followed by
-the sergeant, with two bottles of wine, came up the steps.
-
-"Poultry--or game!" exclaimed Hellwig, sniffing appreciatively as he
-entered.
-
-"That is well; I am ravenous," said the officer. "At any rate we shall
-not be poisoned to-day by the old man's vinegar.... Lay those bottles
-down," he added, addressing the sergeant, "then go out. You and the
-men shall have what is left from our meal."
-
-The sergeant saluted and went out. Hellwig and the officer drew chairs
-to the table and seated themselves.
-
-"Make haste!" Hellwig called in French through the open door towards
-the kitchen. "Stir your stumps, old man."
-
-Granger came shuffling into the room, bent of back, nervously clasping
-his hands.
-
-"Where is the dejeuner?" cried Hellwig. "Why have you come
-empty-handed? What do you mean by keeping us waiting?"
-
-"Pardon, monsieur," faltered Granger. "I must beg messieurs to excuse
-me."
-
-"Excuses! What do you mean, old fool?"
-
-Granger's hands trembled more violently than ever. In his thin
-quavering voice he stammered:
-
-"Pardon, monsieur; I am an old bird. Just before messieurs returned,
-parbleu! there came two cavalrymen, Uhlans, it seems, with a hunger of
-wolves. I explained as well as I could that the dejeuner was being
-prepared for two noble officers, but----"
-
-"Well?" cried Hellwig, as the speaker paused.
-
-"Pardon, monsieur; but they--they have eaten it all up."
-
-"Sapperment! Where are those Uhlans?" roared Hellwig, half rising.
-
-"They are here, monsieur. Hola!"
-
-Kenneth and Pariset drew the curtain aside, and stepped into the room.
-Each held a revolver behind his back.
-
-"What kind of behaviour is this?" growled the major. "Salute, pigs!"
-
-Instead of the expected salute, the Germans saw two steady right hands
-pointing revolvers at their heads.
-
-"Merely a little joke, major," said Kenneth quietly: "a little
-play-acting. You and your friend shall be in the cast. You shall
-pretend to be prisoners."
-
-The major swelled with astonishment and rage. Hellwig, who had fixed
-his eyes on Kenneth, changed colour, and made a sudden grab for his
-revolver. But a peremptory voice from behind his chair caused him to
-sink back and slowly turn his amazed eyes.
-
-"Hands up!"
-
-The old servingman had suddenly become straight. His hands no longer
-trembled, his voice had lost its quaver. Covered by two revolvers,
-taken aback by the suddenness of surprise, the Germans were paralysed
-for a few moments. The major recovered himself first, and was opening
-his mouth to shout when Granger deftly slipped a table napkin between
-his teeth, drew it tight, and knotted it behind. From under the table
-he lifted several short pieces of cord, and in two minutes the
-infuriated officer was firmly bound to his chair.
-
-Hellwig, meanwhile, whose face was the colour of the soldier's uniform,
-had sat limply watching Granger's quick and dexterous movements. He
-was dealt with in his turn.
-
-"Call the sergeant in," said Granger to Kenneth.
-
-The man came at the summons, found himself looking down the muzzles of
-two revolvers as he entered at the door, and was soon sitting between
-the others, the third guest at an empty board.
-
-The distant sound of trotting horses drew the captors hurriedly to the
-window, and brought a gleam of hope into the captives' eyes.
-
-"Cavalry, by all the powers!" Granger ejaculated, glancing up the road.
-"They are sure to visit the house. We have three men still to deal
-with, and three minutes for the job. The bold simple course, Amory!
-You must tackle them. Saunter out, don't hurry."
-
-Kenneth, followed by Pariset, walked slowly towards the waiting car.
-The three men in it stared in surprise.
-
-"We arrived this morning," said Kenneth in an easy tone to the
-chauffeur, "and ate the Herr Major's lunch--by mistake."
-
-The men guffawed; the German soldier does not love his officers. This
-was a good joke.
-
-"That's a nice little toy you have there," Kenneth went on, pointing to
-the machine gun. He stepped quickly into the car to look at it.
-
-"It is forbidden," said the chauffeur, with an uneasy glance at the
-window. "Only the crew are allowed in the car."
-
-"Yes, yes, one understands. Just a minute!"
-
-Before the men could make up their minds to turn him out he had swung
-round the machine gun to cover them.
-
-"Hands up!" he cried.
-
-They laughed, thinking it a practical joke, until they saw Pariset
-covering them with his revolver.
-
-"Hands up!" he repeated, imitating Kenneth's accent as well as he could.
-
-But they recognised now that he was a foreigner, and seeing at this
-moment Granger dragging the helpless form of the important Herr
-Brinckmann down the steps they surrendered.
-
-"Get down, and don't stir a step for your lives," Kenneth commanded.
-"Drop your arms."
-
-Pariset kept guard over them while Granger bundled Hellwig into the car
-and Kenneth started the engine.
-
-"I didn't like to leave Brinckmann behind," explained Granger smoothly
-as he squeezed himself into the seat beside Hellwig. "We are just in
-time."
-
-Just as the helmets of the approaching troopers showed above the park
-wall a furlong away, Kenneth sprang after Pariset into the car, and let
-in the clutch. The car moved forward, swung round into the drive,
-shaved the gatepost, and sped northward down the road.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVIII--RUNNING THE GAUNTLET
-===================================
-
-The sound of the starting car brought two of the troopers up at a
-gallop. The sight of the Uhlan helmets did not at first inspire them
-with distrust, but merely with curiosity that Uhlans should have been
-employed in unusual work. The three men left in front of the house,
-however, came running to the gates, shouting somewhat incoherently.
-The words "Spionen!" and "Belgen!" were distinguishable. Their cries
-were taken up by the troopers, and vociferated to their comrades riding
-leisurely along. At the prospect of a spy hunt they pricked their
-horses to a gallop, and set off in chase of the car, now almost out of
-sight.
-
-"The German camp is in this direction, you told us?" said Kenneth to
-Granger.
-
-"Yes; there is a by-road just before we reach it. The enemy are not
-likely to be coming towards us."
-
-The road was heavy and deeply rutted from the recent passage of
-cumbrous transport wagons and artillery. Kenneth found the
-acceleration of the car slow, and in any case the weight of the armour
-with which its vital parts were protected would have rendered it
-incapable of high speed. For a time the horsemen appeared to gain on
-it, and Pariset, who had taken charge of the machine gun, swung it
-round to cover the rear, ready to open fire if they drew too near.
-
-"Don't fire if you can help it," Granger said. "It would be a pity to
-disturb the camp ahead."
-
-After a few minutes the car began to draw away. Pariset saw one of the
-troopers rein up, and expected him to fire over the holster of his
-saddle. But the man dismounted, and just as the car swung out of sight
-at a bend of the road, he was clambering up a telegraph pole. Pariset
-hurriedly informed his friends.
-
-"We must stop and cut the wires," said Kenneth, jamming on the brakes.
-
-Lifting the lid of the tool box, he seized a pair of nippers.
-
-"Evidently meant for the job," he said.
-
-"Give them to me," cried Granger. "You stick to the car."
-
-He sprang out, and swarmed up the nearest pole with an agility
-surprising in a man of his venerable aspect. Before he was half way
-up, however, the head of the column rounded the corner.
-
-"There's no help for it," said Pariset. "Here goes!"
-
-Next moment there was a sharp metallic crack. The car trembled.
-
-"Three horses down!" cried Pariset. "The rest are swinging in to the
-side of the road. If Granger is quick--ah! he has done it. They are
-not coming on again yet."
-
-Granger slid down the pole, jumped into the car, and again they were
-off.
-
-"We shall have to cut it again in another mile or so," said Pariset.
-
-"If we don't meet the enemy before then," rejoined Granger. "Or we can
-pretend we are chased by Belgians and dash through."
-
-But in less than a mile they found that the wires left the road and ran
-across country.
-
-"We can't navigate fields of stubble," said Kenneth. "The only thing
-to be done is to go ahead at full speed, and trust to luck. Let's hope
-that before any message they send can take effect we shall have reached
-that by-road. Where does it lead to?"
-
-"To Durbuy, I think," said Granger. "There's a bridge across the
-Ourthe. The Germans may be there; they move so confoundedly fast; but
-that's our only chance of reaching the Belgian lines."
-
-In a few minutes they reached the by-road to the left. It was narrow,
-but, to Kenneth's joy, not so deeply rutted as the main road. He was
-getting the utmost out of the car, which thundered along at forty miles
-an hour, the engine knocking furiously whenever it was called upon to
-breast an incline.
-
-For some distance they neither met nor passed any traffic. When at
-last they overtook an empty farm cart, the driver had barely time or
-space to draw into the side to avoid them. A few yards further on in
-rounding a curve Kenneth saw a heavy motor transport wagon ahead, going
-in the same direction. At the sound of the horn the driver looked
-round, and seeing the armoured car manned apparently by Uhlans he drew
-in hastily to the bank, no doubt supposing that it was engaged in
-urgent work. Kenneth slowed down slightly to avoid a collision,
-scraped past, then raced on as before.
-
-In less than half a minute afterwards he gave a cry of dismay. At the
-foot of a short hill two heavily laden carts were drawn full across the
-road. Kenneth jammed on the brakes, foot and hand; Granger, rendered
-suspicious by the position of the carts and the absence of horses,
-stood up and in a moment shouted to Pariset, his voice rising above the
-groaning and shrieking of the mechanism.
-
-"Germans in bushes!"
-
-Pariset had seen them almost as soon as Granger. Before the car had
-come to a standstill within a dozen yards of the obstruction, the
-machine gun began to spit bullets in reply to the fusillade that
-rattled on the armoured sides of the car and the shield of the gun. A
-few seconds of brisk firing; then the deadly hail from the machine gun
-crashing through the foliage into the ranks of the ambuscaders made
-their position hopelessly untenable, and a remnant of the Horse
-Grenadiers who had lain in hiding there fled helter skelter over the
-adjacent fields.
-
-The three men sprang out of the car, and tried to drag the carts out of
-the way. They failed to move them, and Granger discovered that they
-were chained together.
-
-"A hammer!" he cried.
-
-But the hammer snatched from the toolbox proved useless. The links of
-the chain had been flattened by some heavy instrument. After repeated
-blows it was evident that the chain was unbreakable.
-
-"What on earth is to be done?" cried Kenneth, looking helplessly at the
-carts, while Pariset and Granger kept on the watch for any sign of the
-enemy returning. A shot from the machine gun would probably be
-ineffective, even at short range; the bullet would hardly dent the
-chain, much less shatter it and release the carts.
-
-At this critical moment the transport wagon which they had passed some
-way back appeared on the crest of the hill behind them, and sounded its
-horn. Kenneth had a flash of inspiration.
-
-"Look out for the Grenadiers, Remi," he cried. "There's no sign of
-them, but they may come back. If they do, turn the gun on to them."
-
-"What are you going to do?" shouted Pariset, as Kenneth ran up the
-incline towards the halted wagon.
-
-"Commandeer the wagon for a battering ram. There's apparently no
-escort. Back the car well away to the right."
-
-Reaching the wagon, he said to the driver:
-
-"The rascally enemy has blocked the road, as you see. The carts there
-are chained together. Get out, quickly!"
-
-The three infantrymen in the wagon were obviously amazed, not so much
-at being ordered about by a Uhlan, as at the apparent purposelessness
-of the command. They got out, however, and were still more astonished
-when the masterful Uhlan mounted into their place, and after a glance
-at the car below, released the brakes, let in the clutch, and sent the
-wagon lumbering down the hill. For a few seconds, while the vehicle
-was gathering speed, Kenneth steered straight; then, turning the wheel
-so as to give a slight tendency to the left, he sprang off, fell
-sprawling, jumped up and ran after the wagon, watching its course
-eagerly.
-
-On it thundered, every moment faster. Would it reach the foot of the
-hill, or swerve into the bank on the left? On, and on--and then, at a
-speed of twenty miles an hour, it struck the left-hand cart with a
-terrific crash, and threw both cart and itself in a pile of wreckage up
-the bank and into the field beyond. The chain connecting the carts had
-snapped like rotten cord.
-
-.. _`CLEARING THE ROAD`:
-
-.. figure:: images/img-221.jpg
- :align: center
- :alt: CLEARING THE ROAD
-
- CLEARING THE ROAD
-
-
-"Bravo!" shouted the two men waiting beside the motor-car.
-
-Rushing forward, they helped Kenneth to draw the released cart to one
-side, leaving a clear space between it and the wreckage. Then they
-leapt into the car, waved their hands to the astonished motormen above,
-and started forward towards Durbuy and safety.
-
-"We are all right now--unless the Germans are in greater force than I
-believe," said Granger, taking a map from his pocket. "If we can cross
-the river at Durbuy, we can run due west to Dinant, where we shall
-probably find the Belgian, or maybe the French lines. Then we can
-swing northwards, and get to headquarters somewhere between Tirlemont
-and Brussels."
-
-A run of a few miles brought them within sight of the river winding
-away to the east, and the little town--a mere village in point of
-size--of Durbuy. But here they perceived with dismay that the course
-they had planned was not feasible. Along the road between Barvaux and
-Durbuy a large German force was on the march. Their leading companies
-were already crossing the quaint old bridge, covered by troops of
-Hussars on both banks.
-
-"Pull up," said Granger. "We shall have to go back and make a round.
-News of us has no doubt been flashed by this time to every German force
-in the neighbourhood."
-
-Kenneth was backing the car when Granger noticed signs of movement
-among the cavalry on the near bank. A squadron formed up, faced
-towards the slight hill, and started at a canter in the direction of
-the car.
-
-"There's no time to lose," cried Granger. "Reverse and turn round."
-
-But at that moment Kenneth observed, just ahead, a narrow road running
-east for a few yards, then curving to the north.
-
-"Better try and cut across them," he said. "If we go back we may run
-into another lot and be caught between two fires."
-
-"Very well. The road isn't marked on my map, but we'll chance it."
-
-Kenneth had already brought the gear lever from reverse to first. He
-let in the clutch; the car started forward again, and before the
-advancing horsemen were half way up the hill the fugitives swung round
-into the by-road. When the Hussars reached the turning the car was two
-or three hundred yards ahead and rounding the curve.
-
-"I'm afraid we've done for ourselves," said Kenneth ruefully. "The
-road is awful."
-
-It was indeed scarred with deep ruts, almost like the furrows in a
-ploughed field, and thick with mud from the recent rain. The car
-swayed violently, jumping in and out of the ruts. In spite of its
-powerful build, Kenneth doubted whether the axles and springs would
-stand the strain. The wheels, moreover, sank so deep into the mud that
-the speed of the car fell away to what seemed to the occupants little
-more than a crawl.
-
-The Hussars were galloping hotly after them. Some were deploying
-across the open fields on both sides of the road, to gain time at the
-windings of the latter. The distance between car and horsemen was
-steadily lessening; it seemed that for once muscle was about to conquer
-mechanism.
-
-Kenneth was wholly occupied with the steering of the car. Pariset kept
-his eyes fixed on the pursuers. They were about fifty in number, at a
-distance no match for the machine gun, but if they were allowed to
-close up, especially if they got ahead, the occupants of the car would
-be at their mercy in the event of any sudden check. He watched for a
-favourable moment for bringing the gun into play.
-
-After innumerable short windings the road ran straight for a
-considerable distance. The leading horsemen, now within a hundred
-yards of the car, began to fire as they rode. Pariset instantly
-replied, working the gun in a long arc from left to right. It was not
-for nothing that the German staff had made the machine gun one of the
-predominant features of their armament. Under the pitiless hail of
-bullets horses and men went down like grass under the scythe. The
-Hussars behind slowed down, allowing the car to increase its lead, but
-still keeping it in view, hoping no doubt that an accident, an
-obstacle, a piece of clumsy steering, would bring its career to an end.
-They might then close upon it and surround it without having to face
-that terrible machine gun again. Pariset, for his part, anxious not to
-attract the attention of any enemies who might be ahead, ceased fire as
-soon as the pursuit slackened.
-
-Their direction was towards Liége. Now and then they caught sight of
-the Ourthe, winding below them on their left, but there was no sign of
-a bridge. Mile after mile passed. The road was a continual up and
-down; on each side was a variegated landscape of meadows, richly wooded
-slopes and frowning cliffs. The sight of the railway crossing the
-river reminded Kenneth that they were approaching the scene of their
-exploit; but Pariset had no eyes for anything but the helmets of the
-Uhlans bobbing up and down on the road far behind.
-
-Presently they dashed past a battalion of infantry marching in the same
-direction. The men all looked dead tired, and took little or no notice
-of the car as it passed at increased speed. A few minutes later they
-skirted the chateau of Hamoir, then ascended a steep hill, the engine
-knocking alarmingly, and rushing through the village of Louveigne
-suddenly came in sight of an immense military encampment. Far to left
-and right of the road stretched the lines of the Germans encircling
-Liége. Tents, carts, caissons, batteries of artillery, men on horse
-and on foot extended as far as the eye could reach.
-
-But there was no sign of active operations. Troops were drilling on
-open spaces, practising the ridiculous goose-step; men off duty were
-strolling about. Smoke ascended from innumerable travelling kitchens.
-Horsemen were riding this way and that: a motor cyclist was dashing
-away to the east.
-
-When this spectacle flashed upon the view, Kenneth slowed down. His
-face was pale.
-
-"Push through and trust to luck?" he said to Granger at his side.
-
-"There's nothing else for it, with pursuers hot on our track," replied
-Granger. "Speed about ten miles, but be ready to let her out."
-
-They went on. Curious glances were thrown at them by troops of cavalry
-off-saddled by the roadside. Uhlans in an armoured car! They must be
-on special service. With his heart in his mouth Kenneth followed the
-road for a full mile through the lines. The country became clearer of
-men as they proceeded, but as Kenneth was again increasing speed he
-noticed a strong force of infantry posted ahead of them at some
-distance to the right of the road.
-
-"They are supports," said Pariset. "We shall find a battery ahead."
-
-In less than two miles they came to a number of ammunition and
-transport wagons, parked in the rear of a battery of six guns. A
-patrol on the road signalled to them to halt. Kenneth pulled up, but
-before the sergeant could address him, he asked urgently:
-
-"Where is the commandant? Quick! I haven't a minute to lose."
-
-The man pointed to a spot about half a mile in front. Kenneth, without
-waiting for more, opened out, and the car quickly gained speed.
-
-"It's touch and go now," he said, almost in a whisper.
-
-"The guns are unlimbered for action," said Pariset. "If we pass
-they'll know we are enemies."
-
-"Nothing else for it," replied Kenneth, setting his teeth. "We must
-trust to our speed. Keep a look-out, Granger."
-
-Thenceforth he concentrated all his attention upon the car. It sped
-on, crossed a small bridge over a rivulet, and swept up a short hill on
-the near side of which six guns were emplaced.
-
-"Eight inchers," murmured Granger. He had his eye fixed on the officer
-who had been pointed out as the commandant, and who, at this moment,
-was listening at the receiver of a field telephone. As the car
-approached he dropped the receiver and gave an order. The soldier next
-him ran towards the guns, shouting to the artillerymen, who appeared to
-be laying their weapons.
-
-"The game is up!" said Granger. "He's had word of us. Press her,
-Amory."
-
-Kenneth opened the throttle to the utmost, and the car leapt forward
-like a living thing. It dashed past the commandant, past the group of
-gunners, topped the rise, and thundered down the slope beyond. A few
-revolver shots rattled on the armour.
-
-"We're safe for a little, while they alter the range," said Granger,
-assuring himself at a glance that no one had been hit.
-
-The car was now running at a furious pace, the road having recently
-been repaired, no doubt for the easier passage of the guns. Kenneth
-knew that he was directly in the line of fire of the battery. On his
-left wound the Ourthe, with the railway almost parallel with it beyond;
-and as the car rushed between two clumps of woodland Pariset called
-over his shoulder that he had just caught sight of Fort de Boncelles,
-two or three miles to the west, and Fort d'Embourg a little nearer to
-the east.
-
-"Which shall we make for?" gasped Kenneth.
-
-"Boncelles," replied Granger. "It is nearer the French lines. We can
-cross by the iron bridge just below Tilff."
-
-On they went. Second after second passed; a minute, two minutes. They
-swept round to the left towards the bridge. There was still no shot
-from the guns.
-
-"They were trained on Boncelles," said Granger. "We are too near them
-still."
-
-He had scarcely spoken when there was a moaning in the air, followed
-instantly by a roar and crash, and a thick cloud of black smoke sprang
-up some four hundred yards to the right. They all crouched low in the
-car, which dashed across the throbbing bridge at forty miles an hour.
-Another shell plunged into the river, a third struck the road a few
-yards behind them, as they entered the railway arch, bespattering them
-with earth. No sooner had they emerged on the other side than still
-another shell burst ahead of them, in the field beside the road. They
-all caught their breath: if it had fallen a few yards to the right, it
-would have dug a hole large enough to engulf the car.
-
-Shells now began to explode, as it seemed, all around them. The sky
-was darkened by the smoke, poisonous fumes almost choked them. Only
-the great speed of the car and the slight changes in its direction due
-to the windings of the road preserved them from annihilation. The
-thought that flashed through Pariset's mind was that if the Germans had
-used shrapnel instead of shell they must almost certainly have been
-destroyed, for he could not doubt that the whole battery was now
-playing upon them.
-
-With shells hurtling around at intervals of a few seconds Kenneth, so
-intent upon his work as to be scarcely conscious of them, steered the
-car up the road, taking the curves at a pace that would have made his
-hair stand on end at less critical times. It almost seemed that he and
-his companions had charmed lives. At moments, as the road wound, the
-fort came in sight beyond the ruined village--burnt by the Belgians to
-clear their line of fire. Would they reach it in safety? The nearer
-they approached it, the greater their danger. The gunners had the
-range of the fort; a shell falling short even by a few yards might
-strike the car at the very moment when escape seemed sure.
-
-"Only half a mile more!" Pariset said, in a hoarse whisper from his
-parched lips.
-
-Two seconds afterwards there was a stunning report and a blinding
-flash, apparently from beneath the car. It spun round and round like a
-teetotum, then fell over to one side with a crash.
-
-For a few moments the three men were too much shaken to move. In the
-consciousness of them all those moments were a blank. They lay on the
-roadside where they had been thrown, like dead men. Then they realised
-with a shock of surprise that they were alive. Pariset was up first.
-Before he had time to stagger to the others, Kenneth sprang to his
-feet. Granger moved more slowly, and when he too stood erect, it was
-seen that his false beard was gone.
-
-"I feel cold," he said, touching his chin, and smiling, though he was
-pale as death.
-
-They glanced at the car. The off front wheel had disappeared; the off
-hind wheel was buckled; the bonnet and radiator were a mass of twisted
-iron. It was a complete wreck.
-
-A shell bursting little more than a hundred yards away warned them to
-be gone, and they started to run towards the fort.
-
-"Hellwig!" exclaimed Kenneth suddenly.
-
-They ran back. The spy, the man whom the Kaiser delighted to honour,
-lay huddled in the bottom of the car, under the machine gun. It had
-broken his neck.
-
-"Poor devil!" murmured Granger.
-
-They turned hastily, and ran on silently, each thinking his own
-thoughts. Pariset was the least concerned at Hellwig's fate. To him
-Hellwig was merely a German and a spy, who had met with his deserts.
-Granger, whatever his private animus against Hellwig, could not but
-remember that they were members of one profession, who faced the same
-perils and might suffer the same end. Kenneth was the most deeply
-affected. He had disliked Hellwig, and had the average Englishman's
-contempt and hatred of spying. It was the one thing that alloyed his
-liking for Granger. But, as he said to Pariset afterwards:
-
-"If there must be spying, and I suppose there must, it is something to
-spy like a gentleman, and that I am sure Granger does."
-
-The three men came to the glacis. A roar startled them and made them
-duck instinctively. The fort had opened fire on the German battery.
-They raced up, past empty trenches, still followed by shell; but they
-now presented an inconspicuous mark to the gunners more than three
-miles distant. It was a long uphill climb, but they panted on towards
-the door of safety.
-
-Was it safety? Their way across the moat was barred by a group of
-Belgian engineers with rifles, amazed at the appearance of two men in
-Uhlan uniform. Pariset held up his hands.
-
-"Lieutenant Montoisy!" he shouted. "Is he here?"
-
-The men lowered their rifles and advanced. Pariset hastened to meet
-them.
-
-"We are friends," he said. "Tell Lieutenant Montoisy that Lieutenant
-Pariset is here."
-
-One of the men ran back. A shell burst on the wall some distance to
-the right.
-
-"Come inside, messieurs," said another of the men.
-
-And as they entered, Lieutenant Montoisy, the second in command, a
-begrimed haggard figure, met them.
-
-"Pariset!" he exclaimed. "You were in the car? Mon Dieu! You have
-had an escape! Come in: what is the meaning of it?"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIX--'A LONG, LONG WAY----'
-===================================
-
-No sooner had the fugitives entered the fort than Kenneth collapsed.
-The tension of the last two days, the terrific strain of controlling
-the armoured car, and the concussion of the final shock, had been too
-heavy a tax upon his nervous system. Pariset was in little better
-condition. Granger, an older man, of settled constitution, was less
-affected than the others, and he was able to assist the surgeon of the
-fort in tending upon his friends.
-
-Much to their surprise, the interior of the fort was quiet and
-peaceful. The German batteries had ceased fire, the fort guns were
-silent. Lieutenant Montoisy explained that during the past few days
-there had been no attack. The enemy's infantry, shattered by fire from
-the trenches in their frontal assaults, had retired. The bombardment
-had been feeble.
-
-"We can hold out for weeks," said the lieutenant.
-
-"Don't buoy yourself with false hopes," said Granger. "The Germans are
-only waiting until they bring up their great guns. There are several
-monsters of 42 centimetre calibre on their way. They will bring them
-through Liége; as soon as they can place them the fort will be shivered
-to atoms."
-
-"Bah! Our cupolas will stand anything. Besides, no one has ever heard
-of these great guns. They are probably a myth, invented to frighten
-us."
-
-"These gentlemen know better than that," Granger returned. "You had
-better tell what you saw, Amory."
-
-Kenneth related the incident near Erkelenz.
-
-"Unluckily we only destroyed the parts of one gun," he concluded. "The
-block on the road had evidently caused them to send on the others by
-another route."
-
-Lieutenant Montoisy was still sceptical of the effect these guns could
-produce. He led the three men round the fort. It was triangular in
-shape, with guns in disappearing turrets at each corner. In the centre
-was a steel turret armed with two 6-inch howitzers, enclosed in a
-square with four similar turrets carrying 5-inch quick-firing guns.
-The turrets were embedded in a solid block of concrete, and here and
-there were machine guns and searchlight apparatus. The heaviest guns
-were mounted on a steel cupola, capable of being raised and lowered.
-Impressed by the immense strength of the defences, the Englishmen began
-to share Montoisy's confidence in their power to withstand bombardment
-even by the heaviest artillery.
-
-"Why aren't our men in the trenches?" asked Pariset.
-
-"They were ordered to withdraw several days ago," replied Montoisy.
-"You see, we had only 40,000 men to defend a circuit of thirty-three
-miles--impossible against a quarter of a million Germans. But we have
-taught them a lesson. We have cut whole regiments to pieces. Our
-gallant Garde Civique made a bayonet charge the other day that sent
-them helter-skelter just beyond Boncelles yonder. No one will ever
-again regard the bosches as invincible."
-
-Bit by bit he drew from Pariset the story of his adventures, and when
-it spread among the garrison, the two young men found themselves
-regarded as heroes by all, from the commandant downwards.
-
-Their future movements were discussed. It was decided that they should
-remain in the fort for a few days until they had recovered their
-strength, and then make their way westward if possible to the Belgian
-lines. Granger determined to leave at once. Expert in disguises, he
-transformed himself into a Belgian peasant, and waited for nightfall to
-steal away towards Liége.
-
-"We may meet again; we may not," he said, as he shook hands. "I hope
-we may. It will be a long war. We shall win. And if we three lose
-our lives--well, who was it said that death is the portal to the life
-Elysian? But I won't moralise. We'll stick it out. Good-bye!" and
-smiling serenely he went out into the night.
-
-Pariset was eager to know what was happening in other parts of the vast
-battlefield, and in particular whether anything had been heard of
-General Leman. Montoisy explained that, the telephone communications
-having recently been smashed, the fort was cut off as completely as if
-it were a desolate island in the midst of an ocean.
-
-Next evening, about six o'clock, two shrapnel shells burst harmlessly
-over the fort. A few minutes later an acute buzzing was heard in the
-air, then there was a thunderous roar, the whole place trembled, and
-the outer slope of the fort was smothered in a cloud of stones, dust,
-and black smoke. Montoisy looked grave, and hurried to the arcade
-under which the commandant was sheltering. As he stood talking with
-him, a shell which, judging from its size, weighed nearly a ton burst
-near by, bringing down a shower of shattered masonry, and wounding the
-commandant.
-
-"Close the cupola," he signalled. "Every man take shelter."
-
-Montoisy tried in vain to locate the enormous guns which had started on
-their fell work. They could not be seen. To fire at them was
-impossible. That they had so soon been got into position seemed to
-show that their concrete emplacements had been prepared long before.
-
-For two hours the helpless garrison crouched in their shelters, hearing
-the roar of the guns, the crashing of masonry and the splintering of
-steel, almost choked by the noisome gases emitted by the bursting
-shells. The smashing of the dynamo plunged them into pitch darkness;
-and all the while, outside, the western sky glowed with the rich hues
-of a peaceful sunset.
-
-At eight o'clock the bombardment ceased, and the Belgians, venturing
-forth from their subterranean lairs, looked out upon a scene of
-devastation. The slopes and counterslopes were a chaos of rubbish: it
-was as if an earthquake had shaken the foundations of the globe. Great
-chasms yawned; tongues of flame shot up from where one of the cupolas
-had been; shapeless shreds of armour plate lay amid jagged masses of
-masonry and heaps of stones. No trace of the guns was to be seen.
-
-Far down the slope two German officers were advancing under a white
-flag. Coming within hailing distance they called on the garrison to
-surrender.
-
-"You have seen what our guns can do," said one of them in French. "You
-have been struck by 278 shells; you cannot reply; and we have still
-more colossal guns in reserve. Surrender, or you will be annihilated."
-
-The commandant, wounded as he was, half choked by the foul gases that
-still clung about the place, stepped forward and gave his answer.
-
-"Honour forbids us to surrender: we shall resist to the end."
-
-The garrison waved their caps and cheered. A nation whose stricken
-soldiers showed such a spirit could never be quelled, thought Kenneth.
-The Germans laughed and withdrew. In half an hour the bombardment
-recommenced, this time from two directions. The men in their galleries
-listened helplessly to the destruction of their world.
-
-Darkness fell, and except for an occasional shot the bombardment
-ceased. The commandant sent for Pariset.
-
-"It is useless," he said wearily. "Their shells will pierce the
-galleries to-morrow. One of my men has already had his hand blown off;
-others are seriously wounded. To-night I shall flood the magazines and
-break all the rifles and guns; in the morning I must surrender. But
-you and your friend are not of my garrison: there is work for you
-outside; why should you be carried prisoners to Germany? Slip out in
-the darkness. There are no infantry around the fort. I can provide
-you with civilian dress. It will be dangerous to attempt to get into
-Liége. Make for Seraing, cross the river there, and slip between the
-Flemalle and Hollogne forts towards Brussels. And tell General Wonters
-that we held out until resistance was hopeless."
-
-Towards midnight the two friends in peasant costume slipped out of the
-rear of the fort, and taking the stars as their guide trudged through
-the fields and woods and up the hill into the deserted streets of
-Seraing. The great iron-foundries were silent; no glare from the
-furnaces lit the sky.
-
-"Belgium is paying a heavy price," thought Kenneth.
-
-They crossed the silent bridge in the moonlight, crossed the Namur road
-and the railway beyond, and had just reached the road leading through
-Waremme and Louvain to Brussels when the sound of voices on their right
-caused them to shrink back behind a hedge. Peering out they saw a
-patrol of some twenty-five Uhlans riding past at a foot pace.
-
-"We shall have to go across the fields," whispered Pariset, when the
-horsemen had gone by. "We dare not pass them. This means a general
-advance to-morrow. The bosches lose no time."
-
-They struck across the fields to the south of their true course, and
-plodded on, more or less at a venture. Turning by and by into a lane,
-they almost collided with a cyclist, who, swerving to avoid them,
-skidded on the wet track, and fell to the ground. The sinking moon
-shed just enough light for them to distinguish a French uniform, and
-they ran forward to assist the fallen man, Pariset speaking to him in
-French.
-
-"Ah! You are French?" said the cyclist, springing to his feet and
-raising his bicycle.
-
-"Belgian and English, monsieur," Pariset answered. "You are a scout?"
-
-"Yes; a troop of Chasseurs are a mile or two south. Have you seen
-anything of the enemy?"
-
-"A number of Uhlans are riding up the Waremme road."
-
-"How many?"
-
-"Twenty-five or so."
-
-"Are they riding fast?"
-
-"No; at a walking pace."
-
-"Then we will capture them. I will ride on to the road and keep my eye
-on them. You hurry along the lane and tell our men to hurry. There is
-no time to be lost."
-
-Willing enough to do something, even at this last moment, for the
-common cause, Kenneth and Pariset hurried along the lane. In the
-course of a quarter of an hour they met the Chasseurs. Pariset gave
-the message, and on explaining that he was a Belgian officer and knew
-the country well was invited to mount behind the captain and act as
-guide. Kenneth sprang up behind a trooper, and they set off at a trot,
-riding across the fields in order not to be heard.
-
-Presently they heard, in the distance, a revolver shot. Immediately
-afterwards came the crack of carbines. Quickening their pace, they
-galloped in the direction of the sounds, expecting to find that the
-scout had been killed.
-
-At Pariset's instructions, they rode in a north-westerly direction, so
-as to strike the Waremme road some miles west of the spot where he and
-Kenneth had seen the Uhlans. The firing continued; the sound of the
-single revolver was clearly distinguishable from the reports of the
-carbines. Wondering what was happening, they came suddenly upon a
-remarkable scene.
-
-Dawn was stealing over the country. At a turn of the road, the cyclist
-was standing behind a tree, resting his revolver against the trunk. No
-one was in sight at the moment, but just as the Chasseurs, who had now
-reduced their pace to a walk, came up behind the cyclist, he fired his
-revolver at a Uhlan who had edged round the corner.
-
-The Chasseur captain took in the situation at a glance. Whispering to
-Pariset and Kenneth to get down, he gave his men the order to charge.
-With a wild cry they dashed forward, swept round the bend, and fell
-upon the Uhlans, grouped indecisively at the side of the road. There
-was a brisk fight, lasting half a minute. Ten of the Uhlans were
-killed or wounded, the rest flung down their arms and surrendered.
-
-"Many thanks, messieurs," the cyclist was saying to Pariset and
-Kenneth. "I was afraid they would not be up in time. But they are a
-timid lot, these bosches."
-
-It appeared that, not content with merely watching the Uhlans, he had
-conceived the bold notion of holding them up until the Chasseurs
-arrived.
-
-The Chasseurs returned with their prisoners towards their own lines.
-The captain had invited Pariset to accompany them, but Pariset decided,
-tired though he was, to continue his course towards Brussels. With
-Kenneth, he plodded along the road, and an hour later they were
-challenged by Belgian outposts at Waremme. They were too fatigued to
-enter into explanations at once, and sought shelter in a cottage, where
-they slept until the sun was high. And when they awoke and went into
-the village street, they found the people streaming westward, in carts,
-on foot, carrying what they could of their household gear. Fort
-Boncelles had surrendered.
-
-Seeking the colonel of the nearest regiment, they told him what they
-had seen in the fort. He had just heard by telephone that Fort Loncin
-also had surrendered that morning, and General Leman was a prisoner.
-
-They begged a lift in a farmer's cart, and in the evening reached
-Brussels, where they found an asylum with a friend of Pariset's. There
-they remained for a few days, recuperating after the strain which,
-scarcely noticed while they were in action, had told heavily upon them
-both. Every day they heard of fresh advances of the Teuton hordes, of
-gallant deeds by the sorely tried little army of Belgium. Every day
-they saw pallid, nerve-shaken, wounded refugees flocking in from
-Tirlemont and other places desolated by German shot and shell.
-
-Pariset was much depressed.
-
-"We shall cease to exist," he said one day. "The brutes will destroy
-us all. They are ruthless. They are fiends. What have we done that
-we should suffer so?"
-
-"Cheer up, old man," said Kenneth. "Look here! 'Gallant little
-Belgium!'" He pointed to the headline of an article in an English
-newspaper. "You might have chosen the easy course; you didn't, and the
-whole world admires you."
-
-"But that won't save us."
-
-"No, but you've saved France. You've thrown the German war machine out
-of gear, and I bet you you've smashed their chances. Lord Kitchener is
-raising a great army. The Kaiser scoffs at our men; he'll sing a
-different tune some day. I'm going home, Remi, going to join
-Kitchener's army. Sorry to leave you, old man, but we'll meet again,
-never fear, perhaps soon, perhaps not until British, French and
-Belgians meet the Russians in Berlin. And when the war is over, you
-may be sure that gallant little Belgium will rise like the phoenix, and
-grow stronger and more prosperous than ever."
-
-----
-
-Four days later Kenneth was in London. He found awaiting him at home a
-bulky envelope addressed in a strange hand, the postmark Amsterdam.
-Opening it, he took out two letters, dated a week back, and posted in
-Königsborn. One was in the handwriting of Max Finkelstein, the other
-in the large round hand of Frieda.
-
-
- "I hope this will reach you," the former wrote. "I am sending it
- through my friend Vandermond. After a few days' detention as a spy, I
- was released for want of evidence, and as business is absolutely dead,
- we have come to Königsborn, where we shall rusticate and pinch until
- this dreadful war is over. We hear all sorts of tales, and the
- credence paid them by otherwise intelligent people makes me think that
- we as a nation have a good deal to learn. One extraordinary story, by
- the way, will amuse you. It was rumoured in Cologne that a French
- airman had run off with one of our Taubes, a feat which you, knowing
- Cologne, will recognise as impossible. I believe it as little as I
- believe that the Irish are in revolt.
-
- "I am glad for our sake that recruiting is a failure in England.
- People here are very bitter against the English, but I explain that you
- have been hoodwinked by those awful Russians. Your statesmen are so
- easily taken in. After the war your people will admit it.
-
- "Keep the London business together as well as you can. Next year I
- dare say I shall settle in London myself, and nothing shall interfere
- with our plans for a partnership. Write to me if you can."
-
-----
-
-"Poor old Max!" thought Kenneth. "Of course, like all Germans, he
-thinks they will win: professors and the General Staff have drummed
-that into their foolish heads. He'll have a shock when I tell him I
-have joined the army. Now for Frieda."
-
-----
-
-"Was it you?" he read. "I daren't suggest it to Father; he scoffs at
-the mere idea that any one could do so audacious a thing. But when you
-didn't come back for your luggage I was anxious and went down to the
-station, and the stationmaster told me that you had gone away with your
-ticket and hadn't come for your seat that he had engaged for you, and
-when I heard the rumour about the French airman I couldn't help
-thinking it was just the mad sort of thing you would delight in. Do
-tell me if I am right.
-
-"This is a terrible war, isn't it? What is the good of you English
-fighting? Father says your army is too small to do anything, and you
-can't get recruits because all your young men want to play football. I
-am so sorry for you. Father says you will give it up when we take
-Paris, and then you will have to give us some of your colonies. You
-have so many that I am sure you can spare some.
-
-"We shall very likely come to London next year, Father says. We shall
-always be friends, you and I, shan't we?
-
-"We haven't seen anything of Kurt Hellwig lately. You don't think I
-grieve?"
-
-----
-
-"It's amazing!" said Kenneth to himself. "I thought Frieda would have
-known better. She would laugh, I suppose, if I told her that I am
-likely to be in Berlin before she comes to London."
-
-But Kenneth Amory was to go through many adventures, before he met Remi
-Pariset in Berlin.
-
-
-
-.. class:: center small
-
- |
- |
- |
- |
- | PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED,
- | BRUNSWICK ST., STAMFORD ST., S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK.
- |
- |
- |
- |
-
-
-
-.. pgfooter::
diff --git a/39150-rst/images/img-054.jpg b/39150-rst/images/img-054.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 18e3914..0000000 --- a/39150-rst/images/img-054.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/39150-rst/images/img-143.jpg b/39150-rst/images/img-143.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 81c2994..0000000 --- a/39150-rst/images/img-143.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/39150-rst/images/img-221.jpg b/39150-rst/images/img-221.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 914fb0d..0000000 --- a/39150-rst/images/img-221.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/39150-rst/images/img-cover.jpg b/39150-rst/images/img-cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 748aceb..0000000 --- a/39150-rst/images/img-cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/39150-rst/images/img-front.jpg b/39150-rst/images/img-front.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 17d297e..0000000 --- a/39150-rst/images/img-front.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/39150.txt b/39150.txt deleted file mode 100644 index effd7a9..0000000 --- a/39150.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6211 +0,0 @@ - A HERO OF LIEGE - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Title: A Hero of Liege - -Author: Herbert Strang - -Release Date: March 14, 2012 [EBook #39150] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HERO OF LIEGE *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - -[Illustration: Cover art] - - ---- - -[Illustration: THE SPY UNMASKED] - - - - A HERO OF LIEGE - - _A STORY OF THE GREAT WAR_ - - - - BY - - HERBERT STRANG - - - - _ILLUSTRATED BY CYRUS CUNEO_ - - - - LONDON - HENRY FROWDE - HODDER AND STOUGHTON - - - - _First Printed in 1914_ - - - - - HERBERT STRANG'S WAR STORIES - -SULTAN JIM: A STORY OF GERMAN AGGRESSION. -THE AIR SCOUT: A STORY OF HOME DEFENCE. -THE AIR PATROL: A STORY OF THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER. -ROB THE RANGER: A STORY OF THE GREAT FIGHT FOR CANADA. -ONE OF CLIVE'S HEROES: A STORY OF THE GREAT FIGHT FOR INDIA. -BARCLAY OF THE GUIDES: A STORY OF THE INDIAN MUTINY. -THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY ROCHESTER: A STORY OF MARLBOROUGH'S CAMPAIGNS. -BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE: A STORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR. -KOBO: A STORY OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR. -BROWN OF MOUKDEN: A STORY OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR. - - - - - ---- - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I--THE OPENING OF THE GAME - CHAPTER II--THE FIRST TRICK - CHAPTER III--THE SECOND TRICK - CHAPTER IV--IN NEUTRAL TERRITORY - CHAPTER V--A CLOSE CALL - CHAPTER VI--THE OLD MILL - CHAPTER VII--A HORNET'S NEST - CHAPTER VIII--A FIGHT IN THE MILL - CHAPTER IX--IN THE TRENCHES - CHAPTER X--BROKEN THREADS - CHAPTER XI--THE CENTRE ARCH - CHAPTER XII--A FIGHT WITH A ZEPPELIN - CHAPTER XIII--THE GREAT GUNS - CHAPTER XIV--HUNTED - CHAPTER XV--HUNS AT PLAY - CHAPTER XVI--THE CARETAKER - CHAPTER XVII--A BARMECIDE FEAST - CHAPTER XVIII--RUNNING THE GAUNTLET - CHAPTER XIX--'A LONG, LONG WAY----' - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - -THE SPY UNMASKED -THE PEASANTS SCATTERED OUT OF ITS PATH -THE END OF THE ZEPPELIN -CLEARING THE ROAD - - - - - - - -CHAPTER I--THE OPENING OF THE GAME - - -At nine o'clock on Tuesday morning, August 4, Kenneth Amory walked into -the private office of the head of the well-known firm of Amory & -Finkelstein, gutta-percha manufacturers, of Cologne. Max Finkelstein, -the head of the firm, swung round on his revolving chair, moved his hand -backward over his brush-like crop of brownish hair, and looked up -through his spectacles at Kenneth, his stout florid countenance wearing -an expression of worry. - -"I sent for you to tell you to pack up and get away by the first train," -he said, in German. "Things are looking very black; the sooner you are -home, the better." - -"Our dear Max is jumpy," came in smooth tones from the third person in -the room, the ends of his well-brushed moustache rising stiffly as he -smiled. He was tall and slim--a contrast to his cousin Finkelstein, who -had reached that period of life when good food, a successful business, -and Germanic lack of exercise, tend to corpulence. "I tell him he need -not worry," the speaker went on. "It will be as in '70." - -"Provided that England----" Finkelstein was beginning, but Kurt Hellwig -broke in with a laugh. - -"Oh, England! England will protest a little, and preach a little, and -take care not to get a scratch." - -"Don't you be too sure of that," said Kenneth, rather warmly. - -"No? You think otherwise?" Hellwig was smiling still. "Well, we shall -see. Perhaps you have private information?" - -His mocking smile and ironical tone brought a flush to Kenneth's cheeks. - -"I don't want any private information to know what England will do," -cried the boy. - -"True, the public information is conclusive. England is helpless; she -suffers from an internal complaint; she is breaking up." - -"That will do, Kurt," said Finkelstein, anticipating an explosive word -from Kenneth, who was quick-tempered, and apt to fall out with Hellwig. -"Really, Ken, you will be safer at home, and if you don't go now you -will lose your chance; all the trains will be required for the troops." - -"I'd rather wait a little longer," replied Kenneth. "It's all so -interesting. I've never seen a mobilisation before." - -"It will do him good to see how we manage things in Germany," said -Hellwig. "And since England will remain neutral, he will run no risk." - -Finkelstein, easygoing and indolent where business was not concerned, -yielded the point. - -"Very well," he said. "Do as you please. But I recommend you to pack -up in readiness for a sudden departure. For my part, I hope Kurt is -right; I think of my business." - -"We all think of our business," said Hellwig, with a slight stress upon -the pronoun. - -"Our business--yes," said Finkelstein. "We shall all suffer, I fear. -But if it is as in '70----" - -Kenneth did not wait to hear further discussion on the chances of the -war. Remarking that he would see the others at lunch, he hurried away -into the street. Awakened very early that morning by the rumbling of -carts and the tramp of horses, he had got up and gone out, to watch the -continual passage of regiments of infantry and cavalry, batteries of -artillery, pontoon trains, commissariat and ammunition wagons, through -the streets and the railway station. Everything was swift and -systematic; the troops, though a little hazy as to their destination, -were in high spirits; the war would soon be over, they assured their -anxious friends. - -It was all very new and exciting to Kenneth Amory, who had only vague -memories of the English mobilisation for the South African war, when he -was a child of four. His father had founded, with Max Finkelstein, an -Anglo-German business which had attained great dimensions. Finkelstein -controlled the German headquarters at Cologne; Amory looked after things -in London. The latter died suddenly in the winter of 1912, leaving his -son Kenneth, then nearly seventeen years of age, to the guardianship of -Finkelstein, in whom he justly placed implicit confidence. - -Since then Kenneth had spent much of his time in Germany, learning the -business under Finkelstein's direction. He had a great liking for his -father's partner, who was a keen man of business, scrupulously exact in -his duties as guardian, and a "good fellow." Finkelstein had announced -that Kenneth, as soon as he came of age, would be taken into -partnership. The firm would still be Amory & Finkelstein. - -When Kurt Hellwig spoke of "our business," his use of the first personal -pronoun must be taken to have implied a commendable feeling: he had no -actual share in the business. His connection with it was a proof of his -cousin Max's kindness of heart. Hellwig had brilliant abilities; in -particular, remarkable linguistic powers; but he had never been able to -turn them to account in the various careers which he had successively -attempted. Finkelstein had more than once lent him a helping hand; -since Mr. Amory's death he had employed him as occasional representative -in England. Needless to say, he did not entrust any matter of -importance to his erratic cousin; and the salary he paid him was -proportionate rather to relationship than to services. - -Kenneth returned to Finkelstein's house for the midday lunch. Neither -Finkelstein nor Hellwig was present. - -"Father sent word that he was detained," said Frieda, Finkelstein's -daughter, a little younger than Kenneth. "We are not to wait for him." - -"He seemed very worried when I saw him this morning," said Kenneth. "Of -course business will be at a standstill, especially if we come into the -war." - -"It will be hateful if you do," said the girl. "But you won't, Kurt -says. We have done nothing to you." - -"Kurt knows nothing about it. He thinks we are afraid to fight. He's -wrong. Of course we are not concerned with your quarrel with Russia; -but when it comes to your attacking France, quite unprovoked, and -bullying Belgium to let you take the easy way, you can hardly expect us -to look on quietly. But we won't talk about that, Frieda; you and I -mustn't quarrel." - -Frieda and Kenneth were very good friends. One bond of union between -them was a common dislike of Kurt Hellwig, whose sarcastic tongue was a -constant irritant. Kenneth related what had passed at the office that -morning. - -"Why has he come back?" said Frieda. "He has been away for weeks; I -wish he would stay away altogether." - -"Do you?" - -"Of course I do. What do you mean?" - -"I fancy Kurt thinks you admire him--because he wants you to, I -suppose." - -"Will you take me to Cousin Amalia's after lunch?" asked Frieda, with a -disconcerting change of subject. "I promised to spend the rest of the -day with her. And you'll fetch me this evening, won't you?" - -After escorting Frieda to her cousin's, Kenneth strolled about, watching -the war preparations, then turned homewards to pack his bag, as he had -promised Finkelstein to do. On the way he bought a copy of the _Cologne -Gazette_ containing a mangled version of Sir Edward Grey's speech in the -House of Commons on the previous day. When he had finished packing, he -sat down with the paper at the open window of his room. Having risen -early, he was rather tired, and the heat of the afternoon soon sent him -to sleep. - -He was wakened by voices near at hand. There was no one but himself in -the room; after a moment's confusion of senses he realised that the -sounds came up from the balcony beneath his window. It was reached from -the drawing-room, and since it was shaded by a light awning, someone had -evidently gone there for the sake of fresh air. - -The awning concealed the speakers from Kenneth's view, but in a few -moments he recognised Hellwig's voice. The other speaker was a man and -a stranger. Kenneth at first paid no attention to them; Hellwig had -many acquaintances, and was fond of entertaining them. But presently he -caught a sentence that made him suddenly alert. - -"The bridge has been mined." - -It was the stranger speaking, in German. Kenneth rose silently from his -chair, and leant out of the window, so that he should not miss a word. - -"The train can be fired at any moment, thanks to our forethought in -tunnelling between the mill-house and the bridge." - -"That is well," said Hellwig, in the tone of a superior commending the -report brought him by a subordinate. "Get back as quickly as you can, -and tell them to be ready to act instantly on receipt of a marconigram." - -"The stations are closed to private messages," remarked the visitor. - -"Yes: but mine will get through. What news have you?" - -"When I left yesterday the Belgians were becoming alive to their danger. -They are mobilising feverishly. The forts at Liege are fully manned. -But many people refuse to believe that we shall go to extremes and -invade their territory. They say that its inviolability is guaranteed -by treaty." - -Hellwig laughed. - -"Keep in touch with London," he said. "In a few hours I shall be cut -off from London except through Amsterdam, and I shall have to move my -headquarters there. You remember the address?" - -"As before?" - -"Yes. Send there any information that comes through from London, and -keep me informed of your whereabouts." - -"There was talk, as I came through, of possible English intervention. I -learn that crowds clamoured for war in front of Buckingham Palace last -night." - -"A mistake: they were shouting against war. The British government will -not dare to strike: even if they do, they will be too late. We are -ready: they are not. Before they have made up their minds we shall be -across the Belgian frontier and into France." - -The conversation continued for a few minutes longer, then the visitor -rose to go. Acting on impulse, Kenneth ran out of his room, and was -nearing the foot of the staircase as the two men came from the -drawing-room. He had the _Cologne Gazette_ in his hand. - -"Have you read Sir Edward Grey's speech?" he asked Hellwig. - -"Not yet. Is it worth the trouble?" replied Hellwig in his smooth -mocking tones. - -"I thought you hadn't, or you wouldn't be so cock-sure," Kenneth -returned. "I rather think the British government have already made up -their minds." - -"So you have been eavesdropping?" said Hellwig quickly. - -"You are a spy!" cried Kenneth--"you and your friend." - -"Is that any concern of yours?" - -"Only to this extent; that I'll have nothing more to do with you," said -Kenneth hotly, conscious at the moment that it was a foolish thing to -say, and feeling the more irritated. - -"That will kill me," sighed Hellwig. - -"And Max shall know it," Kenneth went on. "He doesn't know that you've -been up to this sort of thing, I'm sure." - -"Certainly; Max shall know that I am doing something for my country. You -are, no doubt, doing wonders for yours." - -"I wouldn't do such dirty work as yours," cried Kenneth, more and more -angry under Hellwig's calmness. - -At this moment the outer door opened, and Frieda came in from the -street. - -"What is the matter?" she asked, looking from Kenneth's flushed face to -Hellwig's smiling one, upon which, however, there flickered now a shade -of embarrassment. - -"The fellow is a spy!" Kenneth burst out. - -"I was explaining, my dear cousin, that I am doing at least something -for my country," Hellwig said. - -"We should have preferred that it were anything else," said Frieda -coldly. "Come, Ken, I've something to say to you." - -She hurried along the corridor, not heeding Hellwig's bow as she passed. -Kenneth followed her. Hellwig shrugged, and left the house with his -friend. - -"How did it come out?" asked Frieda, when Kenneth was alone with her in -the drawing-room. - -"They were talking under my window. He accused me of eavesdropping. I -couldn't help hearing them at first; and when I found out what they were -at, of course I listened. You have come back alone?" - -"Yes. I met Father. He says that your government has sent us an -ultimatum, and war is certain. You must go home at once. Father sent -me to tell you." - -"All right. He sneered about my doing wonders for my country. I'll do -something better than spying. I'll volunteer for the Flying Corps." - -"Oh, don't do that! It's so dangerous." - -"No more dangerous than being in the firing line." - -"But why do anything at all--of that sort, I mean? War is -horrible--horrible!" - -"It is, for everyone. I'm sure none of our people wanted it. But if -we're in for it, every fellow who can do anything will be required, and -you wouldn't wish me to skulk at home while others fight?" - -"I'd rather you should fight than spy. You must make haste. Martial -law is proclaimed. Father called at the station, and found that there -will be a train at half-past nine to-night: it will probably be the -last. And the stationmaster said that anyone who wanted to secure a -seat must be early, for there's sure to be a great rush. Have you done -your packing?" - -"Yes; there's only one bag I need take. The less baggage the better. -I'll run down to the station and get my ticket now, to make sure of it." - -"Don't be long. Father will be back to dinner, and he wants to say -goodbye to you, and to give you some messages for business friends in -London." - -Kenneth hurried to the station. There were signs of new excitement in -the streets. Newsvendors were shouting that Belgium was invaded. People -thronged the beer-shops, eagerly discussing the situation. Already there -were cries of "Down with the English!" Tourists of all nationalities -were flocking to the station and to the landing-stage for the Rhine -steamers. Soldiers were everywhere. - -At the station ticket office there was a long queue of people waiting. -Kenneth saw little chance of obtaining a ticket for some time; but being -well acquainted with the stationmaster, he sought his assistance and was -provided with a written pass. - -"I can't guarantee that you will get beyond Aix-la-Chapelle," said the -official. "You must take your chance." - -Kenneth set off to return. Attracted by a crowd at the door of one of -the hotels, he went up to discover the cause of the assemblage. A -mountain of luggage was piled on the pavement, and the distracted -owners, turned out of the hotel, were vainly seeking porters to convey -it to the station. The riff-raff of the streets were jeering at them. -Kenneth turned away, feeling that the scene was ominous. - -He had walked only a short distance from the spot when a hand touched -his shoulder from behind. - -"You are under arrest, sir," said a police sergeant, who was accompanied -by two constables. - -"Nonsense," said Kenneth, good-humouredly. "You have mistaken your -man." - -"Your name is Kenneth Amory?" said the sergeant. - -"Something like that," said Kenneth, amused at the man's pronunciation. - -"There is no mistake, then. You are arrested." - -"Indeed! On what charge?" - -"As a suspect." - -"Suspected of what?" - -"Of spying." - -This took Kenneth's breath away. Mechanically he walked a few steps -beside the officer, the two constables following. Then realising the -nature of the charge against him, he stopped short. - -"It is false!" he cried. "I am no spy. Where is your warrant? What -right have you to arrest me?" - -"No warrant is needed," replied the sergeant, courteously enough. "You -will no doubt clear yourself if you are innocent." - -"Of course I am innocent. My friends will prove that. Oh! I won't -give you any trouble: the sooner I get to the police-station, the -better." - -"That is reasonable," said the sergeant. - -They marched on. Kenneth looked eagerly at all the passers-by in the -hope of finding a friend who would vouch for him; but he recognised no -familiar face. On reaching the station he was searched, but deprived of -nothing except his pocket-book and the letters it contained. - -"They are only private letters," he explained. "The whole matter is -ridiculous. You will let me write a note to a friend, who will speak -for me?" - -"Certainly," said the officer, "provided I see what you say." - -Kenneth quickly scribbled a note to Max Finkelstein, and handed it to -the officer, who remarked that it had nothing suspicious about it, and -placed it in an envelope which Kenneth addressed. - -"I shall be released as soon as Herr Finkelstein comes?" asked Kenneth. - -"That is doubtful," replied the officer. "It will probably be necessary -to bring you before the magistrate to-morrow." - -"But I am going to England to-night." - -"To England! That is suspicious. Herr Finkelstein may have influence. -We shall see." - -A short conversation, carried on in low tones, ensued between the -sergeant and his superior officer. They were consulting as to where the -prisoner should be placed: the cells, it appeared, were full. Ultimately -Kenneth was taken to a room on the ground floor. The window was barred -and shuttered on the outside, and light entered only by two small round -apertures in the shutters. - -"A black hole, this," he said to the sergeant. - -"It will not be for long, if you are innocent," replied the man. - -Then he shut and locked the door; Kenneth was left to himself. - - - - -CHAPTER II--THE FIRST TRICK - - -With the door shut, the room was almost wholly dark. It contained no -furniture but a plain deal table and a wooden chair. Kenneth sat down -and ruminated. His position was annoying, but also mildly exciting. It -would be something to tell his people when he got home, that he had been -arrested as a spy. - -It was now five o'clock. Dinner was at seven: his train left at -half-past nine, and the stationmaster had advised him to be at the -station at least an hour in advance. He had addressed his note to -Finkelstein at the office, and expected that his friend would arrive -within half an hour or so and procure his release. In the absence of -any evidence against him a prolonged detention would surely be -impossible. - -Perhaps half an hour had passed when he heard footsteps on the passage; -the key turned in the lock, and he started up, expecting to see -Finkelstein. But there entered a constable, bringing a mug of beer and -a piece of rye bread. - -"My friend Herr Finkelstein has not come?" Kenneth asked. - -"Nobody has come for you," replied the man. - -"My note was taken to him?" - -"If you wrote a note, I daresay it was." - -"Aren't you sure?" - -"I have only just come on duty, sir." - -The constable set the food on the table and went out, locking the door. - -Anticipating dinner, Kenneth was not tempted to eat the coarse fare -provided. He was still not seriously alarmed, though his annoyance grew -with the passing minutes. Finkelstein never left his office until -half-past six; there was plenty of time for him to have received the -note--unless there had been delay in delivering it. This possibility -was somewhat perturbing. - -Kenneth began to wonder what had led to his arrest. He was quite -unknown to the police; nothing in his appearance was aggressively -English. So far as he knew he had no enemy in Cologne, so that it -seemed unlikely that anyone had put the police on his track out of sheer -malice. - -His thoughts reverted to the incident of the afternoon. The discovery -that Hellwig was in the German secret service, surprising as it was, -made clear certain things that had puzzled him. During his frequent -visits to London, Hellwig was accustomed to stay at the Amorys' house, -and had many callers who came to see him privately, on the firm's -business, as Kenneth had supposed. It seemed only too probable now that -they were agents in the work of espionage. - -A sudden suspicion flashed into Kenneth's mind. Was it possible that -his arrest was due to Hellwig? From what he had overheard it was clear -that Hellwig was a man of considerable authority in the secret service. -A word from him would no doubt suffice. But what could his motive be? -Kenneth was under no illusion as to the man's character. He had always -thoroughly disliked and distrusted him, and felt instinctively that the -dislike was mutual. Could it be that Hellwig, knowing himself -discovered, and fearing that Kenneth, on his return to London, would -inform the authorities, had taken this step to save himself? It seemed -an unnecessary precaution, for if war broke out between Britain and -Germany, Hellwig would make no more journeys to London for some time to -come. - -The more Kenneth thought over the matter, the more convinced he became -that Hellwig, whatever his motive might be, had caused his arrest. The -conviction destroyed his confidence in an early release. The man would -stick at nothing. He would have foreseen an application to Finkelstein, -and taken steps to forestall it. What if the note should never reach -Finkelstein? - -Kenneth was now thoroughly alarmed. The Germans had a short way with -spies, or those they regarded as spies, even during peace; it was likely -to be shorter and sharper than ever on the outbreak of war. The -prospect of being taken out and shot sent cold thrills through him. - -Contemplating this dark eventuality he heard heavy footsteps overhead. -He looked up, and for the first time saw a glint of light from the -ceiling in one corner of the room. The footsteps passed: all was silent -again. - -Kenneth sat thinking. If his suspicions were well founded, he felt that -his doom was sealed. It would be easy for a man like Hellwig to -fabricate evidence against him. In default of Finkelstein's assistance, -which Hellwig would take care to prevent, his only means of safety lay -in flight. But what chance was there of escaping from this locked and -shuttered room? An examination of the window showed the hopelessness of -it. - -The faint streak of light above again attracted his notice. Noiselessly -drawing the table beneath it, he mounted to examine its source. A -portion of the plaster had fallen away from the ceiling, and the light -filtered through a narrow crack in the flooring above. This discovery, -under pressure of circumstances, gave him a gleam of hope. Taking out -his pocket knife, he began to scrape quietly at the plaster, gradually -enlarging the hole. What there might be above he could not tell; -judging by the passing in and out of the footsteps the room was -unoccupied. - -While he was engaged on this work he heard steps in the passage without. -Springing down, he swept on to the floor, and under the table, the -plaster he had scraped from the ceiling, then stood waiting eagerly. -Perhaps it was Finkelstein at last. - -The door opened. A man was thrust into the room, and the door again -locked. The newcomer swore. - -"You're an Englishman?" cried Kenneth. - -"Do I find a companion in adversity?" said the man. "We can condole." - -"Who are you?" - -"What is your father? How many horses does he keep? Bless me, how this -reminds me of my innocent childhood! 'More light,' as Goethe said. But -I can see well enough to know that you are a youngster. Sad, sad!" - -Peering at the stranger, Kenneth saw a man of about thirty-five, with -hair _en brosse_, Germanic moustache, and a German military uniform. - -"I should pass in a crowd, one would think," the man went on, smiling -under Kenneth's scrutiny. "But Fate is unkind." - -"You are a spy?" said Kenneth. - -"And you, my friend?" - -"No. They say so, but I'm not." - -"They say so, and they will have their way. Ah, well! They say also, -that it is a sweet and comely thing to die for one's country. I always -thought I should die in my boots." - -"Can they prove it against you?" - -"A scrap of paper! They can't read it, but what matters that? A note -in cipher is evidence enough. But I shall not die unavenged: they are -crying in the streets that war is declared, and I fancy that Emperor -William has bitten a little more than he can chew. What brings you to -this deplorable extremity?" - -"I don't know: a private enemy, I think." - -"Well, the rain falls on the just and the unjust. I'm sorry for you. -Haven't you any friend, though, who can get this door unlocked?" - -Kenneth explained briefly what had happened. Then, feeling a strange -liking for his companion, he added: - -"When you came in, I was wondering about the chances of escape." - -"A waste of brain tissue, unless you have some talisman. But tell me, -you have some definite idea?" - -"You see that hole in the ceiling? I was enlarging it." - -"Ha! A man of action! Nil desperandum, eh? Let me have a look at it." - -He mounted on the table, and thrust his hand into the opening. - -"I say, youngster," he said, a note of eagerness in his voice, "there is -a chance, on my life there is. The boards above are not over firm. We -may be skipping out of the frying-pan into the fire, but one can only -die once. Continue with your work; I'll mount guard and warn you of -anyone approaching." - -Kenneth scraped away with his penknife, until the hole was large enough -to admit his head and shoulders. The light, coming through a single -crack, did not increase, so that the enlargement of the hole might -easily escape notice if a constable entered. The stranger put the chair -on the table. - -"Mount on that," he said; "put your back against the boards, and -shove--gently." - -Kenneth did as he was instructed. The pressure of his back started the -nails, and a plank rose, with an alarming creak. - -"That won't be heard through the rumble of traffic outside," said the -man. "Wait a little. You don't know anything of the room above?" - -"Nothing. I heard somebody go in and out a while ago; I think it is -empty." - -"Well now: let us keep cool. We can get into the room: that is certain. -Can we get out of it? We shall have to descend the stairs. Our chance -of life depends on one half-minute. 'Can a man die better than facing -fearful odds?' Look here: we'll toss. Heads: we'll go up; tails--why, -hang it, we'll still go up! Fortuna fortibus! Wait till we hear the -rumble of the next artillery wagon; then! ..." - -They had not long to wait. Heavy traffic passed at short intervals. - -"Now!" said the stranger. - -Kenneth gave a heave. In a moment two planks were removed. Resting his -arms on the edges of those on either side of the gap, he hoisted himself -up. His companion quickly followed. They stood in the room. - -The next half minute was filled to breathlessness. It was a bedroom. A -street lamp outside threw a little light into it. Hanging from a peg on -the door was a policeman's tunic and helmet. - -"Fortune's our friend," murmured the stranger. - -In ten seconds he had helped Kenneth to don the uniform. They crept out -of the room, and peeped over the stair rail. The way was clear. All -sounds within were smothered by the noise in the street. They stole -downstairs, past the closed door of the guardroom, through the outer -door, and into the open. "War with England!" shouted a newsman at the -corner. - -"We win the first trick!" chuckled the stranger, as they hurried along. - - - - -CHAPTER III--THE SECOND TRICK - - -"The first trick--yes: but what are trumps?" said Kenneth, in reply to -his companion's remark. - -"Toujours l'audace!" the stranger answered. "But my life isn't worth a -moment's purchase. I owe you a few minutes; 'for this relief much -thanks.' Leave me now, and make for your friends. They will look after -you. I have none." - -"Not a bit of it," replied Kenneth instantly. "We stick together. I -know a quiet place where we can consult. Step out briskly, as if we -have important business on hand." - -"There's nothing hypothetical about that," murmured the other. "On, -then!" - -They hurried along the street, which was crowded with persons of all -ages, some talking excitedly, others cheering and singing patriotic -songs. Now and then there was a cry of "Down with England!" The two -fugitives walked quickly, dodging among the crowd to avoid the wearers -of military or police uniforms, their own uniforms clearing a way for -them. As they passed a beershop, the outside tables of which were -thronged, the drinkers cheered them and broke lustily into the song of -Deutschland ueber Alles. - -As soon as possible they turned into a side street, less populous; and -Kenneth, who knew the city well, directed his course towards the river, -to a little secluded nook, where he hoped it would be possible to hold a -quiet consultation. In the hurry of escape and the anxious transit of -the streets he had been unable to devote a moment's thought to their -future action. It was clear that their safety hung by a thread; their -only chance was to lay their plans calmly, taking due account of the -present circumstances and future contingencies. - -They reached their destination. There was nobody about. - -"We may have a few minutes to ourselves," said Kenneth. He took out his -watch. "It is nearly ten o'clock. My train has gone, so that's out of -the question." - -"You were leaving?" - -"Yes; my friends thought I had better go; that was before war with -England was certain. I suppose it is true?" - -"The time limit has not expired, certainly; but there can't be any doubt -about it. Germany can't afford to yield about Belgium, and we can't -afford to let her have a walk over. We may be quite sure that no -Englishman of fighting age will get away now without trouble. But your -friends will protect you; again I say, don't consider me." - -"That's all right. In any case I don't want to get Max Finkelstein into -a row." - -"Of Amory & Finkelstein?" - -"Yes; I'm Kenneth Amory. Do you speak German, by the way?" - -"Like a native. I was at school at Heidelberg." - -"That's a help. But for the life of me I can't think of a way of -getting out. When they discover our escape they'll watch the stations, -the piers, and the roads. Our uniforms won't be a bit of use." - -"Oh! for the wings of a dove!--or an eagle would be more to the -purpose." - -"By Jove! that gives me an idea. I've done some flying; I was going to -try for a place in our Flying Corps. If we could only bag an -aeroplane!" - -"A sheer impossibility, I should say." - -Kenneth stood silent in the attitude of one deep in thought. Every now -and again his right eyelid twitched--a little involuntary mannerism -which came into play at such times. His companion watched him -curiously. At last a look of resolution chased the doubt from his face. - -"It's the only way," he said; "we must have a try. There are plenty in -Cologne. They've been using a new aviation ground lately; the regular -aerodrome was too small for them. They don't fly at night. All the -machines will be in their hangars. Of course they'll be under guard; -but we might get hold of one by a trick. Give me another minute or two -to think it out: I know the place well." - -After a few minutes' silence there ensued an earnest conversation -between the two. The upshot of it was that they hurried by unfrequented -roads to the new aviation ground. It was a large enclosure defended by -a wooden fence about eight feet high, with barbed wire along the top. A -sentry stood at the gate near the sheds. The whole place was in -darkness, but a little beyond it, on the far side of the road, shone the -lights of a beershop. - -Leaving his companion in a dark corner, Kenneth hastened alone to the -beershop. At the tables outside sat several men, mechanics in -appearance. Kenneth slackened his pace to a policeman's walk, and -passed by, throwing a keen glance at the men, who gave him a perfunctory -salute. On reaching the remotest table he whispered a word or two to -the man drinking alone there. The man left his bock, and rising, joined -Kenneth, who had drawn back into the darkness. - -"You can be discreet?" he said. - -"What is it, Herr Policeman?" the man replied, doubtfully. - -"It is a question of a spy. One of the mechanics is suspected. Do you -know a short dark man who has recently come in?" - -The question was a bait cast at a venture; Kenneth was elated at the -man's reply. - -"Yes, to be sure; there is a new fellow, mechanic to Herr Lieutenant -Breul. None of us liked the look of him. If he is a spy! ... Not that -he is particularly short." - -"Well, not so very short." - -"Nor more than common dark." - -"Not a gipsy, perhaps; but still, rather dark and certainly not tall." - -"That's the fellow to a hair. He's a boor: why, he called me a stupid -pig only this morning. That's suspicious in itself; for I'm not a -stupid pig; I can prove it by my school certificates." - -"Of course; you wouldn't be employed here if you were a stupid pig. Well -now, Herr Lieutenant Breul ought to be warned." - -"That's true. The Herr Lieutenant is not here now; he has gone for the -night with the other officers. But it would be better to arrest the man -at once. A spy! We'll do for him, me and my mates." - -"Not so fast. We must make sure of the man. I ought to hold him under -observation. But it is important to keep the matter quiet. The -question is, can you manage to let me have a sight of the man without -attracting attention?" - -The man scratched his head. - -"You don't want to enter by the gate, Herr Policeman?" - -"No. It would never do to let it get about that a spy was found here." - -"Well, it's not an easy matter, but I'll go to the sheds and see what -can be done." - -The man went away, Kenneth hastened to the spot where he had left his -companion. - -"Things look possible," he said. "But your uniform is a difficulty. A -German officer mustn't enter the enclosure like a thief, and without the -password you can't go in by the gate." - -"I must simply bluff it out. I'm a friend of Lieutenant Breul. I've -played many parts in my time--not without success." - -"Come along then. There's no time to lose." - -They hurried back to the dark corner in which Kenneth had interviewed -the mechanic. In a few minutes he returned. - -"This is a friend of the Herr Lieutenant's," said Kenneth. "I met him -just beyond the gate, and he agrees with me that this disgraceful matter -must be kept secret. Have you had any success?" - -"The fellow is overhauling the Herr Lieutenant's engine in preparation -for a start to-morrow. He is the only man at work." - -"That's very suspicious," said Kenneth. "Don't you think, Herr Captain, -that we had better climb the fence and keep a watch on the man? Who -knows what mischief he may be doing?" - -"I'll go back to the gate and meet you inside," replied his companion. - -"I think you had better come with me, Herr Captain," said Kenneth, "Your -presence would guarantee me if any soldier within chanced to suppose -that I was intruding." - -"Very well," returned the other, with seeming reluctance. "But you also -must guarantee me against damage to my clothes." - -"That is easily done. This man will throw his coat over the wire." - -"Certainly, Herr Policeman," said the mechanic, whom the presence of an -officer had quite reassured. - -They moved off to a spot beyond the sheds. The mechanic laid his coat -upon the wire, and assisted the fugitives to mount. Then he hurried -back to the gate, entered the enclosure, and met them near the furthest -shed. The whirring of a propeller was audible. - -"That's the shed," he said, pointing to the half-open door through which -a bright light was streaming. "He's at work there, running the engine." - -"Very well," said Kenneth. "You had better get your coat and make -yourself scarce. You won't want to appear in this." - -"Not I," said the man. - -"The Herr Lieutenant will reward you," said Kenneth's companion. He -knew German officers too well to tip the man in the English way. - -The mechanic slipped away into the darkness. The Englishmen went to the -shed. They opened the door and entered boldly. A man was bending over -the engine, spanner in hand, adjusting a nut on the carburetter. He had -not noticed the opening of the door or the entrance of the strangers. -Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looking up, was amazed to -hear an officer say, through the noise of the propeller: - -"Villain, you are under arrest." - -Dumbfounded, he stared stupidly at the officer, and feebly protesting, -stood back from the machine. Meanwhile Kenneth had taken a tin of -petrol from a cupboard in the corner of the shed, and was filling up the -tank. When this was done, he ran his eye rapidly over the monoplane, -tested the stays, and finding all in good order, said in English: - -"We'll lock this fellow in the cupboard. Then you throw the door open, -come back quickly, and get into the seat beside me. The engine is -running well, and it will only take a few seconds to get off." - -At the first words of English the mechanic shouted with alarm; but his -cry was drowned by the whirring of the propeller, and before he could -repeat it he was locked into the cupboard. Then the Englishman carried -out Kenneth's instructions. As soon as he was in his place, Kenneth -threw the engine into gear, and the machine glided forward out of the -shed into the dimly lit open space beyond. In a few yards it began to -rise. There were shouts of surprise from the few men about the grounds -and the mechanics in the beershop outside, scarcely heard by the airmen. - -The monoplane soared up and up, unnoticed by the noisy multitudes in the -crowded streets below. It was soon out of sight. Suddenly a beam of -blinding light flashed upon it from some point high above the ground. - -"The searchlight on the cathedral steeple," shouted Kenneth to his -companion. "But there's no danger; they'll recognise it as a Taube." - -The searchlight followed its course for a few minutes; then was shut -off. - -"The second trick is to us!" cried the passenger. - -But Kenneth did not hear him. His whole attention was given to the -machine. - - - - -CHAPTER IV--IN NEUTRAL TERRITORY - - -The sky was clear; there was very little wind; and Kenneth realised that -the conditions could hardly have been more propitious. For some minutes -he was too closely occupied with the mechanism to consider direction. -The monoplane was strange to him. His experience of flying had been -almost wholly gained in the machines of his friend Remi Pariset, son of -the manager of the Antwerp branch of Amory & Finkelstein. Pariset was a -lieutenant in the Belgian flying corps, and Kenneth had frequently -accompanied him in flights, at first as passenger only, afterwards being -allowed to try his hand in the pilot's seat. It had long been his aim -to gain the pilot's certificate in England, and, as he had told Frieda -Finkelstein, he hoped on the outbreak of war to get a commission in the -Royal Flying Corps. - -Though he had never before managed a monoplane of the type of that which -he had appropriated, he had often watched the German airmen, and after a -little uncertainty in his manipulation of the controls, he "felt" the -machine, and recognised that it would give him no trouble. Then he had -leisure to determine his course. - -His first idea had been to make all speed to the Belgian coast, and take -ship for England. But recollection of the conversation overheard -between Hellwig and his visitor suggested that he might possibly do some -preliminary service to the Belgians. A bridge was to be blown up. There -could be no doubt that this operation was part of the German plan of -campaign, and if it could be frustrated, this would represent so much -gain to the defending force. The river spanned by the bridge had not -been named, but there was a clue in the fact that the bridge was near a -mill. His intention now, therefore, was to alight somewhere in Belgium -and communicate his discovery to the military authorities. - -In the hurry of departure he was quite oblivious of the direction of his -flight. Now that he had time to consider it, he saw by the compass that -he was flying towards the north-east. Bringing the monoplane round, he -set his course for the south-west, hoping to pick up in half an hour or -so the lights of Aix-la-Chapelle. He failed to locate the railway line -from Cologne to Aix, and the few scattered points of light in the black -expanse below gave him no landmarks. - -After a while it occurred to him to switch on the electric light that -illuminated the dial of a small clock. It was a quarter to eleven. He -must have been flying for nearly half an hour, but neither to right or -left nor straight ahead was there any sign of the expected lights of -Aix. The country over which he was passing seemed to be hilly; it was -possible that the lights of the city were hidden by the shoulder of a -hill. - -Presently his companion shouted that he heard the sound of big guns away -to the left. Kenneth listened, but could hear nothing through the -droning whirr of the propeller. - -Every now and then he glanced at the clock, the only indication of the -distance he had covered. When midnight was past, he felt sure that -unless he had completely miscalculated his direction he must by this -time have crossed the German frontier. He was thinking of landing and -trying to discover where he was, when he caught sight in the starlight -of a broad river flowing immediately beneath him from south-west to -north-east. This, he had no doubt, was the Meuse, but he knew nothing -of the course of the river, and could not determine whether he was in -Belgium or Holland. At any rate he was out of Germany. - -Dropping a few hundred feet, and seeing below him a broad expanse of -fields, apparently flat, he thought it safe to risk a descent. No -lights were visible. A rapid swoop brought the machine into a meadow of -long grass ripe for hay, and he came lightly to the ground. - -"I make you my compliments," said his companion, as they climbed out of -their seats. "It is my first aerial voyage, and I am pretty sure that -no one has ever tempted the empyrean under such exciting circumstances. -But why did you come down? I hoped we should find ourselves at Ostend." - -"I'll tell you my reason. I don't know where I am, but we had better -camp here till morning, and then explore. Keep a look-out while I -glance over the engine; we must be ready to get off again at a moment's -notice." - -He switched on the light and made a careful examination of the engine; -then, rubbing his dirty hands on the grass, he threw himself down beside -his companion. - -"We've had uncommon luck," he said. - -"You under-estimate the personal equation," returned the other. "I -consider myself supremely lucky in having met you. Your daring is as -great as your ingenuity, Amory. By the way, I have the advantage of -you. I have as many names as the chameleon has colours, but the names -given me in baptism were Lewis Granger. Now we're quits on that score." - -"Thanks. You are a spy, I suppose?" - -"Well, that rather opprobrious term would cover me, I presume. A -sensitive person might prefer to call himself a secret agent. What's in -a name?" - -"It's pretty dangerous work, anyhow, and I'm jolly glad you're out of -the Germans' clutches. You asked why I came down. It's because I'm a -sort of secret agent too." - -"You don't say so!" - -"Oh, it's quite involuntary. I happened to overhear a conversation a -few hours before I was nabbed. I'll tell you about it." - -"Wait. I have no credentials. Do you think it wise to confide in a -stranger?" - -"That's all right," said Kenneth, who had taken an instant liking to the -man. "We're in the same boat. What I overheard was a scheme for -blowing up a bridge somewhere in Belgium, and I thought that before -going on to England I might put the Belgians up to it." - -"That's worth a few hours' delay. What you say confirms my own -knowledge of the extraordinary minuteness of the German plans. -'Somewhere in Belgium,' you say. You don't know where?" - -"No. The name of the river was not mentioned either by Hellwig or----" - -"Hellwig! Does his Christian name happen to be Kurt?" - -"Yes. Do you know him?" - -"I have crossed swords with him--not literally, you understand, though -nothing would please me better than a bout with him with the buttons -off. I have one or two scores to settle with him. His Christian name -would be more truly descriptive with the loss of a T. But how in the -world did you come across him? He's not the kind of man I should expect -to meet in your company." - -"He's the cousin of my poor father's partner, Max Finkelstein. Max -gives him a salary; he doesn't earn a penny of it, but Max is a -kind-hearted beggar. He wouldn't do it if he knew that Hellwig was -a--secret agent." - -"Don't mind my feelings, my dear fellow," said Granger, with a laugh. -"We're a very mixed lot, I assure you. Do you mind repeating what you -overheard, as nearly as you can remember it?" - -When the story was told, Granger acknowledged that ignorance of the -position of the bridge was an obstacle to forewarning the Belgian -authorities. - -"Still, they ought to know every inch of the probable theatre of war," -he said, "and may spot the place at once." - -"We'll see in the morning," said Kenneth. "Meanwhile we had better take -watch and watch about during the rest of the night. I don't suppose any -one will come by while it's dark, but it's as well to be on the safe -side. I'll take first watch." - -"Very well. It will be light in less than five hours. I'll snooze for -a couple of hours; wake me then." - -The night was warm, and Kenneth, in his policeman's coat, suffered no -discomfort. His watch passed undisturbed, and he was very sleepy when -he roused Granger. - -About five o'clock he was wakened from a sound sleep by a nudge from his -companion. - -"Sorry to disturb you," said Granger, "but there's a group of peasants -approaching with scythes. Evidently they are going to mow the meadow." - -Kenneth started up. - -"Belgians?" he asked. - -"Or Dutch," replied Granger. "We shall soon know." - -The peasants, more than a dozen in number, came straight towards the -aeroplane. Recognising the German uniforms, as the two men rose from -the ground, they halted, consulted for a moment or two, then advanced, -holding their scythes threateningly. - -"I fancy they're Dutch," said Granger. "My good friends," he called in -Dutch, "will you tell us where we are?" - -On hearing their own tongue the men consulted again. Then one of them -left the party, and hurried back by the way he had come. The rest -advanced slowly, keeping close together, not replying to the question, -and wearing an air of suspicion and hostility. - -"They have sent a man back to his village to warn the authorities," said -Granger. "We must find out where we are." - -The peasants halted at a little distance, and stood in an attitude of -watchfulness. - -"We are not Germans, in spite of our dress," Granger continued. "As a -matter of fact, we are Englishmen who have lost our way." - -The stolid Dutchmen looked round upon one another with a knowing air as -much as to say "We have heard that story before." Granger tried again. - -"Come, come, it is the truth, I assure you. All we want is to know -where we are; then we will pursue our journey." - -There was again a consultation among the group. Then one of them said, -pugnaciously: - -"You are near Weert, as you know very well." - -"Weert is some few miles north-east of Maestricht," Granger remarked to -Kenneth. "We don't want to know any more. I think we had better be -off. They don't believe we are not Germans, and as neutrals they will -hold us up if we wait until the village authorities arrive. I hope they -won't show fight, for we are absolutely unarmed, and those scythes are -rather formidable implements." - -"We're in an awkward hole, certainly," said Kenneth. "By the look of -them they'll set on to us as soon as they see us making ready to go." - -"The police took my revolver when they searched me," said Granger; -"otherwise we might intimidate them." - -"I wonder--" began Kenneth, thrusting his hand into the inner pocket of -his coat. "By Jove! What luck! Here's the policeman's revolver. Keep -them back with that while I start the engine. I shall only be a minute -or two." - -Granger took the revolver unobtrusively. Kenneth went to the front of -the aeroplane and swung the propeller round, the peasants watching him -at first without understanding. When the engine began to fire, however, -they realised the meaning of the movements, and came on brandishing -their scythes. Granger, standing close by the seat, lifted the -revolver. - -"Now, my good men," he said amiably, "we are going to leave you, as you -appear not to relish our company. If any of you come within a dozen -yards of us I shall fire." - -The men came to a halt, scowling at the little weapon pointed at them by -a steady arm. Kenneth got into his seat. - -"I'm ready," he said. - -Granger slowly backed and handed him the revolver, with which Kenneth -covered the peasants as his companion clambered up beside him. Even -before Granger was seated the aeroplane began to move. The peasants -scattered out of its path, cursing the German pigs. It rose into the -air; Kenneth swung it round to the south-west, and in half a minute it -was sailing away out of danger. Glancing round, Granger smiled as he -caught sight of a half squadron of Dutch cavalry galloping into the -meadow behind them. - -[Illustration: "THE PEASANTS SCATTERED OUT OF ITS PATH"] - - - - -CHAPTER V--A CLOSE CALL - - -Remembering that they had crossed the Meuse the night before, Kenneth -steered to the left until he sighted the river, then deflected -southward, and followed its course, keeping on the side of the left -bank. - -There was no means of telling at what point he would cross the northern -frontier of Belgium. Ascending to a great height, in order to escape -shots from either Belgian or Dutch frontier guards, he soon discovered a -town of some size extended on both banks of the river. This could only -be Maestricht. Within twenty minutes of passing this he came in sight -of a much more considerable town through which the river flowed spanned -by several bridges. - -"Better land now," shouted Granger, "or they'll be taking shots at us -from the forts. This is Liege." - -Almost before he had finished speaking the monoplane began to rock like -a ship at sea, and Kenneth had to exert his utmost skill to preserve its -equilibrium. A shell had burst a few hundred yards below them. Some -seconds later they heard the dull thunder of the gun's discharge. -Clearly it was no longer safe to continue the southward course. Kenneth -swerved to the right, and making a steep vol plane, swooped into the -cornfield of a farmhouse close by the high road. - -The people of the farm, at the sight of the German uniforms, fled -precipitately for shelter. Already "the terror of the German name" had -become a by-word in the countryside. - -"We are in hot water, I'm afraid," said Granger. "Strip off your coat; -you're all right underneath." - -Kenneth had hardly taken off his coat and helmet when there was a sound -of galloping horses. A dozen Belgian mounted infantrymen dashed up the -road, leapt the low wall of the farm steading, and shouted to them to -surrender. Granger whipped out his pocket handkerchief and waved it in -the air. The Belgians dismounted, and part of them advanced, the -lieutenant at their head with revolver pointed, the men covering the -fugitives with their rifles. - -"You are our prisoners," said the officer in bad German. - -"Charmed, my dear sir," replied Granger in excellent French. "Contrary -to appearances, we are not Germans, but Englishmen." - -"Ah bah!" snorted the lieutenant. "You wear German uniforms." - -"L'habit ne fait pas le moine," said Granger with a smile. "The fact is -as I state it: we are Englishmen who have escaped from Cologne." - -"The aeroplane is German," the officer persisted. - -"We commandeered it, there being no English machine available. Unluckily -we have no papers on us to prove our nationality; they were taken from -us by the Germans who arrested us as spies." - -"Bah!" said the lieutenant again. That two Englishmen arrested as spies -should have been able to escape on a German monoplane laid too great a -strain upon his imagination. "You are my prisoners. Hand over your -arms." - -Granger at once gave up the revolver, and Kenneth allowed himself to be -searched. The officer rummaged the aeroplane for plans and other -incriminating documents, then ordered two of his men to mount guard over -it, and marched the prisoners through the farmyard to the road, under -the gratified glances of the farm people at their windows. Kenneth -carried his policeman's uniform. - -After walking about a mile, they came to a regiment encamped in a field -beside the road. The lieutenant led his prisoners to the commanding -officer, and explained the circumstances of their capture. - -"You say you are English?" he said, scanning the two men. - -"I assure you that is the truth," replied Granger. "We were both -arrested as spies in Cologne, but by an ingenious stratagem of my friend -here we obtained possession of a German aeroplane, and are delighted to -find ourselves in Belgian territory, among a friendly people." - -"You speak very good French." - -"Which is not to our discredit, I hope," said Granger with a smile. - -The Colonel was plainly even more incredulous than his subordinate. A -man who spoke such good French must be a German spy! He took up the -receiver of a field telephone. Ascertaining that an aide de camp was at -the other end of the wire he said: - -"Two men, one in police, the other in military uniform, German, have -landed from a Taube monoplane west of Liers. They say they are English, -but they are clearly German spies. I await orders." - -The prisoners, who had heard all, watched his face grimly set as he held -the receiver to his ear. - -"It's extraordinary, the persistence of a fixed idea," said Granger in a -low tone to Kenneth. "If he heard us speaking English I suppose he -would take it as a clinching proof that we are Germans! The uniforms, -our salvation in Cologne, are here our damnation." - -"They'll send us to the General, won't they? He won't be such an ass." - -"We shall see." - -A few minutes passed. Then the look of blank expectancy on the -Colonel's face gave way to a look of satisfaction. He laid down the -receiver. - -"Shoot them!" he said laconically, turning to the lieutenant. - -Granger smiled at Kenneth, whose cheeks had gone red with indignation -rather than pale from fear. - -"What rot!" said the boy. - -"I said I should die in my boots," remarked Granger. "My fate has been -hanging over me these ten years. But there's a chance for you. Why not -tell them about the bridge?" - -"They'd only think I was funking, and wouldn't believe me. I won't do -it." - -They were led away towards a clump of trees on the outskirts of the -camp. The lieutenant was selecting his firing party. A crowd of -troopers, some in uniform, others in their shirt sleeves, came flocking -around. One or two officers moved more leisurely towards the scene. -Suddenly one of these started, and hurried forward with an exclamation -of surprise. - -"Mon Dieu, it's you, Ken!" he cried, seizing Kenneth's hand. - -"Hullo, Remi," said Kenneth, his face lighting up. "Just tell your -colonel I'm not a German, will you?" - -"Of course I will. And your friend?" - -"As English as I am. This is my pal, Remi Pariset," he said to Granger. - -"I am delighted to meet you," said Granger, bowing, "even though our -acquaintance should prove of the shortest." - -Pariset, asking his fellow lieutenant to delay, ran to the Colonel, and -returned immediately with him. - -"I beg a thousand pardons, gentlemen," said the Colonel. "I am -desolated at the injustice I have unwittingly done you. Pray accept my -apologies." - -"Not at all, Colonel," said Granger. "Appearances were against us. You -were quite justified in your suspicions; it was our misfortune that we -couldn't change our dress on the way.... I've had many a close shave," -he added in an undertone to Kenneth, "but was never quite so near my -quietus." - -"I was feeling rather rummy," Kenneth confessed: "a queer feeling, not -exactly fear; a sort of emptiness." - -When the troopers learnt the truth, they broke into cries of "Vivent les -Anglais! Vive l'Angleterre!" and the prisoners found themselves the -idols of the camp. They were invited to join the officers at lunch, and -ate with good appetites, having had no food but rye bread and beer since -the previous midday. The officers drank their health with hilarity when -Granger had related the trick by means of which they had escaped from -Cologne, and Kenneth was toasted with embarrassing fervour. - -"The bridge! That will be a clincher," whispered Granger in his ear. - -Kenneth's French was not so good as his German, but he managed, even -though haltingly, to convey to his interested auditors the gist of the -scheme he had overheard. The officers were much concerned. None of -them was able to identify the place from the bare description which was -all that Kenneth could give them. The bridge was clearly not in the -line of the Germans' probable advance; its destruction could only be -meant to assist them. But the clues, slight though they were, must be -followed up, and the Colonel declared that he would communicate with -headquarters about the matter. - -After lunch he took Kenneth aside. - -"I gather that you have not known your companion long?" he said. - -"That is true," replied Kenneth. "I met him for the first time -yesterday." - -"You will pardon me, I am sure. Lieutenant Pariset's voucher for you is -sufficient; but in such times as these I should not be doing my duty if -I allowed Mr. Granger to be at large without enquiry. Will you explain -that to him, and ask him to give me a reference to a British authority?" - -"Certainly. I am sure you will find things all right." - -"The dear man!" laughed Granger when Kenneth told him this. "He needn't -have been so careful of my feelings as to ask you to break it to me. -I've no doubt I can satisfy him." - -He mentioned the name of an official high in the British Foreign Office. - -"A telegram to that address will bring me a character," he said. -"Meanwhile I am out of work, and a sort of prisoner on parole. I am -sorry, because I fear it means that we shall be separated for a time. -You, I suppose, will want to be up and doing." - -"Yes. I've talked things over with Pariset, and he wants me to go with -him in his aeroplane in search of that bridge. But we'll meet again -before long. I'm jolly glad we came across each other." - -They shook hands cordially and parted. - -Meanwhile Lieutenant Pariset had been in consultation with the commander -of the Belgian Flying Corps. It had been decided that Pariset, -accompanied by Kenneth, should make a reconnaissance in his aeroplane -along the railway lines with a view to discover the bridge that was -threatened. The German monoplane, though faster than his own, was -discarded: it would certainly have been fired upon as it crossed the -Belgian lines. There was no clue as to the direction in which the -bridge lay, whether north, east, south or west of Liege. But it seemed -certain that the Germans would not wish to blow up any bridges on the -east. They would rather preserve them, in order to facilitate their -advance. It was more probable that the bridge in question was on a -section of the railway by which reinforcements, either French or -Belgian, might be despatched to Liege. It was therefore decided to -scout to the west and south. - -Early in the afternoon Pariset and Kenneth started, working towards -Brussels by way of Tirlemont and Louvain. Kenneth had been provided -with field-glasses, through which he closely scanned every bridge and -culvert, while Pariset piloted the machine. Flying low, they were able -to examine the line thoroughly. All that Kenneth had to guide him was -the knowledge that the bridge was near a mill. There was a tunnel -between them. It was therefore pretty clear that the bridge and the -mill could not be far apart. - -They flew over the main line as far as Brussels without discovering any -bridge that fulfilled the conditions. Then they retraced their course -and scouted along the branch lines running south from Louvain, Tirlemont -and Landen respectively. Within a few hours they had examined the whole -triangular district that had Brussels, Liege, and Namur at its angles. -At Namur they descended for a short rest, then set off again, to try -their luck on the lines running from the French frontier. - -Both felt somewhat discouraged. To trace the many hundreds of miles of -railway that crossed the country between the Meuse and the Somme -promised to be work for a week. Indeed, it was getting dark by the time -they had run through the coal-mining and manufacturing district between -Mons and Valenciennes. Alighting at the latter place, they heard that -great numbers of German troops had already crossed the Belgian frontier, -and the forts of Liege were being attacked. There was much excitement -in the town, and Pariset had some difficulty in getting petrol to -replenish his tanks. - -Next morning they set off early along the line running eastward through -Maubeuge to Charleroi. It seemed unlikely that they would find the spot -they sought in the midst of a manufacturing district, but if they were -to succeed, nothing must be left untried. - -Towards ten o'clock they were crossing a stream to the south-east of -Charleroi when Kenneth suddenly gave a shout. He had noticed on the -stream a water-mill, between which and a larger river, apparently the -Sambre, the railway crossed the stream on a brick bridge of four arches. -The mill was at least two hundred yards from the bridge, a distance that -seemed too great to have been tunnelled; but it was the first spot he -had seen that in any way conformed to the particulars he had overheard, -and it appeared worth while to examine the place more closely. - -The importance of the bridge was obvious. Its destruction would -seriously delay the transport of any French troops that might be sent -northwards to support Namur or Liege, and correspondingly assist the -Germans in an attempt to take either of those towns by a coup de main. - -At Kenneth's shout Pariset turned his head, understood that some -discovery had been made, and nodded. He did not at once prepare to -alight. If Germans were in possession of the mill they would notice the -sudden cessation of the noise of the propeller, which they must have -heard, and might take warning from the descent of the aeroplane in their -neighbourhood. Luckily he had been flying low, so that the course of -the machine could not be followed for any considerable distance. Having -run out of sight beyond a wood, he selected an open field for his -descent, and alighted a few hundred yards from a farmhouse. - -"Have you found it?" asked Pariset eagerly. - -"I saw a mill and a railway bridge," replied Kenneth; "but we were going -too fast for me to be sure it's the right place." - -"Well, we shall have to find that out. We'll get the farmer to help us -run the machine into his yard, and then reconnoitre." - -The farmer and a group of his men were already hurrying towards them. In -a few words Pariset enlisted their help. The aeroplane was run into the -yard, and placed behind a row of ricks that concealed it from the -outside. - -"We should like some bread and cheese and beer," Pariset said to the -farmer. "May we come in?" - -"Surely, monsieur," was the reply. "Come in and welcome. Ah! these are -terrible times. I don't know how long I shall have a roof over my head. -But they say the English are coming to help us. Is that true?" - -"Quite true. My friend here is an Englishman." - -"Thank God! Oh! les braves Anglais! All will be well now. Come in, -messieurs; you shall have the best I can give you." - - - - -CHAPTER VI--THE OLD MILL - - -Sitting in the farm-kitchen, and eating the farmer's homely fare, -Pariset talked a little about the war, and led the way discreetly to the -questions he was eager to ask. - -"The mill, monsieur? 'Tis twenty years since it was used. I used to -send my corn to it, but nowadays I send it to Charleroi, where a -steam-mill grinds it more cheaply. The old miller is a good friend of -mine, but he retired twenty years ago; he's a warm man, to be sure. -That's his house yonder:" he pointed to a cottage half a mile away -across the fields. "We often have a gossip over a mug of beer." - -"It's just as well he made his money before steam-mills became so -common," said Pariset. "I suppose it wasn't worth any one's while to -keep the water-mill going?" - -"No; there's no money in milling of the old sort now. But it goes to my -heart to see the old mill idle. Such a loss, too. But the miller can -stand it; he's a warm man, as I told you. And after all, he has made a -little out of it lately. But it's a come-down, that's what I say." - -"It is idle, you said." - -"Yes, to be sure, and always will be. But the miller has let it for two -years past. He makes a little out of it, and so do I, not so much as I -should like, for the gentleman is only there now and then. He's a Swiss -gentleman that keeps a hotel in Namur. A great fisherman, he is; he'll -fish for hours in the millpond, and I wonder he has the patience for it, -for there's not much to be caught there since the grinding stopped. -Still, I don't complain; he buys my eggs and butter when he comes there, -two or three times a year perhaps. He's there now, with a few friends -of his." - -"I should like to have a chat with your friend the miller," said -Pariset. - -"He'd like it too, monsieur. He doesn't have much company, and he'd -like to hear about things from an officer; you can't believe what you -read in the papers. I'll take you across the fields." - -In a few minutes they were seated in a cosy little parlour, opposite a -sturdy countryman, hale and hearty in spite of his seventy odd years. He -asked shrewd questions about the war, foresaw great trouble for his -country, but, like the farmer, was cheered by the news that "les braves -Anglais" were coming once more to her rescue. When Pariset led up to -the subject of his mill he became animated. - -"Ah! the old mill is a rare old place," he said with a chuckle. "The -things I could tell you! There was more than milling in the old days. -Times are changed. We're all for law now. But in my grandfather's -time--why, monsieur, he's dead and gone this forty years, so it will do -him no harm if I tell you he was a smuggler. Many and many a barrel of -good brandy used to get across the border without paying duty. Why, -underneath the old mill there are cellars and passages where he used to -store contraband worth thousands of francs. I used to steal down there -when I was a boy, and ma foi! it made my skin creep, though there was -nothing to be afraid of. But 'tis fifty years since my old grandfather -closed them down, and they've never been opened up since." - -"Your present tenant is a hotel-keeper, I hear. He would be interested -to know about the smuggling." - -"That he was, to be sure. He laughed when I told him about it. 'We -can't get rich that way nowadays,' said he. He seems to have plenty of -money, though; pays me a good rent. 'Tis strange what whims gentlemen -have. A month's fishing in the pond wouldn't feed him for a week. He -calls it sport; well, in my young days I liked something more lively. -But the fishing is just an excuse; he comes there now and then for a -change and quiet, though he's not a solitary, like some fishermen. He -has a party of friends sometimes; all Swiss like himself." - -"French Swiss?" asked Pariset. - -"No, German Swiss. For my part, I've no great liking for German Swiss. -They're only one remove from Germans. But his money is good, and it's -something to make a little money out of the old mill after all these -years." - -The old man spoke quite frankly, and evidently had no suspicions about -his tenant. Pariset thought it safe to disillusion him. - -"Would you be surprised to learn that your fisherman is actually a -German?" he said. - -"But that is impossible," said the miller. "He would have gone back to -Germany, because of the war." - -"Unless he is a spy! We have reason to believe that he is, and that he -is using your mill for the benefit of the enemy. That is what has -brought us here." - -"Sacre nom de nom!" the old man ejaculated, and the farmer thumped the -table and swore. "Is that the truth, monsieur?" - -"We suspect him of intending to blow up the railway bridge at a given -signal." - -"Ah! the villain! And he will use the underground passages. That is -why he pays me a high rent, parbleu! But he has come to the end of his -tether. You are here to arrest him?" - -"No. We have no men with us. We came to learn whether our suspicions -were justified. We are not sure of our man yet." - -"Bah!" shouted the old man, red with fury. "It is certain. He has -fooled me. I will raise the countryside. We will fall on these -Germans. Before night they shall lie in the dungeons of Charleroi." - -"Do you think that is the way to go to work?" Pariset asked tactfully. -"They would hardly allow themselves to be caught napping; at the first -alarm they would no doubt blow up the bridge, and I take it that to -prevent that is even more important than to seize the men -themselves--though our aim should be to do both." - -"It is true, monsieur. I am an old man. This is the day of young men. -Oh that I were forty years younger and able to serve my country! But -you will not let them go? You will bring some of our brave soldiers -here and capture the villains?" - -"There may not be time for that. We must meet craft with craft. If we -could only reconnoitre the mill we might be able to hit upon a plan. My -uniform would give me away, if I approached the place as I am; you could -no doubt lend me some clothes to disguise myself?" - -"Surely, monsieur; but----" - -He broke off, eyeing Pariset's face, with its small military moustache, -doubtfully. - -At this moment they heard the rumble of a heavy vehicle on the road. - -"It is the beer, compere," said the farmer, glancing out of the window. - -"Ah! the beer!" repeated the miller. "I might have known they were -Germans! Every week they have a barrel delivered from Charleroi, and it -is not the local brew, but the Lion brew from Munich." - -He had moved to the window, followed by his visitors. A heavy dray -laden with beer was lumbering down the road. As it came opposite to the -house the drayman hailed the miller, pulling up his horses. - -"The Germans are shelling Liege," he said. "Maybe 'tis the last time I -shall come this way. Your good tenants had better clear out." - -"Good tenants!" cried the old man explosively. - -"Quiet!" said Pariset, touching him on the sleeve. "Don't tell him they -are Germans." - -"Ah! You are right, monsieur. But my blood boils. You are going to -the mill?" he asked the drayman. - -"Yes. 'Tis only a small barrel to-day--not the big one they usually -have. There aren't so many of them, seemingly. I was just loading up -the usual nine gallons when the order came from the office to take a -four-and-a-half instead." - -Pariset glanced quickly at Kenneth. - -"They're going to clear out soon," he said in a low tone. "It looks as -though we're only just in time." - -They drew aside from the others while the miller gossiped with the -drayman. - -"I say, you talked of disguising yourself," said Kenneth. "Why -shouldn't you take the drayman's place and deliver the beer? You could -then take stock of the place and the people." - -"A capital notion! I must take the drayman into my confidence. Wait a -minute," he called out of the window, as the man was about to drive on. -In a few words he explained the plan to the miller. - -"Parbleu, monsieur, but look at his size!" said the old man. - -"Yes, that's a difficulty, I admit," said Pariset ruefully. "He would -make three of me. The Germans aren't fools, and if they saw me with his -smock flapping about me they would smell a rat." - -"And your face and hands, monsieur--no, decidedly you could not pass for -a drayman." - -Pariset bit his nails in perplexity. Kenneth stared musingly at the -dray. - -"I've an idea!" he said. "Pretend that the drayman has been called up. -The brewer is short-handed, and has to send clerks out of the office to -deliver the beer: two clerks equal one drayman. Besides, if I go with -you, I may catch sight of that fellow I saw with Hellwig, and make sure -he's our man." - -"The very thing! Your clothes are all right; I must borrow a suit from -the miller. But wait: won't Hellwig's man recognise you?" - -"I'll guard against that--smear my face with rust off the cask-hoops, -and borrow a slouch hat which I'll keep well down over my eyes. It's -worth trying." - -Delighted with the plan, the miller furnished them with the necessary -garments. In a few minutes Pariset, got up passably as a clerk, went -out to the drayman, who was becoming impatient. The man swore when he -learnt that his customers were suspected to be spies, and readily agreed -to remain in the miller's house and await the issue of the stratagem. -Meanwhile Kenneth had rubbed his cheeks and hands with rust, and in the -low flopping hat lent him by the miller would hardly have been -recognised by his friends, much less, he hoped, by a man who had seen -him for only a few minutes. - -"I had better drive," said Kenneth; "then I can keep in the background -while you are delivering the cask, if you can tackle it alone." - -"That will be easy enough. I see there's a ladder or inclined plane or -whatever they call it on the dray. I've only to roll the cask down and -trundle it to the door. I don't suppose they'll let me carry it -inside." - -Kenneth took the reins, and drove off, Pariset, who also had smeared -face and hands, dangling his legs over the tail of the dray. They -jogged down the road, passed under the railway bridge, and came in due -course to the mill. - -The premises were surrounded by an old and dilapidated wall, but they -noticed that along its top ran a row of formidable spikes, apparently of -recent date. The front door of the mill-house faced the road. It was -stoutly built of oak studded with nails, and was flanked on both sides -by barred windows. The smuggling miller who built the place had -evidently made himself secure against surprise. - -When the dray drew up before the door, Pariset sprang down and jerked -the iron bell-pull. From the driver's seat Kenneth saw a face appear -for an instant at one of the windows. After a short interval the bolts -were withdrawn, the door opened, and a man stood on the threshold. -Kenneth tingled; he had recognised him instantly as the man who had been -in conversation with Hellwig. He turned his head so as not to show his -full face, pulled his hat lower over his eyes, and hoped that the -recognition had not been mutual. And he listened anxiously, wondering -how Pariset would acquit himself in his novel part, and wishing for the -moment that Granger was in his place. - -Pariset, however, was cool and collected. He took the bull by the -horns. - -"I am sorry I am late, monsieur," he said, "but the fact is that all our -carters are called up for transport purposes. Being anxious not to -disappoint a valued customer, my master has sent us out of the office. -We shan't be able to come again, for we're called up ourselves--all -through those pigs of Germans, who are said to be across the frontier. -We shan't be able to deliver any more beer, I'm afraid. It's a wonder -we've any horses left." - -The German merely grunted in answer to this. - -"We're in for a very bad time," Pariset went on, as he hoisted the end -of the cask on to the doorstep. "Hadn't you better go back to -Switzerland, monsieur? Pardon the suggestion, but we don't know what -may happen. If these German pigs come south----" - -"Just roll it into the lobby," interrupted the German. "Here's the -money. By the way, have you seen an aeroplane in the neighbourhood?" - -"Yes, we saw one an hour or so ago. It was flying north-east. I -shouldn't be surprised if it was German. The pigs are capable of -anything. But they'll get a reception that will surprise them. Our -little army--but there! You know what your own army would do, and your -turn may come in Switzerland sooner than you think. Thank you: I am -sorry we shan't be able to serve you again, by the look of things." - -He laid the cask in the lobby, pocketed the money, and returned to the -dray. - -Meanwhile Kenneth had seized the opportunity to take a careful look -around. It was clear that it would not be easy to take the place by a -rush without giving the inmates sufficient time to fire the mine beneath -the bridge. The fact that the German had come to the door himself, -instead of the deaf old countryman whom he was said to employ as a -man-of-all-work, showed that he was on the alert. Nothing would be -easier than to overpower the man himself; but if any noise were made in -so doing his companions would instantly come to his assistance, and at -the first sign that the plot had been discovered the bridge would be -blown up. It seemed that the ruse would prove fruitless after all. - -In turning the horses for the journey back, Kenneth contrived to bring -the dray close against the wall, so that from his high seat he was able -to look over. Through the open window of a room giving on the yard he -saw a party of four men playing cards at a table. Close to the right -hand of each stood a tall beer glass. - -"That explains why they are such good customers of the brewery," he -thought. - -Pariset, sitting at the back of the dray with his face to the door, -began to hum a tune, and Kenneth caught the words "En avant!" He -whipped up the horses, big Flemish beasts that were evidently -unaccustomed to go above a walking pace, and the heavy vehicle lumbered -away. - -"Why did you want me to hurry?" asked Kenneth, when they were some -distance along the road. - -"Because that fellow was standing at the door watching us," Pariset -replied. "I wonder if he is suspicious?" - -"I shouldn't think so. You played your part quite naturally. But we -are right, Remi: that's the fellow I saw with Hellwig." - -"Ah!" was all that Pariset said then. - - - - -CHAPTER VII--A HORNET'S NEST - - -"I am not at all happy about this," said Pariset, after a brief silence. - -"We haven't learnt very much, certainly," said Kenneth. - -"I don't mean that. We have learnt enough if that is your man. But I -see no means of preventing the destruction of the bridge." - -"We might fly to Charleroi and send a squadron of lancers back. There -are only five men to deal with, apparently." - -"That's not the difficulty. The point is that at the first sign of -molestation they would fire the mine. You may depend upon it that they -are picked men, with resolution enough to do their job, even at the cost -of their lives. It would not be much use to capture them after the -mischief was already done." - -"The mine is to be fired on receipt of a marconigram." - -"You didn't tell me that. It may happen at any minute, then. They must -have wireless rigged up in the mill-house. We might have cut a wire, -but with wireless we are helpless." - -"Unless we could get into the mill," Kenneth suggested. - -"Ah, if we could! But there's no chance of it. The fellow is on the -qui vive: I don't like the way he looked after us." - -"Wouldn't the old miller, as the landlord, have a right to go in?" - -"I daresay, but the old man couldn't do anything. Even if he knew -anything about wireless or mines, he would only get flustered; he -certainly would quite fail to do any damage." - -"Perhaps he could tell us of another way into the mill, so that we could -do it ourselves." - -"That could only be in the darkness, and they may fire the mine before -night. I see nothing for it, after all, but to bring some cavalry from -Charleroi and take care the men don't escape. We can do that, if we -can't save the bridge." - -"Why not wait a little? If the order to fire the mine comes suddenly, -any time before night, we can't prevent it. But if it doesn't come -before night, we still have a chance. In any case we ought to get some -lancers over, to be in the neighbourhood at nightfall. It won't take -long for one of us to get into Charleroi and back." - -"That would be risky after that fellow's question about the aeroplane. -The best course will be to send in a message by the drayman. I'll write -a note as soon as we get back." - -The drayman readily agreed to carry Pariset's note to the commandant of -the Charleroi garrison. When he had departed, the miller was taken into -consultation. - -"Is there any other entrance to the millhouse besides the front door?" -asked Pariset. - -"There is a door to the stables, but that has long been nailed up," the -old man replied. - -"Describe the interior as well as you can." - -"Well, monsieur, I lived there fifty years, so I ought to know something -about it. You go in by the door; well, first there's the lobby; beyond -that, straight ahead, is the kitchen, and beyond that again, looking on -the stream, is the storeroom with the mill above. To the left of that -is the hoist; and this side of it, overlooking the yard, is the big -room, dining-room and parlour in one. There you have the ground-floor; -the bedrooms are upstairs." - -"And the wall goes all round?" - -"Yes, right down to the stream on each side, and along the bank, except -where the wheel juts out into the waterway. The old wheel is dropping -to pieces; it hasn't been used these twenty years." - -"Couldn't we get in that way?" - -"Ma foi! That's an idea, now. Many's the time I got in that way as a -boy, when the wheel was stopped--just a boy's devilry, you understand. -You could get in that way yet, if the woodwork isn't too rotten to bear -your weight. You would have to wade the stream, but that isn't deep or -swift except in winter. Old as I be I'll show you the way myself." - -"We could get in without being heard?" - -"To be sure, if the woodwork doesn't crack and give way. The kitchen is -the nearest room; old Jules, the handy man, is as deaf as a post, and -his wife, who does the cooking, isn't much better." - -"And where is the entrance to the underground passages?" - -"To the left of the kitchen, in the floor of the hoist." - -As the miller answered his questions, Pariset sketched a rough plan of -the building. - -"Is that something like it?" he asked, handing the paper over. - -The old man put on his spectacles deliberately, and examined the sketch. - -"Near enough," he said. "Ma foi! But I couldn't have done that -myself." - -"Now the question is, when shall we try to get in?" asked Pariset. "The -best time would be when the men are having a meal. The Germans take -their meals seriously; if they are ever to be caught off their guard it -is when they are feeding." - -"That's true," said the miller. "They have their supper somewhere about -seven o'clock. I know that because one evening I met old Jules coming -back from the village all puffing and blowing. I asked him why he was -in such a hurry for an old man; had to ask three times before he heard -me; and he told me he'd forgotten the vinegar, and the gentlemen were -very angry." - -"Well, it's dusk at seven; the lancers will be here by half-past. We'll -make our attempt then." - -"Better go a little earlier, while it's light enough to see our way," -suggested the miller. "I'm not so young as I was, and I doubt whether I -could find my way in the dark." - -"Very well. It's now nearly five; we have nearly two hours to wait. -You'll give us a meal, miller?" - -"To be sure; the best I have. I'd feed a regiment to capture a German -spy." - -Just before seven Pariset and Kenneth left the house with the miller. -Pariset had given the farmer a note addressed to the officer of the -expected lancers, asking him to leave the horses at the farm, and post -his men behind the hedge lining the road in the neighbourhood of the -mill, ready to break in if they were called upon, or to intercept the -Germans if they tried to escape. - -The miller led the way across the fields, by a route which did not -expose them to view from the mill-house until they arrived within a few -yards of the bank of the stream opposite the wheel. The last part of -the journey lay through a cornfield, the wheat growing so high that by -stooping they completely hid themselves. - -All was silent in the mill-house. Dusk was just falling. A lamp had -already been lit in the kitchen, sending a ray of light across the yard -to the left. The rear of the building, facing the stream, was dark. - -Following the miller, the two young fellows stepped into the stream, and -waded across knee deep till they stood below the wheel. It was an -undershot wheel. The chains confining it were deeply rusted. Some of -the floats had fallen away; others were broken; all were more or less -decayed. - -"I've done my part," the miller whispered. "You must squeeze through -into the wheel and slide along the axle. Where it is let into the -brickwork you'll find a hole big enough to crawl through. Climb up, and -you'll find yourselves in a little room that used to be the tool-shop. -Take care you don't stumble over the tools on the floor. At the further -side there's a door into the storeroom. I can do no more. Que le bon -Dieu vous protege!" - -He shook hands with them in turn, recrossed the stream, and disappeared -among the wheat stalks. - -With some difficulty Pariset squeezed his body between two of the -floats, hoisted himself up, and stood in the interior of the wheel. The -rotten woodwork creaked, and the wheel itself groaned slightly as it -moved an inch or two; but the movement was checked by the rusty chains. -Kenneth followed more easily. They swung themselves on to the axle, -jerked their way along it, came to the hole of which the miller had -spoken, and clambering up through it, stood on the floor of the -toolroom. Hands and clothes were coated with red rust. - -The room was lit by a small window overlooking the stream. To their -surprise, it was not empty except for a few rusty implements, as they -had expected from the miller's description. A new deal bench stood -against the wall, flanked by a turning lathe, and an elaborate -engineering equipment. - -"Electrical!" Pariset whispered. - -Treading very carefully, they gently opened the door, took a look round, -and passed into the capacious storeroom. Here they found the plant of a -wireless telegraphy installation. The antennae passed through holes in -the ceiling, emerging, as they guessed, under cover of the parapet, on -the flat roof of the mill. - -In the fast-fading light they were just able to see a doorway on the -right, leading, as they knew from the miller's description, to the hoist -and shoot. In front of them was another door, now open, giving access -to a passage between the kitchen and the dining-room. Pariset slipped -off his wet boots. - -"Wait here," he whispered. - -Stealing along the passage, he came to a door on the right. He put his -ear against it, and heard the clink of knives and forks mingled with -guttural conversation. Creeping back again, he whispered: - -"They are feeding. Come along!" - -They passed from the storeroom into the chamber which had formerly -contained the hoist. Here they noticed a tall heap of earth. - -"They dug that out when continuing the underground passage to the -bridge," said Pariset. - -"Here's the trap-door," returned Kenneth. "Look! There's a wire -running through it, connecting with the room behind." - -"It's all very thorough, confound them!" said Pariset. "I hope the -trap-door won't creak." - -They lifted it gently, and found that it moved on a central axis, well -oiled. Peering into the dark depths, Kenneth discovered a wooden -ladder. They crept down this, into a large underground chamber flagged -with stone, and ventilated by narrow gratings in the brick walls, above -the level of the stream. - -"We had better not both go on," said Pariset. "I'll go up and keep -watch. You proceed, and cut the wires at the further end of the -passage." - -"Why not here?" said Kenneth. "It would save time." - -"But if the word should come to fire the mine, and they find the -apparatus doesn't work, they'd soon discover the cut here and repair it. -Much better do the damage at the other end." - -"Very well. You'll use your revolver if they come before I get back?" - -"Yes. I'll take my chance. They probably won't guess that there's any -one below, if I shut down the trap-door. You know what to do: cut the -wire, or disconnect the terminals." - -With the trap-door closed, it was pitch dark in the chamber. Kenneth -struck a match, and making his way carefully over the flagstones found -himself in a narrow passage, which led into another large chamber like -the first. This again was connected with a third by a short passage. -The floor of the third was heaped with newly excavated earth, and the -sole outlet from it was a low tunnel, which a man could enter only by -bending low. - -Kenneth crept into it, breathing with difficulty in the stuffy -atmosphere impregnated with the smell of earth. It seemed endless, and -must have cost prodigious labour. On and on he went, his back and legs -aching, his breathing more and more oppressed. The thought came to him, -what if the tunnel were obstructed at the further end? When the wire -had once been laid, the Germans would have no interest in keeping the -passage clear. What if the roof fell upon him? What if--direst -possibility of all!--the mine were fired while he was still in the -tunnel? At this thought he felt a momentary "sinking," and dropped his -match-box. Taking a grip upon himself he waited a few moments until his -nerves were steadied, groped for the match-box, struck another match, -and went on. - -A few yards more brought him to an enlargement of the tunnel, where he -could stand upright. And here he found that the wire, laid along the -floor, ended in a metal case, which he guessed to contain a detonating -apparatus, like the floating mines employed at sea. It was the work of -a moment to sever the wire. Then, turning his back on this terrible -agent of destruction, Kenneth hurried along as fast as possible towards -the open end of the tunnel. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII--A FIGHT IN THE MILL - - -Kenneth returned more quickly than he had gone. He was consumed with a -feverish impatience to assure himself of Pariset's safety. Pariset had -been very confident; but it was at least within the bounds of -possibility that, if discovered by the Germans, he might be overpowered -before he had time to fire a warning shot. - -When he reached the trap-door he tapped lightly on it. It was raised at -once. - -"Good!" whispered Pariset. "Is it done?" - -"Yes, the wire is cut." - -"Capital! You have only been twenty minutes." - -"Has anything happened?" - -"A minute or two ago there was a ring at the bell, and I heard someone -go to the door. I was afraid that some friend of these fellows had -discovered the lancers and come to give warning; but it can't be that, -because all is quiet." - -"Still, he may be a friend, and that will mean that we have six men to -deal with instead of five." - -"It doesn't matter, now the wire is cut. We had better creep out again, -go round by the field, cross the bridge, and join the lancers in an -attack on the house." - -"Suppose the lancers haven't come!" - -"We have to reckon with that possibility, of course; but it's not -probable. I'll just reconnoitre again; then we'll get back. If the -lancers have not arrived, we must get the assistance of some stout -fellows from the farm. I'm determined that these Germans shall not -escape." - -"Let me go," said Kenneth. "You don't know German; I do; and I might -overhear something worth making a note of." - -"That's a good notion. We may get on the track of other operations of -theirs. Take off your boots; I'll tie them to mine." - -A minute later Kenneth tiptoed in his stocking feet along the dark -passage. Through the closed door of the kitchen on the left came the -sounds of some one moving about. On the other side he heard the voices -of the men in the dining-room, the door of which was ajar. Grasping his -revolver, he bent his ear towards the opening. At the first words he -caught he started. The voice was only too familiar to him. It was the -voice of Kurt Hellwig. - -Was he there before, Kenneth wondered, or was he the newcomer whose ring -Pariset had heard? In a few seconds the point was cleared up. - -"Yes," Hellwig was saying, "I had intended to give you the word by -wireless myself. But the chief wanted me to come through and see that -all was ready. The wire is fixed?" - -"I guarantee that," was his friend's reply. "You don't want to go along -the tunnel yourself?" - -"No, I'll take your word for it. I'm very tired; thought I should never -get through. Our friend Spiegel was caught in Liege before my eyes, and -taken away to be shot. The soldiers could hardly save him from -lynching, the mob was so furious." - -"The Belgians are going to be troublesome, then?" said another voice. - -"It appears so. We opened the attack on the forts yesterday, and the -fools had the audacity to reply. They did some damage, too, worse luck. -Von Emmich is attacking again to-day in full force, and with his numbers -he'll sweep the idiots away. There'll not be a man left. The orders -are to spare nothing and nobody." - -"When are we likely to get the word?" asked his friend. - -"Probably not at all. If our men are already in Liege, as I expect is -the case, we shall leave the bridge intact: the railway will be useful. -It is only to be blown up in case of a check, to prevent the Belgians -from being reinforced from France. But that's not at all likely." - -"I suppose it is true that England has declared war?" - -Hellwig's ironical laugh made Kenneth's blood boil. - -"Yes, it's true," he said. "It's the chance we've been waiting for for -years. They've next to no army; they're never ready; and within a week -there'll be a rebellion in Ireland which will keep the whole of their -forces busy. Within a month we shall have France under our heel; then -we'll turn back and crush the Russians, who've no organization. Then -with the Channel ports in our possession the rest will be easy. By this -time next year the Kaiser will be dictating peace in London." - -"Well, you ought to know the English; you've lived among them. How they -got their empire I can't understand.... Then we shall be leaving here -soon? It's quite time." - -"What do you mean?" - -"It may be all right, but thinking it over I can't help feeling a little -suspicious. The beer delivered to-day was brought by two clerks. They -said the draymen had been called up, and they were doing duty in their -place. It didn't occur to me till they were driving off that the -clerks, well-set-up young fellows, were likely to have been called up -before the draymen. The man who usually comes is a big fat fellow who -couldn't march a mile without collapsing. But nothing has happened, so -I suppose I was suspicious for nothing." - -"They didn't come into the house?" - -"No; the fellow who brought the cask into the lobby didn't seem at all -curious. Ah!" - -He was interrupted by the ticking of an instrument on a table at the far -end of the room. There was silence for a moment as he read the message. - -"The bridge is to be blown up," said the man, returning. "At last!" - -"Give me a few minutes to finish my meal," said Hellwig. "I've had -nothing to eat for twelve hours. A quarter of an hour, say; that won't -make any difference. I wish your cook would hurry up." - -Kenneth turned to go back, anticipating a possible visit to the kitchen. -At the same moment the kitchen door opened, and an old woman bearing a -tray came into the passage. The light from the lamp behind her fell on -an unfamiliar figure at the door of the dining-room--a bootless man with -a revolver in his hand. The woman screamed; the tray fell from her -hand, and a pool of soup spread over the floor. There was an outcry in -the dining-room; the man nearest the door flung it fully open, to find -the muzzle of a revolver within a few inches of his head. - -In the moment allowed him for thought, Kenneth had realised that he -could not escape if he dashed past the old woman with armed men at his -back. With an inward tremor he made up his mind to the bold course. - -"Hands up!" he cried, as the startled man recoiled. - -The German instantly flung up his hands. But his companions realised -the position. One of them sprang across the room to an electric push in -the wall. Another, covered by the man who had flinched, whipped out his -revolver, and took a snapshot at Kenneth. But a slight movement of the -man between them brought him in the line of fire, and he fell with a -bullet through his head. - -It was no time for half measures. Kenneth covered his assailant, fired, -and brought him down. Through the shrieks of the old woman in the -passage there came to his ears a shout of encouragement, and immediately -after he had fired his shot Pariset rushed up to the doorway, reaching -over Kenneth's shoulder to point his revolver. At the sight of this the -three remaining men dashed to the open window and leapt out; the last of -them, pausing to close the window, was winged by Pariset's flying shot. -Kenneth and his friend sprang across the room, threw the window open, -and jumped into the yard. But the brief delay at the window had given -the fugitives time to make their escape in the darkness. They were not -to be seen. - -"The lancers will get them!" Kenneth panted. - -"If they've come!" replied Pariset. - -He blew his whistle. There was no response. They dashed across the -yard, wondering how the Germans could have escaped, for there was no -outlet on this side of the house, and the wall was high and spiked. But -after a minute or two they discovered a gap in the base of the wall, -large enough to admit a man crawling. On the outside it was concealed -by long grass and weeds. Wriggling through this they sprinted along by -the wall to the road. And then they heard the distant galloping of a -troop of horsemen. Pariset blew his whistle again, and in a few seconds -a half squadron of Belgian lancers reined up. - -"Three men have escaped," cried Pariset. "Round them up!" - -The horsemen galloped off, some along the road, some along the grassy -bank of the stream, the rest into the field beyond the hedge. - -"A pity they were late," said Pariset, walking slowly with Kenneth back -to the house. "When I heard your shot I expected that they'd force the -door and rush in." - -"I hope they will catch the Germans," said Kenneth. "One of them--it -was the last comer, the man whose ring at the bell you heard--was -Hellwig. I shall be particularly disgusted if he gets off." - -"What led to the row? You weren't rash enough to attack them?" - -"No; but I wasn't so careful as I ought to have been, I'm afraid. You -see, hearing no knives and forks going, I thought they had finished -their meal, and everything was cleared away, and didn't expect any -danger from the kitchen. As soon as I knew there was something -preparing for Hellwig I backed, straight into the old woman with a tray. -It was all up then, of course." - -"You've had a lucky escape. But we have saved the bridge." - -"One of the fellows dashed to an electric push," said Kenneth, smiling. -"I was too busy to notice how he looked when the explosion he expected -didn't happen, but I've no doubt it was the surprise of his life." - -"We'll have a look round. I'll give the old woman a soothing -explanation, and borrow a lamp." - -Their investigation added little to their knowledge. The luggage of the -spies contained no papers bearing on espionage. But the wireless -installation, carried up inside the chimney, was very powerful. The -electrical apparatus for firing the mine was in perfect order. - -"There is nothing amateurish about it," said Pariset. "This is spying -reduced to a science." - -It was some time before the lancers returned. They brought with them -the man who had been wounded as he sprang through the window. The -others had got away. The man who had fired at Kenneth was dead; his -comrade, to whom he owed his death, Kenneth had wounded. - -After consultation with the captain of lancers, it was decided to leave -a dozen men to occupy the mill, pending the receipt of instructions from -headquarters. Kenneth and Pariset begged a lodging for the night from -the old miller, who was delighted at the success of their scheme, and -lavishly hospitable. - - - - -CHAPTER IX--IN THE TRENCHES - - -Next morning the two friends flew into Charleroi. The town was seething -with excitement. People were laughing and singing, cheering every -soldier who passed along the street, congratulating each other on the -good news. It had become known that the fierce German assaults of the -previous day on Liege had been beaten back by the guns of the forts and -the steady rifle fire of the men in the trenches, and that the Germans -had asked for an armistice. - -"Splendid!" said Pariset, when he learnt the news from a brother -officer: "though we mustn't crow too soon. The cessation of the attack -gives us the chance I wanted, then. We can take advantage of it to get -into Liege. I should like to report our little coup in person." - -"There will be no difficulty in my getting away, I suppose?" asked -Kenneth. - -"What do you wish to do?" - -"Get to England and join the Flying Corps." - -"They would take you?" - -"Well, my chest measures thirty-six inches, my teeth are sound, and I've -no varicose veins. The only doubt is about my sight: my right eye is a -trifle astigmatic. But I think I should pass the doctor." - -"I wish you could stay with us. But I understand your wish to serve -with your own army. As soon as we get back I'll ask the commandant if I -can be spared to carry you to Ostend." - -Kenneth agreed to this, and they started eastward. It was nearing -midday when they swooped down from a great height on to an open space -some three miles west of Liege. Pariset had pointed out the positions -of the forts as they descended; but Kenneth had been able barely to -distinguish them while in the air, and when he came to the ground they -were quite out of sight. - -But the intervening space had been carefully prepared for infantry. -Trenches had been dug, barbed wire entanglements stretched from point to -point, every natural feature adapted to the purposes of defence. At the -present moment the trenches were not manned. Pariset learnt from a -comrade in the flying corps that though the armistice had been refused, -the Germans had not as yet renewed the attack. Their losses on the -previous day had been very heavy, and the garrison were confident of -their ability to repulse any further assaults if the Germans persisted -in attacking in the same dense masses, and were not supported by heavier -artillery than that which they had employed hitherto. - -Kenneth listened eagerly to the conversation between the two airmen. He -learnt how the German infantry, covered by artillery, had advanced again -and again in close formation, only to be hurled back by the fire from -the forts and the trenches, followed up with the bayonet. The Belgians -were amazed at the doggedness with which their enemy had pressed on, -careless of cover, though great gaps were torn in their packed columns. -Such a wastage of men pointed to a vast confidence in the ultimate -superiority of numbers, the crushing of the defence by sheer weight -rather than skill. - -Pariset explained, when Kenneth questioned him, the importance to the -enemy of the capture of Liege. Encircled by its twelve forts, -constructed by the engineering genius of General Brialmont, the town -stood as a formidable obstacle to the advance of the Germans through the -valley of the Meuse, the easiest way into France. Every day it could be -held was a day's delay in the prosecution of the enemy's plan of -campaign, which, as everybody knew, was to crush France before Russia -had time to threaten Germany on her eastern border. - -"The Germans have, they think, a very perfect military machine," Pariset -continued; "I daresay they have, though perhaps they are a little too -cocksure about it. They've had no experience of war for forty years, -and their easy victory in 1870 has possibly produced what you call -swelled head. Anyhow, the most perfect machine may be dislocated by a -little grit, and Liege, we hope, will be the little grit for the -occasion. Now we had better get some lunch; then we'll fly north. I'll -report myself to my commandant, and ask for leave to carry you to -Ostend." - -They walked away to the rear of the lines, towards a cottage on which -the canteen flag was flying. Before they reached it they met a general -officer on horseback, cantering along accompanied by an aide-de-camp. -Pariset saluted, the officers touched their hats and passed. - -"General Leman, commanding the forts," said Pariset. - -"He looked just like an Englishman," Kenneth replied. - -Pariset smiled, and was beginning a chaffing remark when he was hailed -from behind. Turning, he saw that the officers had reined up, and -turned their horses' flanks towards him. He hurried back, Kenneth -taking a step or two in the same direction. - -"Lieutenant Pariset, I understand?" he heard the general say. "I -compliment you on your little exploit. You did very well; thank you!" - -Pariset murmured something, saluted again, and the officers rode off. - -"He didn't give me time to tell him about you," said Pariset, rejoining -his friend. "He is evidently in a hurry to get back to Fort Loncin." - -"It doesn't matter about me," said Kenneth. "How did he know about it -at all?" - -"He must have got the news by telegram or wireless from Charleroi. But -really it was your doing, you know. I must make that clear." - -"Don't talk rubbish! I only gave you the information. I liked the look -of him. What keen eyes he has!" - -"He's a splendid fellow. But come along! Our men are a hungry lot, and -I don't want to find the board cleared." - -They were sitting at lunch among a group of cheery young officers when a -bugle rang out. The officers sprang up, seized their arms, and rushed -out of the cottage. - -"The Germans are coming on again," cried Pariset. "Come and see." - -They ran back towards the trenches, which were already filling with -riflemen. A deep boom sounded from some distant spot. - -"A German gun!" said Pariset. - -"I don't see the shell," said Kenneth, looking round. - -"My dear fellow, it had fallen somewhere before we heard the sound. Ah! -the forts are replying." - -In a few minutes the silence of the summer noon was shattered by the -continuous thunder of artillery. With the deep slow booms of the big -guns was mingled the quicker, sharper bang of machine guns somewhere out -of sight. - -"Get down, you asses!" cried an officer, as they drew near to the -trenches. "Do you want to be marked?" - -They took cover behind a hedge. Kenneth tingled from top to toe as he -heard the crash of the guns, and felt the earth and the very air shake -with the concussion. Presently a shrill whistle sounded; it was -followed almost instantaneously by a prolonged crackle, which had hardly -died away when from above them came a zip, zip, zip, like the notes of -some tuneless bird. - -"The Germans are firing anyhow," said Pariset in an involuntary whisper. - -Round the hedge came swiftly two men in blue coats with the red cross on -their sleeves, carrying an ambulance. A groan rose from it. - -"I can't stand this," said Pariset. - -He dashed along the hedge and into the open. Kenneth instinctively -followed him, not doubting for a moment what it was that Pariset could -not stand. Pariset, with Kenneth close at his heels, made straight for -the nearest trench, heedless of the shot and shell whistling, singing, -crashing around them. They flung themselves into the trench, and -Kenneth, without understanding how it had happened, found himself -leaning forward, rifle in hand, listening to a droning monotone from -Pariset a yard to the left of him. - -"Mark your man.... Don't be in a hurry.... Keep your head as low as -possible.... You'll soon get used to the noise." - -It was a minute or two before Kenneth realised that the rifle had been -thrust into his hand for use. Looking over the parapet of the trench he -was still confused and bewildered. Pariset expected him to fire, but -where was the enemy? He saw the long grass waving in the breeze, a few -scattered trees in the field beyond, wisps and cloudlets of smoke--and -then, as the range of his vision increased, in the far distance a -bluish-grey mass rolling like a billow towards him. - -At last he understood. That bluish-grey mass was the enemy. It -represented brute force, broken faith, merciless tyranny. It was the -devastating flood which these brave soldiers about him were giving their -lives to check. - -Presently he distinguished individuals in the mass. - -"Mark your man!" - -The words, coolly spoken by Pariset on his left, set his imagination on -fire. It was his privilege to have a share in their fight for freedom. -He laid the rifle to his shoulder, marked his man along the sight, and a -touch of his finger sped a bullet on its way. - -For the next half-hour Kenneth lost account of everything but the task -so suddenly thrust upon him. The deafening din of bursting shells and -rifle fire, the quick silent activity of the ambulance bearers, the -shouts and groans of men, were unnoticed by him in his constant -preoccupation. He learnt afterwards how the Germans had pressed on with -marvellous passive courage under the hail of lead and shell from the -forts and trenches; how the gaps cleft in their close-packed ranks had -been instantly filled up, as if men had sprung out of the earth. He -fired until the chamber was empty, refilled and fired again, every now -and again hearing Pariset's monotonous cry, "Mark your man!" - -Presently there was a shrill whistle. Instantly, in the trench on -either side of him, the men who had been lying flat sprang to their feet -and dashed forward with a joyous shout. He was up and after them, -running across the field, with bayonet out-thrust, towards the stalwart -men in blue-grey, who had hitherto come nearer and nearer like the -irresistible tide. But now he became suddenly conscious that the tide -was receding. These stout warriors whom shot and shell had failed to -daunt had turned tail at the sight of gleaming steel. Their ranks -broke; they wavered, spun round, and fled in panic disorder across the -field. - -As Kenneth, with parched lips and trembling limbs, returned with Pariset -from that victorious charge, an officer of the general's staff met them. - -"This will never do, lieutenant," he said to Pariset; "we have plenty of -brave fellows to man the trenches, but we haven't too many airmen, and -we can't afford to risk them in field operations. You have no business -here, you know." - -"But wasn't it glorious, colonel?" said Pariset, glowing. - -"They are men to be proud of. But I am quite serious; get back to your -corps; there will be plenty of work for you. Has this man no uniform, -by the way?" - -"They have run short, colonel," said Pariset instantly. "We will rig -him up in a day or two." - -"See to it. If the Germans capture a man in civilian dress they will -shoot him at sight. Now, get back at once." - -"I thought it better not to go into particulars," Pariset remarked to -Kenneth as they went on. "There might have been a row." - -"It's just as well," said Kenneth. "But, I say, I think I'll go into -the infantry after all." - - - - -CHAPTER X--BROKEN THREADS - - -On returning to his headquarters, some eight miles west of the town, -Pariset asked permission of his commandant to convey Kenneth to Ostend. -He met with a peremptory refusal; he could not be spared. - -"You'll have to go by train," he said to Kenneth. "It will take you a -long time, the railway is so congested with troops and refugees. Must -you go?" - -"What else can I do?" - -"Well, we're short of men. I'd like to keep you. If I get you a sort -of appointment, will you stay?" - -"Rather! It might be months before I got a job at home." - -"Then I'll see the commandant again and try to arrange it." - -When he returned half-an-hour later, Kenneth knew by his expression that -he had been successful. - -"It was easier than I expected," he said. "He was good enough to say -that you're just the man we want. He told me, too, that we have already -accepted the services of two English airmen who have volunteered, so -everything is quite in order. We'll go into Liege and get you a suit of -overalls. I am delighted." - -After the necessary purchases had been made, they went into the Hotel de -l'Europe for dinner. The dining-room was crowded, and Kenneth, as he -entered, glanced somewhat confusedly around the tables. Suddenly he -heard his name, uttered in a low tone, and turning round in surprise, -saw Granger beckoning him to a small table at which he sat alone. - -"There's room here for you both, at a squeeze," he said. "I'm glad to -see you again." - -"It's all right, then?" asked Kenneth as they sat down. - -"Oh yes! They got a reassuring telegram from my chief this morning. -What's more, I am to stay in Liege for the present; I am lent to the -Belgians." - -"That's capital. I have lent myself." - -"'Loan oft loses both itself and friend.' I hope it won't be so in our -case! Well, what have you been doing?" - -Kenneth plunged into an account of the affair at the mill. Granger -interrupted him when the waiter came for orders, and again when the man -returned with the dishes. At the conclusion of the story, which Kenneth -gave only in outline, Granger said: - -"Hellwig is in Liege. My own stay here is not unconnected with him. He -is one of the most resourceful, ingenious and dangerous of the thousands -of spies in the German service.... They were all County Kerry men, and -when they stood at attention you might have heard a pin drop." - -His companions stared at him in amazement. His last sentence, -apparently unconnected with what had gone before, had been spoken -without change of voice or expression, and he imperturbably sucked his -lemon squash through a straw before he went on: - -"He has a marvellous command of languages; is Protean in his disguises; -and in nimbleness of wit outdoes any other German I have ever come -across.... They mixed the salad with engine oil, and when Lady Barbara -took a mouthful of it, she swallowed it without blinking, and remarked -to me, 'The chef is a perfect marvel in inventing new flavours.' ... -Waiter!" - -"Monsieur?" said the waiter, smiling and bowing. - -"Another lemon squash." - -When the waiter had gone, Granger said: - -"I must have that fellow arrested." - -"What on earth for?" asked Pariset. - -"And what are you driving at, with your County Kerries and your Lady -Barbaras?" said Kenneth. - -"The waiter has been hovering round a little more closely than the most -officious garcon need do. You didn't notice him, perhaps? He speaks -pretty good French, with a strong Belgian accent. Did you see what -happened when I called him?" - -"What was it?" asked Kenneth. - -"I put something of the parade ground tone into my voice, and the fellow -brought his heels together in the correct German style. One could -almost hear the click. Well greased as his hair is, you can see it -trying to rise _en brosse_, and I caught him just now twirling an -invisible moustache." - -"A spy?" - -"Unless my instinct and my judgment are equally at fault. But here he -comes; don't be surprised if I break off into irrelevancies; answer in -kind." - -The waiter placed the glass on the table, and withdrew, to attend to a -man at the next table. - -"As I was saying," Granger went on, "Hellwig is here, in what shape I -don't know, but I hope to catch him yet. Your friend Finkelstein, by -the way, has been arrested in Cologne and thrown into prison." - -"Good heavens! Not through me, I hope," said Kenneth. - -"On a charge of espionage, at any rate. I have no doubt he owes that to -... Yes, it was a very dark night, and he didn't recognise me until I -was as near to him as I am to you. Then ... he owes it to Hellwig." - -"But what can his motive be? He's his cousin." - -"The nearer the bone ... Finkelstein has a daughter, I believe?" - -"Yes." - -"Well, what more natural than that Hellwig should be appointed trustee -to his cousin's daughter and manager of the business?" - -"I did suspect that he wants to marry Frieda." - -"Ah! Motive enough! ... Waiter!" - -The others watched the man. His manner was a strange compound of two -servilities--the waiter's and the German private's. - -"Monsieur?" - -"Bring coffee." - -The waiter departed. - -"I must certainly have him arrested," said Granger. "So you see, my -dear fellow, that if I manage to lay Hellwig by the heels I shall -perhaps be able to make you some return for what I owe you." - -"But that won't release Max Finkelstein." - -"I confess I was at that moment thinking of the daughter," said Granger -with a whimsical look at Kenneth. Pariset glanced at his friend and -smiled. - -"The idea of her marrying that cur!" said Kenneth. - -"It won't bear thinking of, will it?" said Granger. "That fellow is -rather long with the coffee." - -They waited, discussing the probable course of the war. After a while -Granger summoned the head waiter. - -"Our waiter has been over long fetching our coffee," he said. "Will you -stir him up?" - -In a minute or two the head waiter returned, carrying the coffee -himself. - -"Pardon, messieurs," he said. "Gustave was suddenly taken sick, and is -not able to serve at present." - -"I have lost this trick," said Granger ruefully, when they were again -alone. "While I had my eye on the German, he evidently had his eye on -me. And for once the German was the quicker to act. Well, we all have -our ups and downs--I might have said our exits and our entrances: exit -spy, enter staff-officer, who is looking for you, Monsieur Pariset, if I -am not mistaken." - -A Belgian captain was threading his way across the room, looking quickly -from table to table, here and there acknowledging or returning a -greeting, but briefly, in the manner of one preoccupied. His glance -suddenly falling on Pariset, he smiled, and came directly towards him. - -"I heard that you were here," he said. "Have you finished?" - -"Yes." - -"Then give me a minute privately." - -His eyes rested for a moment on Kenneth and Granger, whom he did not -know. - -"Certainly," said Pariset. "Let me introduce my friends." - -The introduction made, the officer's manner changed. - -"Let us all go into the smoking-room together," he said. "The matter -I've to speak about need be no secret among us four." - -"You'll excuse me," said Granger, whose tact never failed. "I have one -or two things to attend to; I hope I may have the pleasure some other -time." - -He left the others, and they made their way to the smoking-room. - - - - -CHAPTER XI--THE CENTRE ARCH - - -"You know the railway bridge over the Ourthe, at Sy, just south of -Hamoir?" the captain began, lighting a cigarette. - -"Yes," said Pariset. - -"A section of our sappers were told off to blow it up this morning. -Their work was only half done when they were surprised and cut up by a -patrol of Uhlans. The Germans very quickly repaired the damage, and are -now using the line to bring up troops and material against the Boncelles -and Embourg forts." - -"Well?" said Pariset, as the officer paused. - -"It occurred to the Chief that you who had saved one bridge might -perhaps destroy another. It is a mere suggestion, not a command. The -work would be very risky; it is not your job, and all that part of the -country is in German hands. But when the matter was mentioned I said I -thought you would at least make a reconnaissance and learn what prospect -there is of a successful attempt." - -"Of course," said Pariset at once. "You don't know exactly how much -damage was done?" - -"No. Perhaps a bomb or two would complete it." - -"That is rather doubtful," said Pariset musingly. "The chances of -hitting the bridge at the right spot from an aeroplane flying very high -at speed are slight, and we should have to fly high to escape the German -shot." - -"Unless we flew in the Taube," suggested Kenneth. "In that we might get -low enough to smash the bridge before they suspected us." - -"The objection to that is that you would be in almost as great danger -from our own guns as from the German," said the captain. "The forts -would certainly fire on you. But stay: if you decide on that, I will -'phone the southern forts to pass a Taube showing the Russian flag. That -would protect you until you are clear of our lines." - -"Very well," said Pariset. "We will start early in the morning. Do you -mind getting us a Russian flag while I talk over things with my friend?" - -"Not at all. I will bring it to you here." - -He left them. - -"It is frightfully risky," said Pariset, "but we must make the attempt. -We must wear German uniforms. Your friend Granger's will come in -handy." - -"You have practised bomb-dropping, of course," said Kenneth. - -"Yes, but, as I said, it's a most uncertain thing. Besides the -difficulty of hitting the vulnerable spot, the bombs sometimes do little -damage. We might drop a dozen, and yet fail to destroy the bridge. -It's essentially a job to be done on terra firma." - -"It's not likely we should be able to land. Even if there is at the -moment no considerable force in the neighbourhood the bridge is sure to -be guarded." - -"That's certain. Still, it's just as well to be provided for the off -chance, so I'll take, along with the ordinary bombs, a small case of -gelignite and a little electric battery--a pick-axe, too: that may be -useful." - -"How far is it?" - -"About twenty miles. The bridge is at a narrow gorge by the village of -Simon's Inn. There's a tunnel beyond, and the banks of the river are -steep. The railway crosses the river several times, but I'm pretty sure -of the particular bridge they have tried to destroy." - -They waited nearly an hour before the captain returned. - -"I have had the greatest difficulty in getting the flag," he said, -placing a parcel in Pariset's hands. "I tried several shops in vain, -then it occurred to me to apply at the Russian consulate, and they -happened to have a spare one. I wish you luck. Report to me at -head-quarters." - -At seven o'clock next morning, equipped with the needful apparatus, they -ascended from their headquarters in the Taube monoplane, took an -easterly course, then swung southward and passed between the Flemelle -and Boncelles forts. It was a beautiful summer morning. The country -was bathed in sunlight, and no warlike sounds disturbed the still air. -But south of the town clouds of dust hung over every road, and they -caught sight of masses of men moving northward, the sun glinting on -weapons and the spikes of helmets. Pariset, in the observer's seat, -felt sick at heart. How was it possible for the little Belgian army to -resist these immense hordes? - -The well-known shape of the aeroplane (they no longer showed the Russian -flag) purchased immunity. They flew over the railway, then over the -Meuse north of Huy, then sweeping to the east soon came in sight of the -Ourthe winding between meadows and precipitous cliffs, and the railway -to Neufchateau. The valley broadened out. Instructed by Pariset, -Kenneth steered the monoplane over the village of Hamoir on the left -bank. Almost immediately afterwards they came above the cluster of -houses at Sy, and the bridge crossing the gorge, beyond which the -railway entered the tunnel. - -On the north side of the bridge stood a long goods train, apparently -waiting the signal to proceed. On the south side, part in, part out of -the tunnel, was a train of passenger coaches, gaily bedecked with leafy -branches of trees. A few soldiers had got out of the train, and were -sitting smoking in the meadow. At each end of the bridge four guards -were posted. - -The aeroplane passed over the cliff through which the tunnel ran, then -bore to the left in the direction of Werbomont and was soon out of sight -from the bridge. Choosing a lonely field sheltered by a wood, Kenneth -brought the machine to the ground. - -"We can't destroy the bridge with bombs," said Pariset, "but it's just -possible to do it with the gelignite if you are game." - -"What's your idea?" asked Kenneth. - -"There's clearly a block on the line somewhere to the north. It may be -a long time before it is cleared, giving us just the opportunity we -want. There's a path through the fields on the left bank, leading to -the bridge. It seems fairly covered. My idea is that you should go -down to the bridge with the gelignite." - -"But it is guarded," Kenneth interrupted. - -"Don't be impatient. I was going on to say that I will fly over the -bridge and stampede the guards. That will give you a chance to creep -up. Your uniform will protect you long enough for the purpose, I hope. -The Germans won't suspect you until the explosion occurs. Then it will -be a ticklish moment. The fellows who have got out of the train may -fire at you; but they are a good distance away, and you ought to have -time to rush back under cover before they can do any damage. I'll be -ready to pick you up. Or, if you like, I'll take the gelignite and you -drop the bombs." - -"No. I've had no practice at that. I'll take my chance. But we're -about two miles from the bridge, I fancy. It will take me at least half -an hour to get there, not knowing the way. Anything may happen in that -time." - -"I'll come with you until we find a guide. There will be plenty of time -for me to come back to the aeroplane and still reach the bridge before -you. I will give you half an hour from now before I fly off." - -They set off together, walking rapidly over the fields. Turning into a -lane, they came suddenly face to face with a farm boy of about sixteen -years. His jaw dropped, and a look of terror showed in his eyes when he -saw the German uniforms. Pariset spoke to him rapidly in Walloon, and -gave him money. Thus reassured, he agreed to conduct Kenneth across the -hill to the path which Pariset had mentioned. - -"Good luck!" said Pariset, as they parted. "Don't risk too much. If -the stratagem fails, make your way back to the same spot." - -Kenneth carried the gelignite and the battery. He gave the pick-axe to -the boy. Pariset had learnt from him that no Germans had been seen on -the lanes and roads, but they walked across the fields under cover of -the hedgerows in case patrols or foraging parties should appear. - -Their course brought them within half an hour to a field some little -distance above the bridge. Kenneth dismissed the boy, and keeping under -cover to avoid observation from the trains, which were stationary in the -places where he had seen them forty minutes before, he crept as near to -the bridge as he dared, and waited. He heard the water lapping the -piers, the voices of the guards at the nearer end, the distant hiss of -the locomotive of the troop train blowing off steam--and then a faint -deep _burr_, growing louder moment by moment. - -The guards raised their voices. - -"Another Taube," said one. - -"He's flying very high," said another. "Thinks we are Belgians, -perhaps." - -"But he's coming down," said the third. "Look at that swoop! It fairly -makes me sick to see him." - -Kenneth, posted under cover, was not yet able to see the aeroplane, but -from the silence that fell upon the guards he guessed that Pariset was -executing one of those steep dives which make the onlooker hold his -breath. - -"I hope he won't come too low," he thought. - -And then, in pursuance of the plan arranged, he began to steal along the -bank of the river towards the bridge, confident that the attention of -the guards was riveted on the aeroplane. He saw it now, sweeping round -in a huge circle, still at a great height. - -When the expected signal came, it was startling in its suddenness. -Kenneth had not seen an object fall from the aeroplane, but there was a -sharp explosion just beyond the bridge, a cloud of dust, and cries of -amazement and fear from the guards. He moved nearer to the bridge. From -the direction of the troop train he heard the crackle of rifles. The -eyes of the guards were still turned upwards upon the monoplane, which -was circling round at a height of three or four thousand feet above the -bridge, within range, indeed, but a difficult target. - -Taking advantage of the excitement of the men, Kenneth had crept through -the scrub on the river bank and come beneath the end of the bridge. He -had already perceived that the stone arch at each end had been -destroyed, but the centre arch was intact, and the gaps had been covered -with stout balks of timber on which the railway track was laid. His aim -must be to destroy the central arch. With that broken down, to repair -the bridge a second time would be a much more difficult matter. - -Covered now by the bridge, he waded out to the central arch, carrying -his apparatus. He had supposed that it would be necessary to hack out -with the pick-axe a hole in the masonry large enough to hold the case of -gelignite, and the risk of being heard strung his nerves to a high -tension. It was with great relief that he discovered a hole already -made. Apparently a charge had been laid there by the Belgian engineers, -but it had failed to explode, and probably had been removed by the -Germans. - -He lost no time in wedging the case of gelignite into the cavity, -attached the detonator, and waded back to the bank. There was now -almost continuous rifle fire from the troops, who had alighted from the -train and lined up on the track. The incessant noise smothered the -whirr of the propeller, but it was clear that Pariset was still -absorbing the attention of the Germans. Kenneth crept along up stream, -paying out the wire as he went, until he reached the shelter of a dense -thicket. Then he made the connection with the battery. Instantaneously -there was a deafening roar, the arch collapsed, and the whole bridge -fell with a crash into the river. - -Somewhat breathless, Kenneth remained hidden for a minute. The rifle -shots had ceased; there was a confused shouting from the troops; and -through it he heard again the hum of the aeroplane. A bomb burst on the -ground near the end of the bridge. The fusillade recommenced. Seizing -the opportunity, Kenneth quitted his hiding-place, and made the best of -his way back across the field, observing that Pariset was still circling -round in order to distract the enemy, but rising ever higher. - -When Kenneth reached the rendezvous Pariset was awaiting him. - -"Hullo! You're wounded!" cried Kenneth, noticing that Pariset was -grasping his right wrist. - -"Bruised by a splinter, that's all," said Pariset. "It's painful, but -not dangerous. The planes are riddled; I'm very lucky to have fared, no -worse. You managed that splendidly, Ken. I was surprised you did it so -quickly." - -"There was already a cavity in the arch, which saved labour." - -"We have both earned our dinner. You will pilot the machine back?" - -"Of course. Are you sure you are not seriously hurt?" - -"Quite. I only hope I get nothing worse before the war is over." - - - - -CHAPTER XII--A FIGHT WITH A ZEPPELIN - - -Nearing Liege on their return journey, the airmen became aware of a -momentous change from the peaceful scene of the morning. A pall of -smoke hung over the country for miles. Wherever there were rifts in it, -they caught glimpses of immense grey masses that appeared to be crawling -towards the city from every side except the west. It was evident that -the Germans were attacking in stupendous force. - -Kenneth steered to the west, doubtful whether he should find the -headquarters of the Flying Corps in the spot where he had left it. The -monoplane escaped the Germans' attentions, and when it came within range -of the Belgians' rifles, Pariset hung out the Russian flag, which was -his surety. - -Locating the aeroplane park with some difficulty, considerably to the -westward of its former position, Kenneth at length brought the machine -to the ground. The air quivered with the shock of artillery fire; the -noise was incessant. - -"What is the news?" asked Pariset of a comrade who had come up to greet -him. - -"They are shelling us with heavy guns, and devoting particular attention -to Fort Loncin, where General Leman is," was the reply. "And it is said -that they have got into the town. The people are making off in -crowds.... You have had a knock!" - -"A slight bruise. We managed it!" - -"What?" asked his friend, who was unaware of his errand. - -"Blew up the bridge above Sy, and held back a troop train, for the rest -of the day, I hope. I must go and report to the chief; tell you all -about it later." - -In giving in his report Pariset did not fail to emphasise the hazardous -part that Kenneth had had in the operation. The commandant complimented -them both, and made an entry against Kenneth's name in his notebook. -Then he said: - -"We have had our first encounter with a Zeppelin, and unluckily had the -worst of it. The Zeppelin was reconnoitring, and Boissel went in -pursuit. The crew opened fire with their machine guns when he was -manoeuvring for position, and a shot smashed his arm. He managed to -land, and then collapsed. The machine was slightly buckled up in coming -to ground, and will be useless for a day or two." - -"I'm sorry for Boissel," said Pariset. "He will be cut up at being -knocked out so soon. Has the Zeppelin been seen since?" - -"No. The forts opened fire upon it, apparently without success, for it -sailed away to the north-east." - -"Shall we tackle it if it comes back?" Pariset asked eagerly. - -"Hadn't you better rest? You have done a good day's work already, and I -don't want to lose you as well as Boissel." - -"To tell the truth, our job at the bridge has whetted my appetite, and I -am sure Amory is ready for another go." - -"Whenever you please," said Kenneth. - -"Very well," said the commandant. "But I beg that you won't be rash. -Boissel was a little too eager--a pardonable fault; but prudence is a -positive merit." - -"We will be discretion itself," said Pariset. - -Kenneth smiled; he did not know Boissel, but he could not imagine any -airman more likely to show reckless daring than his friend. - -They snatched a meal, then set about their preparations. The Zeppelin -being manned with a numerous crew armed with rifles and machine guns, -and equipped for bomb-throwing, it was axiomatic that the aeroplane must -try to accomplish by superior speed, climbing power, and manageability -what it could not hope to achieve by force. If it were a mere question -of manoeuvring the advantage would lie with the aeroplane. The Zeppelin -would be at a disadvantage in that it presented a bulkier target. - -After a hurried discussion--for the Zeppelin might return at any -moment--the two airmen decided to get a number of bombs with time fuses, -and to fix in front of the pilot's seat a small petrol lamp, sheltering -it from the wind by a zinc screen that would almost enclose it; the fuse -could be lit from this. - -"It won't be wise to trust to bombs exploding by contact," he explained. -"They might miss the mark, big as it is; and the envelope of the airship -is so fragile that it is quite possible for a bomb to pass through it -without exploding." - -"But wouldn't the gas escape through the rent, and the thing collapse?" -Kenneth asked. - -"The envelope consists of several compartments, and one might be injured -without affecting the others." - -"You won't try rifle shots?" - -"Very little use, my son. We should only bore a few holes in it. Their -Mausers would be much more dangerous to us. We shouldn't have the -slightest chance against them, any more than a torpedo boat would have -against a Dreadnought, so far as armament is concerned. But I am simply -panting for the chance to match the aeroplane against the airship. I -hope they'll come back." - -"I dare say they will, having got off scot free before. We must be -ready to fly off at a moment's notice. The Zeppelin is very fast, I've -heard." - -"But no match for my machine. We'll use that instead of the Taube. I'm -more used to it; it is faster and better for bomb-dropping." - -"You won't pilot it, surely!" - -"Indeed I shall! My arm doesn't bother me much, and you know I have had -much more experience than you." - -"I've had absolutely no experience of bomb-throwing," Kenneth protested. - -"Well, you play golf, don't you? Do you remember the first time you -went round?" - -"Yes. Why?" - -"Simply that, like everybody else, you probably got round in fewer -strokes than you did for months afterwards." - -"That's true; and very sickening it is. I'll do my best, then." - -When everything was ready, they sat on the grass beside the aeroplane, -scanning the sky for the Zeppelin. Kenneth, it must be confessed, was -less impatient than Pariset, whose mercurial temperament ill-brooked a -waiting game. He was constantly up and down, snatching up his -field-glasses every few seconds, "fidgeting about," as Kenneth said to -himself. - -It was drawing towards evening when, just as Pariset had dropped his -field-glasses with a gesture of annoyance, a messenger came running from -the commandant to say that the Zeppelin had been sighted. - -"How does he know?" asked Pariset, incredulously. - -"He had word by field telephone," was the answer. "The airship is -coming from the north-east." - -Pariset instantly started his engine. But before the aeroplane was -aloft, the airship appeared in the distant sky, like a torpedo of the -air. There was a certain fascination in its swift and steady approach, -growing bigger and bigger to the sight. Its course would bring it -within half a mile of the portable sheds; perhaps its object was to -destroy the Belgian aeroplanes. - -Having a reasonable respect for the Zeppelin's machine guns, Pariset at -first kept well away from its course. He bore to the east, so as to -avoid a direct meeting with it, and to get between it and its base. That -the aeroplane had already been seen from the airship, high above it, was -proved by the smack of several bullets upon parts of its structure; but -they had not heard the crackle of the rifles, what with the whirr of -their engine and the incessant thunder of artillery. - -Comparing notes afterwards, they agreed that their first impression was -wonder at the speed and accuracy with which the Germans had got their -range. Pariset at once flew off at a wider angle, trusting to his -superior speed to carry him out of danger until he had had time to rise -above the Zeppelin. He could climb only gradually, if he was to take -full advantage of his speed. It was nearly ten minutes before Kenneth -reported that they were about equal with it in height. The airship was -now at least two miles astern, and had slightly altered its direction. -Pariset now swung round. He guessed that the Zeppelin was making for -Fort Loncin, probably to reconnoitre, for its bombs would have little or -no effect on the armoured cupola of the fort. Flying back, he steered -so as to approach the airship on its flank, and succeeded in his aim of -showing the enemy that the aeroplane was to be reckoned with. It again -altered its course; Pariset shifted his rudder also; and the Zeppelin -gave chase. - -Bullets whistled around the aeroplane, which by this time had risen -several hundred feet higher than the enemy. Adjusting his planes to -secure the maximum lift, Pariset began to climb steeply, and for some -minutes the Zeppelin gained on him in horizontal direction. But the -rapidity of his ascent rendered the task of its marksmen very difficult; -and they seemed to realise that they were themselves in danger, for they -altered their course, bearing to the east, as if they had abandoned the -chase. - -The parts were now reversed. The aeroplane became the hunter, the -airship the hunted. Still rising, Pariset gradually reduced the -horizontal distance between them, gaining assistance from the manoeuvres -of the Zeppelin, which yawed now and again in order to bring its guns to -bear more effectively, thus losing pace. The aeroplane began to close -in with it, and Pariset suddenly became aware that he was closing in too -rapidly, for the airship either stopped her engines or reduced their -speed. Before he had time to meet the manoeuvre he had come within -effective range. Bullets pattered around like hail, and only by a swift -wheeling movement did he escape destruction. - -Learning caution, he rose still higher, until he estimated that he was -at least 3000 feet above the enemy. At this elevation the swelling bulk -of the envelope rendered the machine guns useless, and there was indeed -little chance of the aeroplane's being hit even by the rifles. - -Pariset's object was now to get as nearly as possible vertically above -the Zeppelin, which the Zeppelin could only prevent by constantly -changing its course and its speed. But Pariset was an adept in the -handling of his machine. He watched every twist and turn of the enemy, -and seemed to Kenneth to anticipate them, as a skilful boxer anticipates -the feints and rallies of his opponent. - -"Get ready!" he shouted to Kenneth at last. "A twenty-second fuse!" - -Kenneth grasped the bomb, leaning over his seat ready to drop it at the -word. He had lost all sense that this was warfare, and throbbed with -the same excitement as stirs the batsman or the three-quarter. - -"Now!" cried Pariset. - -The bomb fell plumb, but at the same instant the Zeppelin checked, and -the bomb burst many yards ahead, though whether above or below the -airship he could not tell. Pariset at once wheeled round, and within a -few seconds brought his machine once more above the enemy. At the -critical moment Kenneth dropped a second bomb. There was a flash and a -burst of smoke and metal between the two vessels, momentarily hiding the -lower from view. But that no harm had been done was proved by the -Zeppelin shooting ahead on another tack. - -"A little too far away," cried Pariset. "No time to descend. Throw the -next, don't drop it." - -In its efforts to escape the fate which threatened it the Zeppelin was -now keeping a straight course. Its skipper evidently realised that in -moving from side to side it enlarged the area of possible disaster. A -third time the aeroplane soared over it, and though its engines were -instantly stopped, its length was fatal. Kenneth threw the bomb with -all his force. The result evoked from Pariset a shout of exultation. -The bomb burst a few yards to the right of the airship. For a second or -two the effect of the explosion was, as it were, in suspense. Then -there was a burst of flame; the body of the enormous vessel beneath them -slowly crumpled up; with incredible rapidity it lost all shape; the -formless mass became smaller to their sight; and in a few seconds a -cloud of dust at an incalculable distance below showed the now horrified -airmen where the wreck had struck the earth. - -[Illustration: THE END OF THE ZEPPELIN] - - - - -CHAPTER XIII--THE GREAT GUNS - - -After the fight Pariset steered over the town at a great altitude, and -Kenneth employed his field-glasses in the hope of picking up some -information. - -"I say," he called, "it looks very much as if the Germans are really in -the town. Firing has stopped." - -"They can't have taken the forts already," cried Pariset. "We'll get -back." - -On coming to the ground miles to the west, they learnt that Kenneth was -right: the Germans had entered the town, lined all the bridges with -sentries, taken possession of the railway station, and begun to billet -themselves. It was rumoured also that Fort Loncin had fallen, that -General Leman was a prisoner, and that the Belgian field army was -concentrated about Fort Lantin, north of the town. - -The officers of the Flying Corps were deeply dejected. All the efforts -of their gallant men seemed to have been thrown away. Their thoughts -being centred on Liege alone, they did not as yet realise that the -strenuous resistance to the passage of the German army had dislocated -the imperial plans, and caused a delay in the march on Paris which was -destined to save Europe. - -Kenneth and his friend were taking their evening meal in a village inn, -the owner of which had announced that next day he intended to pack up -and start for Ostend. Only a few peasants were on the premises; all the -more well-to-do of the villagers had already joined the stream of -refugees. - -Suddenly there was a shot outside. The innkeeper dived into his cellar; -his guests jumped up, grasping their revolvers. The door opened, and a -man in the coarse soiled clothes of a farm labourer entered. On his -head was a wide-brimmed slouch hat, and the lower part of his face was -concealed by a tangled brown moustache and beard. - -"What was that shot?" asked Pariset, in Walloon, and gasped with -amazement when the stranger, taking off his hat, said in perfect -English: - -"Here is a part of its track." - -He pointed to two bullet-holes, one on each side of the crown of the -hat. - -"Granger!" exclaimed Kenneth. - -"A very good disguise, isn't it?" said Granger. "But there is little -time to spare. The bullet is in an amiable Teuton who popped round the -corner at an unfortunate moment--for him. No doubt he was shadowing me: -I must make another change in my outward favour, that is clear. His -confederate missed me and winged the accomplice. I couldn't catch the -fellow. Probably he has gone back to the town to get assistance, and I -must be moving. I've a few minutes, however, and you can help me. I -was on my way to headquarters. I have just heard that the Germans are -bringing up some heavy siege guns to demolish the forts. They are coming -by road: were last heard of at Crefeld--huge things, drawn by -innumerable traction engines from the estimable millionaire's works at -Essen. Will you carry the news to headquarters for me? You will save -time--and probably my skin." - -"Certainly," said Pariset at once. "This explains the cessation of the -bombardment." - -"No doubt. They did not expect that poor little Belgium would turn into -a Jack-the-Giant-Killer, or they would have brought up these monsters of -theirs before. They represent the last word in Culture--according to -the gospel of Krupp. I will leave you, then." - -"Ware spies!" said Kenneth, as they shook hands. - -"We set a thief to catch a thief, don't we?" said Granger with a smile. - -He put on his hat and was gone. - -"We had better get away at once," said Pariset, biting the end off a -Dutch cigar. "But I don't care about reporting by hearsay. What do you -say to taking a look at them?" - -"At what?" - -"At these new apostles of culture." - -"The big guns!--why not?" - -"We shall have to cross into German territory--a risky game. If caught -we shall be instantly shot." - -"We've risked a good deal already without damage. Let us try it. I -know the country; I've often cycled from Cologne to Crefeld." - -"That's to the good. Very well, then; I'll get leave to go first thing -in the morning. We'll use the Taube and wear German uniforms. And in -case any one comes hunting for Granger, let us pay our bill and go." - - ---- - -At six o'clock next morning the inhabitants of an old farmhouse at -Erkelenz, not far from the Dutch frontier, were seated at breakfast. -There was an old man of some sixty years, his wife and daughter, boys -and girls, and two women servants. The farmer himself and his male -hands were all on service. - -"I wonder where Daddy is now?" said one of the boys. - -"And Fritz and Hans?" said a girl. - -"Somewhere on the way to Paris, little ones," said the grandfather. "He -will bring you back some fine playthings. Granny is wearing the brooch -I brought from Paris forty years ago." - -"Mother says Daddy may be killed," piped another boy. - -"Nonsense!" said the old man. "Was I killed? Not even wounded. Why -should your father be?" - -"How long will he be away?" asked another. - -"Not long. How long was I away in '70, Granny?" - -"Six months," said the old woman. "Du lieber Himmel! but it seemed like -six years. Wilhelm was in long clothes when you went, and when you came -back he was running about. Ah! may God bring him back safe and sound!" - -"Listen! What is that?" cried the children's mother. - -A humming sound, like the buzzing of a monster bee, floated in through -the open window. The children ran to the door. - -"An aeroplane! An aeroplane!" they shouted. "See! it is coming down in -the meadow." - -The household flocked to the door and window. - -"A Taube!" said the old man. "Run and see what the airmen want, Karl." - -A boy of twelve ran across the farmyard into the meadow. The monoplane -had alighted, and a tall man in the uniform of a German captain was -hastening towards the house. - -"Have you any petrol, boy?" asked the airman. - -The country boy looked up with awe, and said nothing. The sight of a -German officer afflicted him with shyness. He ran back to his -grandfather. - -"The Herr Captain needs petrol," he said. - -"That is unlucky, Herr Captain," said the old man, saluting the officer. -"We have no petrol; I doubt whether you will get any in Erkelenz; it has -all been bought for the army." - -"Well, give me something to eat and drink." - -Kenneth tried, without great success, to adopt the German officer's -peremptory manner. - -"No, I won't come in," he added. "Bring it to me here; I've no time to -spare." - -The women hastened to bring him of their best. - -"And the Herr Captain's companion--shall we take something to him?" one -of them asked. - -"He cannot eat or drink with his face bandaged like that," said Kenneth, -glancing back at the aeroplane. - -Pariset, who could not speak German, had swathed his jaw in a linen -bandage. - -"Ach, lieber Gott! he is wounded," said the old man. - -"We have had an exciting trip," replied Kenneth laconically. "I suppose -I shall have to go on to Crefeld. Is anything happening here? I notice -that transport is being diverted from the main road to a by-way. Why is -that?" - -"An accident, Herr Captain," said the man. "A traction engine, drawing -a very heavy load, slipped over the edge of the causeway three miles -yonder. Something broke; it was late last night, and I heard they had -to send to Crefeld for a steam crane to lift it. Maybe it is done by -now." - -"It was drawing an ammunition wagon, I suppose?" - -"It did not look like that, Herr Captain. I walked over to see. But I -could not guess what it was, for it was covered all over with -tarpaulin." - -"Lend me a horse; I'll ride over. Perhaps there's some petrol in the -baggage train." - -"I am sorry, Herr Captain; all the horses are taken." - -"I must walk then. This boy can come and show me the way, and carry -back the petrol." - -"Surely, mein Herr." - -"Keep a look-out, will you? If you see any one approaching, warn the -Herr Lieutenant. There may be spies about." - -He set off behind the boy. The causeway, he remembered, ran beside the -little river Roer, that fell into the Meuse farther west at Roermond. He -needed no guide, and indeed did not intend to go right up to the scene -of the breakdown; but the boy was useful as a cloak to his real design. - -Half an hour's walk across the fields brought him to a hayrick something -less than a mile from the spot. - -"I ought to be able to get a view from the top of that," he thought. - -Bidding the boy wait below, he climbed a ladder set against the side of -the rick, raised his field-glasses to his eyes, and adjusted the focus. -Meanwhile two old farm labourers had slouched across the field and asked -a question of the boy, which he answered in a word. - -Kenneth had reason to congratulate himself on having gone no farther. -Between him and the causeway a half-troop of cavalry had off saddled, -and were smoking near the broken traction engine, which had apparently -swerved over the edge, and completely blocked the road. Behind it were -two huge lorries, carrying between them a large mass of indefinite shape -covered with tarpaulin. At the further end of the causeway was another -traction engine with a similar load. Besides the spick and span cavalry -there were a number of men in dirty clothes, some of whom appeared to be -engaged in tinkering at the engine. - -"Those are the heavy guns, without a doubt," thought Kenneth. "I wish I -could have a good look at them, but I'm afraid it's too risky. I might -have guessed there would be a cavalry escort." - -Obviously it was dangerous to attempt to carry off his imposture with -the German officers. It would have been another matter if only the -motor men had been concerned. He was disappointed. - -As he continued to gaze, however, an idea flashed into his mind. It was -pretty clear that the road would remain blocked until some contrivance -had been rigged up for lifting the engine. Would Pariset venture a bold -stroke? It would be a feather in his cap if he could destroy one, -perhaps two, of these monster siege guns. - -Shutting up his glasses, he climbed down the ladder, ignored the -labourers and their humble salute, and began to hurry back in the -direction of the farm. Surprised, the boy stood watching him for a few -moments. Then he ran after him, and, plucking up courage, said-- - -"Will not the Herr Captain go on and get the petrol?" - -"I will come in the aeroplane, boy; we have enough to bring us here." - -The boy, rather crestfallen, had to trot to keep pace with Kenneth's -long strides. He had hoped to receive a few pfennigs for carrying the -petrol. Kenneth, busy with his thoughts, forgot the youngster until he -was paying the civil farm people for his food. Then, catching sight of -the boy's woebegone face, he handed him a silver coin that drove the -clouds away. It was lucky, he reflected, that he still had some German -money in his possession. A Belgian coin would have given him away. - -After five minutes' talk with Pariset, out of earshot of the people, who -had gathered about at a little distance, they once more took the air. -They had managed to compress a good deal into that brief conversation. -Pariset had accepted Kenneth's suggestion with delight. The problem, -they agreed, was twofold: they had first to deal with the escort, then -with the guns--if they were guns. When they soared away over the meadow -they had formed a clear idea of the means by which they would attempt to -solve it. - -Making a wide sweep, east, north, and west, they approached the causeway -south of the spot where the breakdown had occurred. The sight of a -Taube monoplane flying obliquely over the road aroused curiosity but no -suspicion in the minds of the Germans. But suddenly one of them gave a -shout. Next moment a small bomb fell close beside one of the lorries, -throwing up a shower of dust and stones. The engineers scuttled away; -the troopers rushed to their horses, which, startled by the noise of the -explosion, were threatening to stampede. - -Pariset banked the aeroplane steeply and wheeled round. As it passed -again over the causeway, Kenneth dropped another bomb, which fell close -to the first. The men on foot were rushing wildly up the road; on the -open fields there was no cover. Most of the troopers had mounted; some -had seized their rifles and were firing. But the sight of the aeroplane -wheeling again struck them with panic, and with a shout they dashed -after their comrades, galloping across the fields. - -The aeroplane followed up the fugitives. Owing to its speed, Pariset -had to steer a zigzag course in order not to overtake them. Each time -it wheeled he contrived to bring it close behind the rearmost horseman, -like a sheep dog driving a flock, and Kenneth dropped a bomb to hurry -the pace. - -They kept up the chase for some minutes; then, there being no sign of -rallying, they darted back to the causeway, where the traction engines -and lorries now stood deserted. The level field on one side afforded a -good alighting place. They came to the ground, sprang from their seats, -and as they ran to the causeway noticed one or two men lying wounded. - -"We simply haven't time to attend to them," panted Pariset. "The -fellows will be riding back in a minute." - -They reached the unwieldy vehicles. The impressions of the moment came -back to them afterwards--the huge wheels with their grooved rims, the -deep ruts they had carved in the road. There were plenty of tools lying -about. Kenneth cut the lashings of one of the tarpaulin covers, -stripped off the cover, and found, as he had expected, that beneath it -lay a portion of a huge weapon, half gun, half mortar, with a bore -seventeen inches in diameter. - -"It's not the breech block; try the next lorry," urged Pariset. - -"I'll deal with this; you go on to the next," said Kenneth. - -Each had carried from the aeroplane a cylindrical parcel wrapped in -cotton wool. From the end of this a short length of wire protruded. -Climbing into the lorries they pushed these parcels into the breech end -of the bore of the guns. Then each began to connect the wires with a -small battery furnished with a clock-work timing mechanism. - -While still engaged in this operation, they heard the clatter of hoofs, -and looking up, saw a squadron of cavalry galloping down the road little -more than half a mile away. - -"How long?" shouted Kenneth. - -"Sixty seconds," Pariset replied. "Say when you are ready." - -Pariset, the more experienced of the two, was ready first. - -"Quick!" he cried, running towards the aeroplane. - -"Right!" shouted Kenneth, scrambling down and sprinting after him. - -By the time he had vaulted into his seat the engine had been started. -Pariset jumped in, threw the engine into gear, and the machine started -forward. At the same moment bullets began to fly around. Pariset paid -no heed to them. He had less than half a minute to get beyond the range -of explosion. - -The machine had barely risen from the ground when there was a deafening -report, that seemed to be immediately beneath him. A few moments later -there was a second crashing roar. The aeroplane was tossed about like a -feather in a gale. It dipped, and for an instant Pariset feared that it -would dash to the earth. During the few seconds this miniature tornado -continued the airmen's hearts were in their mouths. Involuntarily they -bent low to avoid the bullets which the horsemen, now come to a halt, -were volleying at them. Keeping a firm grip of the controls, Pariset -flew straight onward, rising as rapidly as possible. - -Not until he had gained an altitude which seemed to promise immunity -from rifle fire did either of them think of turning to see the effect of -the explosions. Then Pariset wheeled round, and flew back, Kenneth -examining the causeway far below through his field-glasses. - -The lorries, as complete vehicles, had disappeared. The remains of one -gun lay scattered on the field; those of the other were -indistinguishably mixed up with earth, stones, and the debris of the -lorries on the causeway. - -The leading files of the troopers appeared to have come within a hundred -yards of the scene at the moment of the first explosion. A few lay on -the ground; some were galloping on their affrighted steeds over the -field; only the rear ranks had been able to rein up, and fire their -ineffectual shots at the aeroplane hopelessly beyond range. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV--HUNTED - - -It occurred to Pariset that, so perfect was the German organisation, the -army besieging Liege might be informed within a few minutes of this -audacious raid upon one of their transport trains. He therefore swept -round in a wide circle southward, in order to approach the city from the -south-west. - -Both he and Kenneth were deeply impressed with the enormous westward -movement of troops and transport which they saw in their flight. The -country beneath them seemed to be alive, like an anthill; with this -difference, however, that although there were cross currents the general -movement was all in one direction. Such might have been, in days long -past, the migrations of the Huns or of the Kalmuck Tartars. - -Over the Meuse, which wound like a silver streak four thousand feet -beneath them, there appeared to be a number of pontoon bridges. Every -road was a continuous stream of moving objects. Far away to the right -they heard at times, above the whirr and hum of the engine, the dull -boom of heavy guns; and now and then patches of white and yellow -appeared in the air as from nowhere, spread into fantastic shapes, and -finally thinned away. - -They had just passed over the little town of Verviers, and were bearing -away to the west-south-west, so as to pass round Forts Embourg and -Boncelles, when the engine suddenly stopped. It had behaved well in -their previous excursions, and had been thoroughly overhauled before -they started. There was only one thing to be done: to make a vol plane -and land as best they could. The aeroplane was very high, and there was -plenty of room, but little choice of a landing place. Pariset worked -the controls for a long spiral descent, and came down in a field between -a wood and a highroad, which he believed to be the main road between -Liege and Luxemburg. - -There was no traffic at this spot, and they at once began to examine the -engine. - -"The plugs are choked," said Pariset after a few moments. "Luckily it's -only a five minutes' job." - -"Hadn't we better wheel the machine round the corner of the wood?" -suggested Kenneth. "We don't know but that some Germans may come up at -any moment." - -"Come along then," said Pariset. - -But they had hardly moved the machine three yards when they heard the -clatter of hoofs, and a patrol of Uhlans came dashing round a bend in -the road. Neither hedge nor dyke bordered the field, and the Uhlans -rode straight across it towards the aeroplane. - -"We are in for it!" said Pariset, hastily adjusting his bandage. "For -goodness' sake try to bluff it out." - -Kenneth went hot and cold; his brain seemed paralysed; and when the -Uhlans reined up a few yards away he had cudgelled his wits in vain for -something to say. A lead was given him by the lieutenant in command. - -"Do you want any help, Herr Captain?" he said. "I saw you come down -suddenly, and guessed there was something wrong." - -"Thanks; it is a mere trifle," replied Kenneth somewhat breathlessly. -"Two of the sparking plugs need cleaning. In five minutes we shall be -up again." - -He bent down to assist Pariset, who had turned his back and was -unscrewing the plugs. - -"Have you been hit?" asked the lieutenant, noticing the bandage. - -"No, luckily; he ought to have gone to the dentist long ago, but -couldn't bear the idea of losing a moment at a time like this. A -swollen jaw is very painful; you can't eat with any comfort. The only -thing to do is to bandage it tightly. But he'll have to go to the -dentist." - -"You're not attached to the 4th army corps, are you? I haven't noticed -you among our airmen." - -"We are on special service," said Kenneth, feeling that matters were -getting warm in spite of the officer's apparent freedom from suspicion. -"You'll excuse me, won't you? we are anxious to get to Liege." - -"Certainly." - -He watched the two men at their work, remarking that it was a very dirty -job. - -Meanwhile one of the troopers had been edging his horse close to the -aeroplane. Pariset, out of the corner of his eye, noticed him looking -at it critically. He bent down to examine one of the planes, gave a -grunt of satisfaction, and glanced at his officer, as if wondering -whether he might venture to address him directly. Concluding that this -might be a breach of discipline, he backed gently towards the -Wachtmeister--the sergeant-major through whom he might communicate with -the lieutenant without being snubbed. - -This by-play escaped the notice of Kenneth, who was half-turned towards -the lieutenant. That officer, having satisfied his curiosity about the -nature of sparking plugs, bade him good-bye, saluted, and gave the order -to ride on. The patrol moved away before the trooper had finished his -communication to the Wachtmeister. - -As soon as they were out of earshot, Pariset whispered: - -"One of those fellows suspects something. If they ride back before we -have got these plugs in place we must bolt into the wood." - -While speaking he kept his eye on the Uhlans without rising from his -stooping posture. They were only a hundred yards away when the -Wachtmeister rode alongside the lieutenant and spoke to him. The -officer gave the order to halt, reined up, and wheeled his horse. - -"Get your revolver ready," whispered Pariset. - -He reached for one of the smallest bombs, and fitting a short fuse -prepared to light it from the petrol lamp. - -The lieutenant was not yet riding back. He had taken out a pocket-book, -and was consulting one of its pages. Pretending to be still busy with -the engine, the airmen watched him anxiously. The Wachtmeister called -up the trooper, who, sitting his horse stiffly, saluted, and spoke in -answer to a question from the lieutenant. - -"He's got a description of the aeroplane," whispered Kenneth. - -"Yes--probably circulated to every patrol," said Pariset. "Run for dear -life if he comes this way." - -As he spoke the lieutenant shut up his pocket-book, and began to canter -back. - -"Now!" said Pariset, lighting the fuse, and laying the bomb swiftly but -gently behind the engine. Then, taking care to keep the aeroplane -between them and the Uhlans, the two dashed towards the wood, about a -hundred and twenty yards away. - -The majority of the patrol, having received no order, had not turned -their horses, nor even ventured to glance round. Only the lieutenant, -the Wachtmeister, and the suspicious trooper had seen the flight of the -airmen during the first few seconds. But now the lieutenant shouted an -order, the men wheeled round, and galloped after their officer, who dug -his spurs into his horse and dashed after the fugitives, followed -closely by his two troopers. - -He had plucked out his revolver, but the aeroplane stood between him and -the airmen, running like sprinters towards the wood. Swerving to the -left to get a clear field of fire, the lieutenant discharged all its -chambers one after another on the chance of a lucky shot. But the -fugitives, having made the most of their start, were out of range. They -gained the outer fringe of trees and plunged in, the lieutenant being -then about thirty yards behind them. He had drawn his sword. His men -were strung out at short intervals in his rear. - -There was not much cover at the edge of the wood, and the airmen dashed -on towards the spot where the trees grew more densely, Pariset leading -by a few yards. By the time he reached it, Kenneth heard the -lieutenant's horse pounding the turf almost at his heels. It seemed -that in a second or two he must be ridden down. With instant decision -he dived to the right behind a large tree. The lieutenant, unable to -check his horse in time, galloped past, shouting to his men to catch the -spy. Kenneth took a flying shot at him, missed, and rushed after -Pariset, who at the sound of the shot turned and fired at the -Wachtmeister, now only a few yards behind his leader. There was a howl. -Neither of the airmen stayed to see the effect of the shot. They plunged -into the brushwood, which grew more and more densely as they proceeded, -and was more closely set with trees. - -"They can't ride through this," Kenneth panted as he overtook Pariset. -"They would be swept from their saddles." - -"Yes; we're as good as they on foot; we are safe for a while. Did you -hear the bomb?" - -"Rather: it went off all right; the Taube must be blown to atoms." - -The pursuing horsemen, on finding themselves checked by the undergrowth -and the trees, flung themselves from their saddles. They lost a few -minutes in tethering their horses, so that when they pushed on on foot, -the fugitives had been enabled to penetrate deeper into the wood. - -"I hope they'll give it up soon," said Pariset, hearing the troopers' -movements in the rustling and crackling undergrowth. "To rout us out -they must beat the wood thoroughly." - -"It's lucky they're only a patrol and not a whole squadron, or they -might encircle the wood," responded Kenneth in the same low tone. - -They went still farther among the trees, moving as quietly as they -could. It was soon evident that they were being followed up. Every now -and then they heard the same sounds of movement, and shouts in different -directions behind them. Apparently the Uhlans were scattering to beat -the wood systematically. - -"Our uniforms account for their perseverance," Pariset remarked. "The -Germans don't scruple to wear Belgian uniform, or to dress as civilians; -nothing makes them more angry than that we should do the same." - -"And they know it was their own Taube, purloined at Cologne," said -Kenneth. "You may be sure they are particularly incensed at that." - -"We are outstripping them," said Pariset a few moments later. "The -sounds are fainter." - -"The question is, what shall we find at the other side of the wood? If -open fields, we shan't stand a dog's chance against their rifles. -Perhaps we had better dodge about among the trees." - -"With the risk of tumbling up against one! No, we had better go -straight on." - -Again they pressed forward in silence. The sounds behind them grew -still fainter, but they became aware in a few minutes that the number of -their pursuers had increased. There were more voices, distributed over -a wider area. - -"The regiment has come up, I fancy," said Kenneth. "Very likely some of -them will ride round the wood. We're in a tight corner, Remi." - -"Hurry on, man. Our one chance is to be first out." - -From the continual diminution of the sounds it was plain that the Uhlans -were moving with great caution. No doubt they feared an enemy in every -bush. The fugitives, on the other hand, pressed on as fast as they -could, guarding against a circular course by means of the small compass -which Pariset wore in a strap on his wrist. - -After a quarter of an hour's hot exertion they came suddenly to the -farther edge of the wood. The country immediately in front was open and -level, dotted about with single trees and small clumps. In the distance -they saw a farmhouse, and still farther away, a picturesque chateau on -the side of a hill. - -"Shall we make a run for it?" said Kenneth, as they paused a moment -before leaving the shelter of the trees. - -For answer, Pariset caught him by the sleeve, and drew him back. - -"Cut off?" asked Kenneth. - -"Yes; a troop of Uhlans are galloping along the edge of the wood away -there to the left; nearly a mile away, thank goodness!" - -"Fairly trapped!" said Kenneth, with nervous twitching of his eyebrow. - -In the excitement of the last half hour their thoughts had been too busy -to give them time for apprehension. But now, with Uhlans on foot spread -out in the wood behind them, a troop on horseback approaching on their -left, possibly another on their right, they began to realise what it was -like to be hunted. They felt as if inexorable walls were closing upon -them to crush them. It would be madness to take to the open. The -impulse to turn to the right in the wood, away from the galloping -Uhlans, was dulled by the fear that a second troop had been sent to head -them off in that direction. They adopted the wisest course in such a -situation: remained where they were, some few yards from the outer -fringe of trees, and tried to think out their problem calmly. - -"It will be safer to let them pass us," said Pariset presently. "They -will expect to see us emerge; let us go to meet them. Can you hear the -fellows behind us in the wood?" - -They stood listening. - -"No," said Kenneth. "I daresay they are stealing up quietly." - -"We must keep our ears open. Now, as quickly as possible." - -They threaded their way cautiously through the wood towards the oncoming -Uhlans. Very soon they heard the thuds of the horses' hoofs to their -right. Among the trees they could neither see nor be seen. The sound -ceased suddenly. Then came the muffled murmur of voices. Apparently the -Uhlans had drawn rein almost at the spot where the fugitives had -intended to break cover. - -"A clever lot!" whispered Pariset. "They calculated to a yard or two -where we should be likely to come out. A good thing we turned this -way." - -The Uhlans, in fact, only about two hundred yards away, had dismounted, -and leaving their horses tethered in the charge of two of their number, -had entered the wood, spread out, and begun to beat the coverts in the -direction of their comrades advancing from the farther side. - -The fugitives pressed on rapidly, parallel with the edge of the wood, -hoping that they would not meet the men at the extremity of the -far-extended line. There was no sound to guide them or give warning. -Presently they ventured to draw a little nearer to the edge, where the -trees were sparser and they could move more quickly. Pariset constantly -consulted his compass. Their course was northward, in the direction of -Liege. - -For twenty minutes or more they jogged on, careful not to lose their -wind. Then they discovered that the wood was narrowing, and a few more -minutes brought them within sight of its end, the apex of a triangle. -Peering out cautiously through the trees, they saw a little way ahead -the fork of two roads. That to the left was evidently the main road -near which the aeroplane had landed. That to the right must be the -byroad along which the Uhlans had ridden to cut them off. Beyond, on -either side, were open fields. - -They halted in perplexity, anxious though they were to lose no time. A -false move, an unfortunate decision, and they were lost. - -"If we dash across country we may be seen," said Pariset. "If we take -to the road we may meet more troops. But we can't stay in the wood. The -Uhlans will beat it thoroughly." - -"Could we climb a tree and hide in the foliage?" suggested Kenneth. - -"We mightn't be as lucky as your Merry Monarch," said Pariset. "The -fellows are capable of burning down the whole wood if they can't find -us. And in a very short time they are sure to draw a cordon round it. -We must get out, somehow or other. If only the roads were hedged, like -your English country roads, we should stand a chance." - -They were still discussing their quandary when they heard the rumble of -an approaching cart. Looking eagerly ahead, they saw a large wagon -piled with loose hay. The driver appeared to be a Belgian peasant. -Beside him sat an armed soldier in the bluish grey German uniform. They -seemed only half awake. The two horses were plodding slowly, with -drooping heads. The appearance of men and beasts suggested that they -had been travelling all night. - -There was a gleam in Kenneth's eyes as he turned to Pariset. - -"Into the hay?" he whispered. - -"The wagon will pass the Uhlans," Pariset replied. - -"So much the better." - -"But the hay may be for their horses." - -"Not very likely. It must have been definitely requisitioned, and they -wouldn't dare to touch it." - -Pariset pondered. A faint sound came from the depths of the wood. - -"It's our only chance," he said, "but in ten minutes we may have lances -or bullets through us. A la bonne heure!" - - - - -CHAPTER XV--HUNS AT PLAY - - -The wagon rumbled heavily along the road. The two men stood just within -the wood, watching the driver and the soldier, looking up and down the -road with a half-formed fear that more troops would come in sight. They -allowed the wagon to pass them; then, running behind it on tiptoe, they -leapt up, and plunged into the hay, which was loosely piled, just as it -had been pitched down from a looted rick. - -They burrowed their way through the scented mass, drawing it closely -behind them to cover their tracks. The creaking of the cart wheels, the -loud tramp of the big Flemish horses, the sleepiness of the men in front -were all in their favour. They reached the forepart of the wagon -without having attracted attention. Kenneth's nostrils itched. It was -lucky, he thought, that the hay was dry and the season far advanced, or -a fit of sneezing would have betrayed him. - -To get air, and to enable them to see down the road, they made little -gaps in the hay, scarcely broader than two fingers. Then they lay -still, happy in their escape from the Uhlans, but desperately anxious -about what might come. - -The wagon was travelling towards Luxemburg. Presently, muffled by the -hay, the sound of men's voices reached their ears. These continued for -some minutes; no doubt they proceeded from the Uhlans in the wood. After -about twenty minutes they heard a louder voice, close at hand. The wagon -stopped. - -"Have you seen two officers?" asked a man in German. "Dressed as -Germans. One a lean ugly fellow, the other a round moon-faced baby. -They are spies." - -The soldier, pulling himself together, answered briskly "No!" Conscious -of having been dozing on duty he went further. - -"We have seen nobody for the last three miles," he said. "The whole -country is deserted. What is doing about here?" - -"The spies came down in that aeroplane yonder, and escaped into the -wood." - -"Teufel! I see no aeroplane." - -"It is in ruins; the fellows blew it up. It was one of ours, too, a -Taube. They stole it." - -"There will be fine shooting when they are caught. These Belgians are -the very deuce. Half my regiment are down. My horse was shot. I'm -going to take one of these cart horses when we get to Spa. They are -rather heavy, but one must take what one can get. Horses are scarce." - -The Uhlan who had spoken came round to the back of the wagon, and pulled -out an armful of hay for his horse. The fugitives shivered. If others -of the troop did the same thing, their screen would be removed, -detection was inevitable. - -"Not too much," called the trooper in front, standing up and peering -round the corner of the load. "Don't get me into trouble. I was -ordered to bring back a full load, and the Herr Major is a terrible man -in his anger." - -"Where did you get it from?" asked the Uhlan, now joined by several of -his comrades who had been left in charge of the horses of those -searching the wood. - -"From a farm about two hours' journey back, somewhere about Theux, I -think they call it. It's an out-of-the-way place, but we got the tip -from a Hussar who lodged with the farmer for a year or two; there wasn't -much he didn't find out; and he knew exactly how much fodder he had." - -"Did you leave any?" - -"Two good ricks. Are you short?" - -"Yes, our supplies haven't come up. Plenty of beer on the farm?" - -"Not so much as there was," replied the man with a laugh. "But enough -to get properly drunk on if they give you time." - -"That's the place for us. How do you get there?" - -"Up the road about five miles, turn down a by-road on the right; there's -a row of poplars on one side; you can't miss it. We must move on. I -hope you'll catch the spies. Good luck!" - -The wagon jogged on. - -"Whip up your horses," cried the soldier to the driver. "We have been -too long on the road." - -The fugitives, on tenterhooks all this time, breathed more freely when -they had passed the spot where the Uhlans were grouped on the grass, -guarding the horses and the ruins of the aeroplane. But they realised -that they were escaping one danger only to fall into another. The -destination of the wagon was Spa, no doubt filled with Germans. They -must leave the wagon before it reached that town. - -They were thinking of slipping out at a quiet stretch of the road, and -taking their chance of bolting across the fields, when the wagon was met -by another Uhlan patrol, who after questioning the trooper, wheeled -their horses and rode alongside. - -"You are just in time, Schmidt," said one of the newcomers. - -"What for?" asked the trooper, who evidently belonged to the same -regiment. - -"To see how we reduce the population. There's a big farm in a hamlet a -quarter-mile up the road. Rumpelmeyer was shot near there, so we routed -out all the men in the place except the farmer, who escaped. As soon as -he is rounded up we are going to shoot the lot." - -They rumbled on into the hamlet, and pulled up at the gate of the farm. -The terrified villagers were penned up like cattle in the farmyard, -guarded by a dozen Uhlans. A few women at the wall, imploring the -Germans to have mercy, were answered with brutal jeers. - -"A dirty herd!" said the trooper on the wagon. "Why don't you shoot -them at once?" - -"The Wachtmeister thinks that would be too good for them. First dinner, -and then sport, says he. He is a humorist, our Wachtmeister. Here he -is." - -"Thank goodness I needn't go any further on this lumbering wagon," said -the trooper. "Is the whole regiment coming up from Spa?" - -"In the course of the day. Fifteen of us came in advance. Two are -hunting for the farmer." - -"Well done, Schmidt," said the sergeant, coming up to the wagon. "You've -a good load there." - -"Shall I unload, and give the horses a feed?" asked the trooper. - -"They can wait. There's a hot dinner ready, prepared by our kind -friends the Belgians. They entertain us; afterwards we shall entertain -them. Poor Rumpelmeyer has gone. But a dozen Belgians are waiting -yonder to join him. A dozen Belgians are not worth one good German, but -it's something to go on with. We shall find others; it would be a pity -to leave too many to bother us when the country is ours." - -Kenneth, under the hay, was squirming. Pariset, knowing no German, was -not aware of what was coming, but his apprehension was all the greater -for his ignorance. Kenneth whispered that the wagon was not to be -unloaded yet; he dared not say more at the moment, with so many enemies -within hearing. - -The sky was becoming overclouded. The wagoner took the horses out, and -led them to loose boxes in the stables. The trooper Schmidt had sprung -down and entered the house, where all the Uhlans except three left on -guard over the prisoners had assembled for the good dinner prepared by -the women of the farm under the eye of their truculent visitors. - -The wagon having been left standing at the gate, Kenneth ventured to -repeat to Pariset the gist of the conversation he had heard. The -Belgian swore under his breath. - -"We must get out while they are at dinner," Kenneth whispered. - -"Those three brutes would see us," said Pariset, eyeing the three Uhlans -savagely through his peephole. - -"I'm afraid they would," Kenneth agreed. "But we are bound to be -discovered when they unload." - -"Well, we'll get away if we see half a chance. We must wait. I wish we -could do something for those poor wretches in the yard. These Germans -have much to answer for, Ken; and they shall pay--they shall pay!" - -They lay in their stuffy shelter, listening to the sounds of -merriment--heavy-hoofed merriment--from within the house, the grumbles -of the Uhlans who had been left outside and were losing the fun, the -sobs of the women at the wall. The sky grew blacker and blacker, rain -began to fall. The Uhlans on guard turned up their collars and swore. - -Presently there was a diversion. The two Uhlans who had been out -rounding up the missing farmer had caught him and a second man, and were -bringing them along at a trot, prodding them with their lances to make -them keep up with the horses. There were cries of dismay from the -herded prisoners, and of pity from the women. The attention of the -Uhlans on guard was somewhat diverted from the prisoners to the -newcomers, as these were marched through the gate and across the -farmyard to the hurdles within which their fellow villagers were -confined. - -"Now's the time!" whispered Kenneth. "Creep behind the cart and round -by the stables. There's just a chance." - -They slid out of the wagon, slipped into the yard, and ran to the -stables, being screened from the guards' observation by the horses of -the Uhlans who had just returned. Behind the stables there was a barn, -with a ladder reaching to its high loft. - -"Up there!" whispered Pariset. "We should be seen if we ran across the -fields." - -They clambered up, and panting with excitement and haste threw -themselves on the floor of the loft. - -"Perhaps we can remain here until night," said Pariset. "The place is -empty; they've no reason for visiting it again." - -They heard the newly-arrived troopers lead their horses to the stables -and address some one there in loud peremptory tones. Then their spurred -boots were heard clanking over the cobbles, and they went into the -house. Shouts of applause followed their entrance; no doubt they had -reported their capture. - -"I wish we could do something!" murmured Pariset restlessly. "But we -can't tackle twelve or fifteen." - -A few minutes later, when the tremors of excitement had ceased, Kenneth -got up. - -"We can at least go and see who is in the stables," he said. "Perhaps -we could make off with a couple of horses." - -"Anything rather than lie here idle," said Pariset. - -They crept down the ladder, and stole round the outbuilding towards -where they knew by the sounds the door of the stable was. It was on the -side remote from the corner where the prisoners were herded. Peeping in -at the door, Kenneth saw the driver of the wagon sitting disconsolately -on an upturned pail, and beckoned to Pariset to precede him. They -slipped into the stable. The wagoner jumped up with a start when he saw -two Germans, as he supposed. - -"Hist! I am a Belgian," whispered Pariset hurriedly in Flemish. "My -friend is an Englishman." - -The man looked at them narrowly, only half believing. - -"It is true," said Pariset. "We want to save the prisoners. Do you -know the place? Will you help?" - -Convinced by their appearance and by Pariset's Flemish the man said: - -"My word! will I help! One of them is my brother; two are my cousins. -Only tell me what I can do, mijnheer. But not here; it is not safe; -come to the back." - -"Wait!" said Pariset, pointing to a door at the further end of the -stable. "Where does that lead to?" - -"Into the harness room." - -"And beyond that?" - -"The kitchen." - -"Who are in the kitchen?" - -"I do not know; maybe the mistress and the women servants. They cook -the meals for those hogs." - -"Is the door unlocked?" - -"Most likely; it is never locked during the day." - -"Then creep into the kitchen and tell the women we are here. Quickly! -We will hide in the harness room. And find out where the Germans have -stacked their rifles, and how many there are." - -The man passed through the door, followed by Pariset and Kenneth, who -remained among the harness while the wagoner went on to the kitchen. - -"It's a frightful risk, Remi," whispered Kenneth. - -Pariset set his teeth. - -"I'm a Belgian," he said. "It's not your job. Go back to----" - -"Rubbish!" Kenneth interrupted. "We sink or swim together.... Here he -comes!" - -"I saw the mistress," said the man. "They have caught the master; she -is frantic. There are ten Uhlans in the big room; the sergeant is alone -in the parlour beyond. The maids are serving them." - -"The rifles?" said Pariset. - -"They are not stacked, mijnheer. There is no room between the wall and -the big table. They are laid anyhow in the corner near the kitchen -door." - -For a minute or two Pariset and Kenneth conversed in rapid whispers. -While they were speaking the farmer's wife, a large capable Flamande, -came to the door, an expression of mingled agitation and hope on her -broad red face. - -"We try it?" said Pariset to Kenneth. - -"Yes." - -The three men entered the kitchen. - -"If you can save my husband and my son--" began the good woman -imploringly. - -Pariset cut her short. She had the appearance of abundant energy. - -"We want your help, meffrouw," he said. "Courage! Can you smuggle some -of the rifles out of the room? Not all." - -"I will try, mijnheer," she said quietly, with the firm look of the -Flemish housewife. - -There was much noise from the room beyond. The troopers were eating and -drinking hard. Pariset and Kenneth stepped behind a large Dutch clock -when the women pushed open the door, carrying a dish of steaming stew. -They saw her recoil a little when the Germans hailed her appearance with -boisterous shouts. She beckoned to her two maids, stout Flamandes like -herself, then disappeared towards the right. - -The two airmen waited anxiously. Would the housewife's nerve fail? -Would the Germans detect her? They had fallen gluttonously on the new -dish, praising Belgian viands after the short commons of the days -preceding. - -Presently the woman reappeared at the door. Her face was pale; she was -grimly pressing her lips together, and when she had entered the kitchen -and closed the door she took from the folds of her gown a rifle. - -"The maids stood in front of me," she murmured. - -"Take the rifle into the harness room," said Pariset to the wagoner. -"Another, meffrouw." - -The poor woman trembled, but summoning her courage she passed again into -the room. The door at the further end was now open, and the sergeant -stood in it. He had consulted his dignity by dining alone in the -parlour. - -"More wine!" he shouted. "It's poor stuff, mother, but I must make the -best of it till we get to Champagne. Then we'll break a few necks--of -bottles and Frenchmen." - -Roars of laughter from the men greeted this sally. One of the maids -carried a fresh bottle into the parlour. Meanwhile the housewife had -taken advantage of the diversion caused by the sergeant's pleasantry to -remove another rifle. Three more she brought out at intervals; then -Pariset said it was enough; to abstract more might lead the men to -notice the diminution of the pile. Pariset examined each of the five; -there were cartridges in all. - -"Do your maids know German?" he asked the woman. - -"Katrinka knows a little," she replied. - -"Ask her to take some wine to the men on guard outside--it is by the -sergeant's orders. You and the other maid each take a bottle too. -Supply the Uhlans in there with plenty of food first, to keep them -occupied. They will gorge themselves so long as you please." - -While the women carried into the room dishes loaded with cakes and -patties, Pariset and the two others held a whispered conversation in the -harness room. On the return of the women, Pariset asked the mistress to -give the carrier a bottle of wine. The man took it in his left hand; -his right held a knife. - -The inner door of the kitchen was closed. They moved quietly to a side -door opening directly on the farmyard. Rain and mist threw a murky -gloom over the scene. The women, carrying bottles, moved quickly -towards the discontented Uhlans, who uttered guttural exclamations of -pleasure when the girl Katrinka gave the message with which Pariset had -primed her. Behind them slouched the wagoner, lifting his bottle to his -lips with ostentatious enjoyment. Within the shadow of the door Pariset -and Kenneth stood with levelled rifles, their eyes fixed on the scene in -front, their ears alert for sounds in the rear. - -The women had given the Uhlans a bottle each. The good wife had a -second in reserve. Turning their backs upon the prisoners, the guard -broke the necks of the bottles, and drank with great gulps. Unnoticed, -the wagoner slipped round behind them, cut the cords that bound the -nearest prisoner, handed him the knife, and edged towards the Uhlans, -still taking pulls at his bottle. - -Five of the prisoners had been released by their companion before one of -the guards, half-turning, noticed a commotion within the pens, and at a -second glance saw with amazement what was happening. Dropping his -bottle with a furious oath, he seized his rifle, but before it reached -his shoulder the wagoner swung his uncorked bottle with all his force -and broke it on the Uhlan's head, stretching him on the ground in a -crimson pool of wine. He caught the man's rifle as it fell, and -bayoneted the second German, who had turned at his comrade's cry. The -third, evading a blow aimed at him with her bottle by the sturdy -housewife, shouted for help, and was lifting his rifle when it was -wrenched from his hands by the villager who had been first released, and -he fell beside the others, stunned by a blow from the butt end. - -Kenneth and Pariset, who had followed every movement with breathless -anxiety, felt that the party outside would give no trouble for a time, -at any rate. They turned sharply round on hearing a commotion from the -inner room, where the guzzling Uhlans had heard, through their own -noise, the shout from the farmyard. Jumping to their feet, they crowded -towards the rifles in the corner, and had just discovered that the -weapons would not go round, when the door was thrown open, and they saw -standing in the doorway two German officers. - -"Achtung!" cried Kenneth, in the short sharp tone he had many a time -heard in a German drill yard. - -The men sprang to attention, clicked their heels, and saluted. They had -no time to think; they acted with mechanical obedience. Standing thus -rigid they were amazed to see the officers cover them with their rifles, -and to hear a peremptory summons to surrender. Fuddled, astounded, they -threw up their hands. - -At this moment the door of the parlour was flung open, and the sergeant, -red with wine and rage, before he had taken in the scene, demanded what -the noise was about. His voice dropped at the end of the sentence, when -he saw, as he thought, a captain and a lieutenant before him. A sound -of rushing feet behind him caused him to swing round hastily. With a -startled cry he raised his revolver, and fired; but he was immediately -hurled backward to the floor by a dozen sturdy peasants, the foremost of -whom held a knife. - -There was a great silence in the farm. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI--THE CARETAKER - - -"We shall have to clear everybody out of this double quick," said -Pariset. "If the regiment comes up every soul will be massacred." - -"You mean that we must all trek?" said Kenneth. - -"Yes. You and I must rig ourselves up as Uhlans, and pretend that we -are convoying prisoners. The villagers had better gather what valuables -they want to save, and migrate, it doesn't much matter where to, so long -as it is as far as possible from the line of the German advance." - -He explained his plan to the farmer and the other Belgian peasants. They -suggested that a short and easy way of securing safety was to shoot all -the Uhlans and bury them, but Pariset would not agree to that. The men -having surrendered, their lives at least must be spared. - -Without delay preparations were made. The body of the dead sergeant was -hastily buried. The Uhlan prisoners were stripped of their uniforms, -clad in coarse garments provided by the villagers, and roped together. -The wagon was emptied of its hay and loaded up with such little -treasures as the villagers possessed, among them an extraordinary number -of birdcages. Then it rumbled off, followed by the whole population of -the hamlet, men, women, and children, setting off through the rain to -some sequestered village off the main route, where they might hope to be -left untouched by the German tide. - -Pariset and Kenneth exchanged their uniforms for those of two of the -Uhlans, provided themselves with civilian clothes, selected two of the -best horses, and after a few minutes' puzzled consideration what to do -with the rest, removed their trappings and let them loose in the fields. - -It was now getting late in the afternoon. Rain was still falling -heavily, which was at once an inconvenience and an advantage. For -safety's sake Pariset bandaged his head again; then they started, -Kenneth riding ahead, the captive Uhlans between him and Pariset. - -They were under no illusion as to the danger they were incurring. If -they should meet any considerable body of Germans, a word from one of -the prisoners would be their undoing. But what with the rain and the -approach of darkness they hoped to avoid any such contretemps. The -direction of their march was westward, their intention being to approach -Liege from the south-west. So far as they knew the Germans had not -pushed their way in force farther west than Stoumont, so that they were -unlikely to encounter anything more serious than patrols and outposts. -Such were formidable enough. - -Marching across fields, by by-ways, through woods, they arrived by -nightfall in the neighbourhood of the river Ourthe. Some few miles -beyond that river they believed that the French army was in line. As -they were passing a cluster of cottages a voice in German called upon -them to halt. Pariset moved up to the front of the prisoners, and -pointing his revolver threatened to shoot if any man spoke a word. -Kenneth meanwhile, answering in German, had ridden a few paces ahead, -and explained to the sentry who had challenged that he was escorting -some Belgian civilians as prisoners to Erezee, and asked in his turn for -news. To his surprise and alarm he learnt that the Germans were in -force a few miles to the south, and expected next day to force the -passage of the Ourthe. At the hamlet at which he had arrived a small -infantry outpost had quartered itself that afternoon. - -Getting from the sentry the direction of Erezee, he rode back and led -the party away from the hamlet to the south-west. - -"That was a near thing, Remi," he said. "We shall never be able to get -these fellows to our own lines." - -"Pity we didn't let the farmer's men shoot them," returned Pariset. -"They'll be our ruin." - -"I vote we leave them at the next village we come to. They'll be -discovered by the Germans in their advance to-morrow." - -"Not a man of them! The villagers would have put them out of sight by -to-morrow. We must leave them on the road if you want to keep them -alive." - -They had still not determined what to do with their troublesome charges -when they caught sight of lights twinkling mistily through the -rain-laden darkness ahead. Kenneth slipped down from his saddle, and -went forward on foot to reconnoitre, the rest halting. In a few minutes -he returned. - -"The place is evidently full of Germans," he said. "I heard the eternal -'Deutschland ueber Alles'; the bosches certainly sing well! We must -make up our minds once for all what to do." - -After a brief discussion they retreated some distance up the road, out -of earshot from the village. On one side was an extensive plantation, -probably the covert of some Belgian nobleman. Here they decided to -leave their prisoners. The trees would give the men a certain -protection from the rain. They could make themselves heard when their -troops passed along the road in the morning. There accordingly the two -young fellows placed the Uhlans, eking out the rope to bind their legs -as well as their arms. Then they struck down a bridlepath that ran -westward, the direction of the Ourthe. - -The night was so dark that though the rain ceased towards midnight they -made but slow progress. In changing clothes neither had provided -himself with matches, so that Pariset's compass was useless. Groping -from bridlepath to lane, from lane to high road, which they quitted as -soon as possible, stealing past the few cottages they came upon, they -wandered for an hour or two until both felt that they must wait for -daylight, if they were to secure themselves against the risk of falling -unawares among the enemy. They tethered their horses in a copse, and, -being wet through, paced up and down to maintain their circulation until -the dawn stole through the trees. Then, weary, hungry, and bedraggled, -they remounted, and pursued their way along a narrow sunken road. -Ignorant of their whereabouts, they could only trust to chance and the -compass, unless they should presently come upon Belgians whom they might -ask to direct them. - -But the country appeared to be deserted. When they cautiously -approached the first wayside cottage they came to, they found no one -there. Everything was in order; the Germans had not yet visited it; -clearly the inhabitants had fled at the mere rumour of their advance. - -About eight o'clock they came in sight of a large country-house, lying -back from the road in extensive grounds. The aspect of it, and an -armoured motor-car standing at the gates, caused them to draw up within -the cover of the trees bordering the road. The gates were broken, there -were gaps in the wall, and one side of the house was damaged by shells. - -"We had better go back a little, and cut across the fields," said -Pariset. "That car is probably German; there may be Germans inside. It -would be risky to pass the house." - -"Perhaps it's a Belgian car," Kenneth suggested. "I'm inclined to wait -until we know. We have hopelessly lost our way." - -"Look out!" said Pariset. - -Two men in German uniform had descended on the far side of the car, and -begun to walk up and down in front of the gates, in the manner of men -stretching their legs after long waiting. Pariset and Kenneth drew -farther back, behind a clump of trees, dismounted, and watched. - -In a few minutes they heard the characteristic clatter of a motor -bicycle. From beyond the house a cyclist in uniform dashed up at full -speed; he halted at the gates, dismounted, and exchanging a word with -the waiting men walked up the drive and entered the house. Soon he -reappeared, with a German officer and a civilian. These entered the -motor-car with the two men, and drove away in the direction from which -the cyclist had come. He remounted and rode after them. An old man had -tottered after the Germans; he closed the gates, or what remained of -them; then, after watching the vehicles out of sight, he returned to the -house, stepping much more briskly than when he came from it. - -"He's glad to see the backs of them; a Belgian, without doubt," said -Kenneth. "Let us go and ask him the way." - -"I'll go; you remain with the horses," said Pariset. - -Looking along the road to make sure that no enemy was in sight, Pariset -hurried to the gates, walked up the drive, and rang the bell at the -front door. It was only after ringing twice that his summons was -answered. The door opened; the bent old man, white of hair and beard, -rubbed his hands nervously together as he stood on the threshold. - -"Good morning!" said Pariset in French. "You don't speak German?" - -"Alas, we Belgians are backward in many things," replied the man in -French with a provincial accent and in quavering tones. "What can I do -for you?" - -"First, tell me where I am, where does the road lead to?" - -"By Hamoir to Liege." - -"Who were the party who left just now?" - -"Officers of your own army": he glanced at the Uhlan uniform. - -"And the cyclist?" - -"A despatch rider, I think." Then, in the same trembling uncertain -voice of an old man, he went on in English: "He was a glue merchant in -the Minories six months ago--Ernst Lilienthal & Co., 2nd floor: mind the -lift! And if I were you, Herr Pariset, I should wear that tureen" -(pointing to the Uhlan helmet) "a trifle more upright, and your shoulder -strap a little more aslant, when you meet more Germans than you care to -tackle single-handed." - -At the first words of English Pariset stared; then he smiled; before the -seeming old man had concluded Pariset grasped his hand. - -"Mr. Granger! Your disguise is complete, wonderful." - -"My dear sir!" said Granger deprecatingly. "But come inside. I want -news of our friend Amory." - -"He is only a few yards away. I'll fetch him; he is in Uhlan uniform, -like me. Is it safe?" - -"A little more than safe, I hope," said Granger with a smile. "We have -some few hours to spare; not too many, perhaps. You have horses?" - -"Yes." - -"Tether them behind that shrubbery yonder. I don't recommend the -stables. Bring Amory straight into the house." - -Pariset hastened back to the spot where he had left Kenneth. - -"Come along!" he said. "I have discovered a friend." - -"That's capital!" said Kenneth. "Is he an old friend?" - -"Not exactly an old friend. It is that old man you saw come to the -gate. I have only known him a few days--since I met you, in fact." - -"That's odd," said Kenneth, puzzled. "We have been together practically -every minute since we met, and I wasn't aware you had made a new -acquaintance of any old man except that farmer and his friend the -miller." - -"What is odder is that he asked after you." - -"Really! Who is he?" - -"Come and see. You'll be glad to meet him." - -"Hang your mystifications!" - -"Not mine. But there he is at the door. Those fellows, by the way, who -went off in the automobile were Germans, but the old man assured me it -is quite safe to accept his invitation." - -While speaking they had led their horses to the house. They tied them -up in a thick shrubbery behind the lawn, and went up the steps to the -front door. - -"How do you do, Amory?" said Granger in his natural voice, holding out -his hand. - -"By George!" gasped Kenneth. "A splendid get-up; I shouldn't have known -you. What a Proteus you are!" - -"Without his prophetic gifts, or I should have expected you. Come in: I -have some interesting news for you." - -"But what----" - -"What am I?" Granger interposed. "I am an old family servant who, like -the domestic cat, stuck to the old place after the family had left. I -am caretaker, _pro tem._--and the time will be very short, I fancy. We -will bar the door; I am very vigilant. Now I am at your service." - - - - -CHAPTER XVII--A BARMECIDE FEAST - - -Granger laughed when Kenneth related the incidents of the past -twenty-four hours. - -"You are uncommonly lucky young daredevils," he said. "To the best of -my knowledge Proteus, for all his quick changes, had only one life; you -seem to have several apiece. The only pity is that you couldn't enjoy -the triumph that would have attended your marching of the prisoners into -camp." - -"Yes, I should have liked that," said Kenneth. "But what are you doing -here? What is your game? Your disguise is perfect, upon my word!" - -"I will tell you--in confidence," he replied with a sly look. "From -information received I arrived here yesterday afternoon. As you see, -the amiable Teutons have left their mark on the house. My informant had -led me to expect that it would be visited by certain German gentlemen. -Sure enough, late last night an armoured car honked at the door, and -when I lifted the bar with my fumbling fingers, there entered an officer -and a civilian. A sergeant and three privates remained outside until -the major ordered them in to search the house. The civilian was clearly -a man of some importance, judging by the deference--somewhat strange -among Germans--paid to him by the soldier occupants of the car. He went -by the name of Brinckmann, but as an ornament of society in Cologne, and -occasionally I believe in London also, he was known as Kurt Hellwig." - -"By George!" exclaimed Kenneth. - -"I thought I should interest you." - -"The cur!" - -"Hush, my dear fellow! Hellwig enjoys imperial favour. He boasted of a -particularly cordial interview with the War Lord, who appears to take a -close personal interest in underground operations. Well, the major and -Hellwig dined together--if the scratch meal that my trembling hands -prepared for them could be called a dinner. They had to be content with -inferior wine: thirsty compatriots of theirs had consumed the best. I -waited at table: in our--profession, we play many parts. They were -expecting a visit from a high-placed officer this morning; that was the -item in my original information that led me to impersonate the aged -servitor, sans teeth, sans eyes--you know the quotation. As a Belgian -peasant, speaking French only villainously, I could not be expected to -understand the language of these lords of the world. They conversed -quite freely, and confirmed my informant in every particular. I hoped to -hear more this morning, but unluckily Fate has robbed me of the -opportunity. A despatch rider came up a little while ago on one of -those noisy mechanical monstrosities that have ousted the thoroughbred -of former days." - -"Oh, come now! The motor cycle is much more useful than the horse," -Kenneth interrupted. - -"Especially when a tyre bursts, a nut falls off, or the gearing goes -wrong! However, it appeared that the appointment was cancelled. The -high officer would not come here, but summoned my gentlemen to meet him -at Marche, some fifteen miles west." - -"They have advanced as far as that, then?" said Pariset ruefully. - -"They are on the way to Paris, my dear sir," said Granger. "They have, -I understand, given rendezvous there for the 26th of this month. Their -confidence is, perhaps, a little ahead of their capacity. But your -unexpected arrival--we cannot know everything!--is very welcome. I seem -to see that by this happy chance my time may not be wholly wasted. You -will make very good Uhlans when I have touched you up a little." - -"What do you mean?" asked Kenneth. - -"Hellwig said, on leaving, that he and his friends would return about -midday. In his pleasant way he threatened to burn the house over my -head if I did not prepare a better dejeuner than the dinner he suffered -last night. Imagine my agitation! What a calamity! How should I meet -my master when he returns? My hands shook so violently that I began to -be afraid of overdoing my part! ... But now, gentlemen, for Herr -Hellwig's dejeuner. I can count on your assistance. He will need a -good digestion!" - -"You mean to tackle them?" asked Pariset. - -"I don't want to be unfair to either party--to take you at the Germans' -valuation, or to rate them too low. Suppose I stand aside; there will -then be two against two." - -"But there are four others," said Kenneth. - -"Who being of inferior clay are not allowed to contaminate the air for -their betters. They remain outside. Last night they took turns at -sentry-go in the rain in front of the house, and when not on duty dozed -in the car." - -"They may bring others back with them," suggested Pariset. - -"They will not, if I know my Hellwig," answered Granger. "Of course we -are wofully outnumbered if they all take a hand, to say nothing of the -machine gun. The sound of that would probably bring down upon us a -swarm of gentle Germans." - -"Are they so near?" asked Kenneth. - -"I tottered through a large camp of them a couple of miles to the north, -and this morning I saw from the upper windows troops moving along a road -within a mile and a half to the west." - -"Then we should have tumbled right into the camp if we had gone on," -said Kenneth. - -"I think better of you than that! But you see that we must keep the -machine gun quiet at all costs. A revolver shot would be safe, perhaps; -but if we can avoid that, too, so much the better. Now I really must go -and make my perquisitions. Last night I cooked some new-killed beef -they brought with them; to-day they expect something more choice. I -must scour the neighbourhood. There will be plenty of time, I think; if -they should return before I do, I must leave you to exercise the same -resourcefulness as has defied the superman hitherto. They may search the -house as they did last night. As a precaution, I suggest that you take -refuge in the garden during my absence. The shrubberies are excellent." - -"Can you give us something to eat?" said Kenneth. "We are famished." - -"Unhappily they cleared the board this morning, leaving me nothing but -the crumbs. But I will be as quick as possible. You shall breakfast -royally." - -He left them. Instead of adopting his suggestion they went to the top -of the house and watched the long defile of German troops on the western -road. They would hear or see the returning car in good time to make -their escape by the back door. - -Within an hour Granger returned, with a couple of fowls, a duck, and -other comestibles purchased at high prices from the few peasants in the -neighbouring village whom the approach of the Germans had not scared -away. Among his many accomplishments was a considerable skill in -cooking. He roasted the duck and one of the fowls, prepared bread sauce -and apple, boiled potatoes to a nice point of flouriness, turned out -Brussels sprouts dry and crisp. - -"Now we will make a start," he said. "I can always work better if I am -well fed, and you, I am sure, are very sharpset." - -"We are indeed," said Kenneth. "But what about the Germans?" - -"There will be at least a smell of cooking when they arrive. The -pleasures of hope are keener than the pleasures of memory, I believe. -While you eat, I will talk. What I say may aid your digestion; but you -must exercise your own united judgment. When you have finished, I -suggest that you rest until they come; they are not soft-tongued, and if -you fall asleep their entrance will waken you. There are excellent -divans in the smoking-room on the other side of that curtain." - -During the meal Granger outlined the plan which their arrival had -suggested. It was audacious enough, but, as he remarked with a smile, -they had had some training for important parts. When there was nothing -left of the poultry but the bones, they went into the smoking-room and -threw themselves on two luxurious divans upholstered in saddle bags. -Granger cleared away, and placed clean plates and cutlery on the table. - -Fatigued though they were, excitement kept them awake. Soon after one -they heard the car approaching. It drew up at the gates, which were -closed, and the soldier-chauffeur sounded his horn, while two of his -comrades alighted and pushed the gates open. Granger, after glancing -into the smoking-room, hastened to the front door, which he opened, once -more a frail old servingman, as Hellwig and the major, followed by the -sergeant, with two bottles of wine, came up the steps. - -"Poultry--or game!" exclaimed Hellwig, sniffing appreciatively as he -entered. - -"That is well; I am ravenous," said the officer. "At any rate we shall -not be poisoned to-day by the old man's vinegar.... Lay those bottles -down," he added, addressing the sergeant, "then go out. You and the men -shall have what is left from our meal." - -The sergeant saluted and went out. Hellwig and the officer drew chairs -to the table and seated themselves. - -"Make haste!" Hellwig called in French through the open door towards the -kitchen. "Stir your stumps, old man." - -Granger came shuffling into the room, bent of back, nervously clasping -his hands. - -"Where is the dejeuner?" cried Hellwig. "Why have you come -empty-handed? What do you mean by keeping us waiting?" - -"Pardon, monsieur," faltered Granger. "I must beg messieurs to excuse -me." - -"Excuses! What do you mean, old fool?" - -Granger's hands trembled more violently than ever. In his thin -quavering voice he stammered: - -"Pardon, monsieur; I am an old bird. Just before messieurs returned, -parbleu! there came two cavalrymen, Uhlans, it seems, with a hunger of -wolves. I explained as well as I could that the dejeuner was being -prepared for two noble officers, but----" - -"Well?" cried Hellwig, as the speaker paused. - -"Pardon, monsieur; but they--they have eaten it all up." - -"Sapperment! Where are those Uhlans?" roared Hellwig, half rising. - -"They are here, monsieur. Hola!" - -Kenneth and Pariset drew the curtain aside, and stepped into the room. -Each held a revolver behind his back. - -"What kind of behaviour is this?" growled the major. "Salute, pigs!" - -Instead of the expected salute, the Germans saw two steady right hands -pointing revolvers at their heads. - -"Merely a little joke, major," said Kenneth quietly: "a little -play-acting. You and your friend shall be in the cast. You shall -pretend to be prisoners." - -The major swelled with astonishment and rage. Hellwig, who had fixed -his eyes on Kenneth, changed colour, and made a sudden grab for his -revolver. But a peremptory voice from behind his chair caused him to -sink back and slowly turn his amazed eyes. - -"Hands up!" - -The old servingman had suddenly become straight. His hands no longer -trembled, his voice had lost its quaver. Covered by two revolvers, -taken aback by the suddenness of surprise, the Germans were paralysed -for a few moments. The major recovered himself first, and was opening -his mouth to shout when Granger deftly slipped a table napkin between -his teeth, drew it tight, and knotted it behind. From under the table -he lifted several short pieces of cord, and in two minutes the -infuriated officer was firmly bound to his chair. - -Hellwig, meanwhile, whose face was the colour of the soldier's uniform, -had sat limply watching Granger's quick and dexterous movements. He was -dealt with in his turn. - -"Call the sergeant in," said Granger to Kenneth. - -The man came at the summons, found himself looking down the muzzles of -two revolvers as he entered at the door, and was soon sitting between -the others, the third guest at an empty board. - -The distant sound of trotting horses drew the captors hurriedly to the -window, and brought a gleam of hope into the captives' eyes. - -"Cavalry, by all the powers!" Granger ejaculated, glancing up the road. -"They are sure to visit the house. We have three men still to deal -with, and three minutes for the job. The bold simple course, Amory! You -must tackle them. Saunter out, don't hurry." - -Kenneth, followed by Pariset, walked slowly towards the waiting car. The -three men in it stared in surprise. - -"We arrived this morning," said Kenneth in an easy tone to the -chauffeur, "and ate the Herr Major's lunch--by mistake." - -The men guffawed; the German soldier does not love his officers. This -was a good joke. - -"That's a nice little toy you have there," Kenneth went on, pointing to -the machine gun. He stepped quickly into the car to look at it. - -"It is forbidden," said the chauffeur, with an uneasy glance at the -window. "Only the crew are allowed in the car." - -"Yes, yes, one understands. Just a minute!" - -Before the men could make up their minds to turn him out he had swung -round the machine gun to cover them. - -"Hands up!" he cried. - -They laughed, thinking it a practical joke, until they saw Pariset -covering them with his revolver. - -"Hands up!" he repeated, imitating Kenneth's accent as well as he could. - -But they recognised now that he was a foreigner, and seeing at this -moment Granger dragging the helpless form of the important Herr -Brinckmann down the steps they surrendered. - -"Get down, and don't stir a step for your lives," Kenneth commanded. -"Drop your arms." - -Pariset kept guard over them while Granger bundled Hellwig into the car -and Kenneth started the engine. - -"I didn't like to leave Brinckmann behind," explained Granger smoothly -as he squeezed himself into the seat beside Hellwig. "We are just in -time." - -Just as the helmets of the approaching troopers showed above the park -wall a furlong away, Kenneth sprang after Pariset into the car, and let -in the clutch. The car moved forward, swung round into the drive, -shaved the gatepost, and sped northward down the road. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII--RUNNING THE GAUNTLET - - -The sound of the starting car brought two of the troopers up at a -gallop. The sight of the Uhlan helmets did not at first inspire them -with distrust, but merely with curiosity that Uhlans should have been -employed in unusual work. The three men left in front of the house, -however, came running to the gates, shouting somewhat incoherently. The -words "Spionen!" and "Belgen!" were distinguishable. Their cries were -taken up by the troopers, and vociferated to their comrades riding -leisurely along. At the prospect of a spy hunt they pricked their -horses to a gallop, and set off in chase of the car, now almost out of -sight. - -"The German camp is in this direction, you told us?" said Kenneth to -Granger. - -"Yes; there is a by-road just before we reach it. The enemy are not -likely to be coming towards us." - -The road was heavy and deeply rutted from the recent passage of cumbrous -transport wagons and artillery. Kenneth found the acceleration of the -car slow, and in any case the weight of the armour with which its vital -parts were protected would have rendered it incapable of high speed. -For a time the horsemen appeared to gain on it, and Pariset, who had -taken charge of the machine gun, swung it round to cover the rear, ready -to open fire if they drew too near. - -"Don't fire if you can help it," Granger said. "It would be a pity to -disturb the camp ahead." - -After a few minutes the car began to draw away. Pariset saw one of the -troopers rein up, and expected him to fire over the holster of his -saddle. But the man dismounted, and just as the car swung out of sight -at a bend of the road, he was clambering up a telegraph pole. Pariset -hurriedly informed his friends. - -"We must stop and cut the wires," said Kenneth, jamming on the brakes. - -Lifting the lid of the tool box, he seized a pair of nippers. - -"Evidently meant for the job," he said. - -"Give them to me," cried Granger. "You stick to the car." - -He sprang out, and swarmed up the nearest pole with an agility -surprising in a man of his venerable aspect. Before he was half way up, -however, the head of the column rounded the corner. - -"There's no help for it," said Pariset. "Here goes!" - -Next moment there was a sharp metallic crack. The car trembled. - -"Three horses down!" cried Pariset. "The rest are swinging in to the -side of the road. If Granger is quick--ah! he has done it. They are -not coming on again yet." - -Granger slid down the pole, jumped into the car, and again they were -off. - -"We shall have to cut it again in another mile or so," said Pariset. - -"If we don't meet the enemy before then," rejoined Granger. "Or we can -pretend we are chased by Belgians and dash through." - -But in less than a mile they found that the wires left the road and ran -across country. - -"We can't navigate fields of stubble," said Kenneth. "The only thing to -be done is to go ahead at full speed, and trust to luck. Let's hope -that before any message they send can take effect we shall have reached -that by-road. Where does it lead to?" - -"To Durbuy, I think," said Granger. "There's a bridge across the -Ourthe. The Germans may be there; they move so confoundedly fast; but -that's our only chance of reaching the Belgian lines." - -In a few minutes they reached the by-road to the left. It was narrow, -but, to Kenneth's joy, not so deeply rutted as the main road. He was -getting the utmost out of the car, which thundered along at forty miles -an hour, the engine knocking furiously whenever it was called upon to -breast an incline. - -For some distance they neither met nor passed any traffic. When at last -they overtook an empty farm cart, the driver had barely time or space to -draw into the side to avoid them. A few yards further on in rounding a -curve Kenneth saw a heavy motor transport wagon ahead, going in the same -direction. At the sound of the horn the driver looked round, and seeing -the armoured car manned apparently by Uhlans he drew in hastily to the -bank, no doubt supposing that it was engaged in urgent work. Kenneth -slowed down slightly to avoid a collision, scraped past, then raced on -as before. - -In less than half a minute afterwards he gave a cry of dismay. At the -foot of a short hill two heavily laden carts were drawn full across the -road. Kenneth jammed on the brakes, foot and hand; Granger, rendered -suspicious by the position of the carts and the absence of horses, stood -up and in a moment shouted to Pariset, his voice rising above the -groaning and shrieking of the mechanism. - -"Germans in bushes!" - -Pariset had seen them almost as soon as Granger. Before the car had -come to a standstill within a dozen yards of the obstruction, the -machine gun began to spit bullets in reply to the fusillade that rattled -on the armoured sides of the car and the shield of the gun. A few -seconds of brisk firing; then the deadly hail from the machine gun -crashing through the foliage into the ranks of the ambuscaders made -their position hopelessly untenable, and a remnant of the Horse -Grenadiers who had lain in hiding there fled helter skelter over the -adjacent fields. - -The three men sprang out of the car, and tried to drag the carts out of -the way. They failed to move them, and Granger discovered that they -were chained together. - -"A hammer!" he cried. - -But the hammer snatched from the toolbox proved useless. The links of -the chain had been flattened by some heavy instrument. After repeated -blows it was evident that the chain was unbreakable. - -"What on earth is to be done?" cried Kenneth, looking helplessly at the -carts, while Pariset and Granger kept on the watch for any sign of the -enemy returning. A shot from the machine gun would probably be -ineffective, even at short range; the bullet would hardly dent the -chain, much less shatter it and release the carts. - -At this critical moment the transport wagon which they had passed some -way back appeared on the crest of the hill behind them, and sounded its -horn. Kenneth had a flash of inspiration. - -"Look out for the Grenadiers, Remi," he cried. "There's no sign of -them, but they may come back. If they do, turn the gun on to them." - -"What are you going to do?" shouted Pariset, as Kenneth ran up the -incline towards the halted wagon. - -"Commandeer the wagon for a battering ram. There's apparently no -escort. Back the car well away to the right." - -Reaching the wagon, he said to the driver: - -"The rascally enemy has blocked the road, as you see. The carts there -are chained together. Get out, quickly!" - -The three infantrymen in the wagon were obviously amazed, not so much at -being ordered about by a Uhlan, as at the apparent purposelessness of -the command. They got out, however, and were still more astonished when -the masterful Uhlan mounted into their place, and after a glance at the -car below, released the brakes, let in the clutch, and sent the wagon -lumbering down the hill. For a few seconds, while the vehicle was -gathering speed, Kenneth steered straight; then, turning the wheel so as -to give a slight tendency to the left, he sprang off, fell sprawling, -jumped up and ran after the wagon, watching its course eagerly. - -On it thundered, every moment faster. Would it reach the foot of the -hill, or swerve into the bank on the left? On, and on--and then, at a -speed of twenty miles an hour, it struck the left-hand cart with a -terrific crash, and threw both cart and itself in a pile of wreckage up -the bank and into the field beyond. The chain connecting the carts had -snapped like rotten cord. - -[Illustration: CLEARING THE ROAD] - -"Bravo!" shouted the two men waiting beside the motor-car. - -Rushing forward, they helped Kenneth to draw the released cart to one -side, leaving a clear space between it and the wreckage. Then they -leapt into the car, waved their hands to the astonished motormen above, -and started forward towards Durbuy and safety. - -"We are all right now--unless the Germans are in greater force than I -believe," said Granger, taking a map from his pocket. "If we can cross -the river at Durbuy, we can run due west to Dinant, where we shall -probably find the Belgian, or maybe the French lines. Then we can swing -northwards, and get to headquarters somewhere between Tirlemont and -Brussels." - -A run of a few miles brought them within sight of the river winding away -to the east, and the little town--a mere village in point of size--of -Durbuy. But here they perceived with dismay that the course they had -planned was not feasible. Along the road between Barvaux and Durbuy a -large German force was on the march. Their leading companies were -already crossing the quaint old bridge, covered by troops of Hussars on -both banks. - -"Pull up," said Granger. "We shall have to go back and make a round. -News of us has no doubt been flashed by this time to every German force -in the neighbourhood." - -Kenneth was backing the car when Granger noticed signs of movement among -the cavalry on the near bank. A squadron formed up, faced towards the -slight hill, and started at a canter in the direction of the car. - -"There's no time to lose," cried Granger. "Reverse and turn round." - -But at that moment Kenneth observed, just ahead, a narrow road running -east for a few yards, then curving to the north. - -"Better try and cut across them," he said. "If we go back we may run -into another lot and be caught between two fires." - -"Very well. The road isn't marked on my map, but we'll chance it." - -Kenneth had already brought the gear lever from reverse to first. He -let in the clutch; the car started forward again, and before the -advancing horsemen were half way up the hill the fugitives swung round -into the by-road. When the Hussars reached the turning the car was two -or three hundred yards ahead and rounding the curve. - -"I'm afraid we've done for ourselves," said Kenneth ruefully. "The road -is awful." - -It was indeed scarred with deep ruts, almost like the furrows in a -ploughed field, and thick with mud from the recent rain. The car swayed -violently, jumping in and out of the ruts. In spite of its powerful -build, Kenneth doubted whether the axles and springs would stand the -strain. The wheels, moreover, sank so deep into the mud that the speed -of the car fell away to what seemed to the occupants little more than a -crawl. - -The Hussars were galloping hotly after them. Some were deploying across -the open fields on both sides of the road, to gain time at the windings -of the latter. The distance between car and horsemen was steadily -lessening; it seemed that for once muscle was about to conquer -mechanism. - -Kenneth was wholly occupied with the steering of the car. Pariset kept -his eyes fixed on the pursuers. They were about fifty in number, at a -distance no match for the machine gun, but if they were allowed to close -up, especially if they got ahead, the occupants of the car would be at -their mercy in the event of any sudden check. He watched for a -favourable moment for bringing the gun into play. - -After innumerable short windings the road ran straight for a -considerable distance. The leading horsemen, now within a hundred yards -of the car, began to fire as they rode. Pariset instantly replied, -working the gun in a long arc from left to right. It was not for -nothing that the German staff had made the machine gun one of the -predominant features of their armament. Under the pitiless hail of -bullets horses and men went down like grass under the scythe. The -Hussars behind slowed down, allowing the car to increase its lead, but -still keeping it in view, hoping no doubt that an accident, an obstacle, -a piece of clumsy steering, would bring its career to an end. They might -then close upon it and surround it without having to face that terrible -machine gun again. Pariset, for his part, anxious not to attract the -attention of any enemies who might be ahead, ceased fire as soon as the -pursuit slackened. - -Their direction was towards Liege. Now and then they caught sight of -the Ourthe, winding below them on their left, but there was no sign of a -bridge. Mile after mile passed. The road was a continual up and down; -on each side was a variegated landscape of meadows, richly wooded slopes -and frowning cliffs. The sight of the railway crossing the river -reminded Kenneth that they were approaching the scene of their exploit; -but Pariset had no eyes for anything but the helmets of the Uhlans -bobbing up and down on the road far behind. - -Presently they dashed past a battalion of infantry marching in the same -direction. The men all looked dead tired, and took little or no notice -of the car as it passed at increased speed. A few minutes later they -skirted the chateau of Hamoir, then ascended a steep hill, the engine -knocking alarmingly, and rushing through the village of Louveigne -suddenly came in sight of an immense military encampment. Far to left -and right of the road stretched the lines of the Germans encircling -Liege. Tents, carts, caissons, batteries of artillery, men on horse and -on foot extended as far as the eye could reach. - -But there was no sign of active operations. Troops were drilling on -open spaces, practising the ridiculous goose-step; men off duty were -strolling about. Smoke ascended from innumerable travelling kitchens. -Horsemen were riding this way and that: a motor cyclist was dashing away -to the east. - -When this spectacle flashed upon the view, Kenneth slowed down. His -face was pale. - -"Push through and trust to luck?" he said to Granger at his side. - -"There's nothing else for it, with pursuers hot on our track," replied -Granger. "Speed about ten miles, but be ready to let her out." - -They went on. Curious glances were thrown at them by troops of cavalry -off-saddled by the roadside. Uhlans in an armoured car! They must be -on special service. With his heart in his mouth Kenneth followed the -road for a full mile through the lines. The country became clearer of -men as they proceeded, but as Kenneth was again increasing speed he -noticed a strong force of infantry posted ahead of them at some distance -to the right of the road. - -"They are supports," said Pariset. "We shall find a battery ahead." - -In less than two miles they came to a number of ammunition and transport -wagons, parked in the rear of a battery of six guns. A patrol on the -road signalled to them to halt. Kenneth pulled up, but before the -sergeant could address him, he asked urgently: - -"Where is the commandant? Quick! I haven't a minute to lose." - -The man pointed to a spot about half a mile in front. Kenneth, without -waiting for more, opened out, and the car quickly gained speed. - -"It's touch and go now," he said, almost in a whisper. - -"The guns are unlimbered for action," said Pariset. "If we pass they'll -know we are enemies." - -"Nothing else for it," replied Kenneth, setting his teeth. "We must -trust to our speed. Keep a look-out, Granger." - -Thenceforth he concentrated all his attention upon the car. It sped on, -crossed a small bridge over a rivulet, and swept up a short hill on the -near side of which six guns were emplaced. - -"Eight inchers," murmured Granger. He had his eye fixed on the officer -who had been pointed out as the commandant, and who, at this moment, was -listening at the receiver of a field telephone. As the car approached -he dropped the receiver and gave an order. The soldier next him ran -towards the guns, shouting to the artillerymen, who appeared to be -laying their weapons. - -"The game is up!" said Granger. "He's had word of us. Press her, -Amory." - -Kenneth opened the throttle to the utmost, and the car leapt forward -like a living thing. It dashed past the commandant, past the group of -gunners, topped the rise, and thundered down the slope beyond. A few -revolver shots rattled on the armour. - -"We're safe for a little, while they alter the range," said Granger, -assuring himself at a glance that no one had been hit. - -The car was now running at a furious pace, the road having recently been -repaired, no doubt for the easier passage of the guns. Kenneth knew -that he was directly in the line of fire of the battery. On his left -wound the Ourthe, with the railway almost parallel with it beyond; and -as the car rushed between two clumps of woodland Pariset called over his -shoulder that he had just caught sight of Fort de Boncelles, two or -three miles to the west, and Fort d'Embourg a little nearer to the east. - -"Which shall we make for?" gasped Kenneth. - -"Boncelles," replied Granger. "It is nearer the French lines. We can -cross by the iron bridge just below Tilff." - -On they went. Second after second passed; a minute, two minutes. They -swept round to the left towards the bridge. There was still no shot -from the guns. - -"They were trained on Boncelles," said Granger. "We are too near them -still." - -He had scarcely spoken when there was a moaning in the air, followed -instantly by a roar and crash, and a thick cloud of black smoke sprang -up some four hundred yards to the right. They all crouched low in the -car, which dashed across the throbbing bridge at forty miles an hour. -Another shell plunged into the river, a third struck the road a few -yards behind them, as they entered the railway arch, bespattering them -with earth. No sooner had they emerged on the other side than still -another shell burst ahead of them, in the field beside the road. They -all caught their breath: if it had fallen a few yards to the right, it -would have dug a hole large enough to engulf the car. - -Shells now began to explode, as it seemed, all around them. The sky was -darkened by the smoke, poisonous fumes almost choked them. Only the -great speed of the car and the slight changes in its direction due to -the windings of the road preserved them from annihilation. The thought -that flashed through Pariset's mind was that if the Germans had used -shrapnel instead of shell they must almost certainly have been -destroyed, for he could not doubt that the whole battery was now playing -upon them. - -With shells hurtling around at intervals of a few seconds Kenneth, so -intent upon his work as to be scarcely conscious of them, steered the -car up the road, taking the curves at a pace that would have made his -hair stand on end at less critical times. It almost seemed that he and -his companions had charmed lives. At moments, as the road wound, the -fort came in sight beyond the ruined village--burnt by the Belgians to -clear their line of fire. Would they reach it in safety? The nearer -they approached it, the greater their danger. The gunners had the range -of the fort; a shell falling short even by a few yards might strike the -car at the very moment when escape seemed sure. - -"Only half a mile more!" Pariset said, in a hoarse whisper from his -parched lips. - -Two seconds afterwards there was a stunning report and a blinding flash, -apparently from beneath the car. It spun round and round like a -teetotum, then fell over to one side with a crash. - -For a few moments the three men were too much shaken to move. In the -consciousness of them all those moments were a blank. They lay on the -roadside where they had been thrown, like dead men. Then they realised -with a shock of surprise that they were alive. Pariset was up first. -Before he had time to stagger to the others, Kenneth sprang to his feet. -Granger moved more slowly, and when he too stood erect, it was seen that -his false beard was gone. - -"I feel cold," he said, touching his chin, and smiling, though he was -pale as death. - -They glanced at the car. The off front wheel had disappeared; the off -hind wheel was buckled; the bonnet and radiator were a mass of twisted -iron. It was a complete wreck. - -A shell bursting little more than a hundred yards away warned them to be -gone, and they started to run towards the fort. - -"Hellwig!" exclaimed Kenneth suddenly. - -They ran back. The spy, the man whom the Kaiser delighted to honour, -lay huddled in the bottom of the car, under the machine gun. It had -broken his neck. - -"Poor devil!" murmured Granger. - -They turned hastily, and ran on silently, each thinking his own -thoughts. Pariset was the least concerned at Hellwig's fate. To him -Hellwig was merely a German and a spy, who had met with his deserts. -Granger, whatever his private animus against Hellwig, could not but -remember that they were members of one profession, who faced the same -perils and might suffer the same end. Kenneth was the most deeply -affected. He had disliked Hellwig, and had the average Englishman's -contempt and hatred of spying. It was the one thing that alloyed his -liking for Granger. But, as he said to Pariset afterwards: - -"If there must be spying, and I suppose there must, it is something to -spy like a gentleman, and that I am sure Granger does." - -The three men came to the glacis. A roar startled them and made them -duck instinctively. The fort had opened fire on the German battery. -They raced up, past empty trenches, still followed by shell; but they -now presented an inconspicuous mark to the gunners more than three miles -distant. It was a long uphill climb, but they panted on towards the -door of safety. - -Was it safety? Their way across the moat was barred by a group of -Belgian engineers with rifles, amazed at the appearance of two men in -Uhlan uniform. Pariset held up his hands. - -"Lieutenant Montoisy!" he shouted. "Is he here?" - -The men lowered their rifles and advanced. Pariset hastened to meet -them. - -"We are friends," he said. "Tell Lieutenant Montoisy that Lieutenant -Pariset is here." - -One of the men ran back. A shell burst on the wall some distance to the -right. - -"Come inside, messieurs," said another of the men. - -And as they entered, Lieutenant Montoisy, the second in command, a -begrimed haggard figure, met them. - -"Pariset!" he exclaimed. "You were in the car? Mon Dieu! You have had -an escape! Come in: what is the meaning of it?" - - - - -CHAPTER XIX--'A LONG, LONG WAY----' - - -No sooner had the fugitives entered the fort than Kenneth collapsed. The -tension of the last two days, the terrific strain of controlling the -armoured car, and the concussion of the final shock, had been too heavy -a tax upon his nervous system. Pariset was in little better condition. -Granger, an older man, of settled constitution, was less affected than -the others, and he was able to assist the surgeon of the fort in tending -upon his friends. - -Much to their surprise, the interior of the fort was quiet and peaceful. -The German batteries had ceased fire, the fort guns were silent. -Lieutenant Montoisy explained that during the past few days there had -been no attack. The enemy's infantry, shattered by fire from the -trenches in their frontal assaults, had retired. The bombardment had -been feeble. - -"We can hold out for weeks," said the lieutenant. - -"Don't buoy yourself with false hopes," said Granger. "The Germans are -only waiting until they bring up their great guns. There are several -monsters of 42 centimetre calibre on their way. They will bring them -through Liege; as soon as they can place them the fort will be shivered -to atoms." - -"Bah! Our cupolas will stand anything. Besides, no one has ever heard -of these great guns. They are probably a myth, invented to frighten -us." - -"These gentlemen know better than that," Granger returned. "You had -better tell what you saw, Amory." - -Kenneth related the incident near Erkelenz. - -"Unluckily we only destroyed the parts of one gun," he concluded. "The -block on the road had evidently caused them to send on the others by -another route." - -Lieutenant Montoisy was still sceptical of the effect these guns could -produce. He led the three men round the fort. It was triangular in -shape, with guns in disappearing turrets at each corner. In the centre -was a steel turret armed with two 6-inch howitzers, enclosed in a square -with four similar turrets carrying 5-inch quick-firing guns. The turrets -were embedded in a solid block of concrete, and here and there were -machine guns and searchlight apparatus. The heaviest guns were mounted -on a steel cupola, capable of being raised and lowered. Impressed by the -immense strength of the defences, the Englishmen began to share -Montoisy's confidence in their power to withstand bombardment even by -the heaviest artillery. - -"Why aren't our men in the trenches?" asked Pariset. - -"They were ordered to withdraw several days ago," replied Montoisy. "You -see, we had only 40,000 men to defend a circuit of thirty-three -miles--impossible against a quarter of a million Germans. But we have -taught them a lesson. We have cut whole regiments to pieces. Our -gallant Garde Civique made a bayonet charge the other day that sent them -helter-skelter just beyond Boncelles yonder. No one will ever again -regard the bosches as invincible." - -Bit by bit he drew from Pariset the story of his adventures, and when it -spread among the garrison, the two young men found themselves regarded -as heroes by all, from the commandant downwards. - -Their future movements were discussed. It was decided that they should -remain in the fort for a few days until they had recovered their -strength, and then make their way westward if possible to the Belgian -lines. Granger determined to leave at once. Expert in disguises, he -transformed himself into a Belgian peasant, and waited for nightfall to -steal away towards Liege. - -"We may meet again; we may not," he said, as he shook hands. "I hope we -may. It will be a long war. We shall win. And if we three lose our -lives--well, who was it said that death is the portal to the life -Elysian? But I won't moralise. We'll stick it out. Good-bye!" and -smiling serenely he went out into the night. - -Pariset was eager to know what was happening in other parts of the vast -battlefield, and in particular whether anything had been heard of -General Leman. Montoisy explained that, the telephone communications -having recently been smashed, the fort was cut off as completely as if -it were a desolate island in the midst of an ocean. - -Next evening, about six o'clock, two shrapnel shells burst harmlessly -over the fort. A few minutes later an acute buzzing was heard in the -air, then there was a thunderous roar, the whole place trembled, and the -outer slope of the fort was smothered in a cloud of stones, dust, and -black smoke. Montoisy looked grave, and hurried to the arcade under -which the commandant was sheltering. As he stood talking with him, a -shell which, judging from its size, weighed nearly a ton burst near by, -bringing down a shower of shattered masonry, and wounding the -commandant. - -"Close the cupola," he signalled. "Every man take shelter." - -Montoisy tried in vain to locate the enormous guns which had started on -their fell work. They could not be seen. To fire at them was -impossible. That they had so soon been got into position seemed to show -that their concrete emplacements had been prepared long before. - -For two hours the helpless garrison crouched in their shelters, hearing -the roar of the guns, the crashing of masonry and the splintering of -steel, almost choked by the noisome gases emitted by the bursting -shells. The smashing of the dynamo plunged them into pitch darkness; -and all the while, outside, the western sky glowed with the rich hues of -a peaceful sunset. - -At eight o'clock the bombardment ceased, and the Belgians, venturing -forth from their subterranean lairs, looked out upon a scene of -devastation. The slopes and counterslopes were a chaos of rubbish: it -was as if an earthquake had shaken the foundations of the globe. Great -chasms yawned; tongues of flame shot up from where one of the cupolas -had been; shapeless shreds of armour plate lay amid jagged masses of -masonry and heaps of stones. No trace of the guns was to be seen. - -Far down the slope two German officers were advancing under a white -flag. Coming within hailing distance they called on the garrison to -surrender. - -"You have seen what our guns can do," said one of them in French. "You -have been struck by 278 shells; you cannot reply; and we have still more -colossal guns in reserve. Surrender, or you will be annihilated." - -The commandant, wounded as he was, half choked by the foul gases that -still clung about the place, stepped forward and gave his answer. - -"Honour forbids us to surrender: we shall resist to the end." - -The garrison waved their caps and cheered. A nation whose stricken -soldiers showed such a spirit could never be quelled, thought Kenneth. -The Germans laughed and withdrew. In half an hour the bombardment -recommenced, this time from two directions. The men in their galleries -listened helplessly to the destruction of their world. - -Darkness fell, and except for an occasional shot the bombardment ceased. -The commandant sent for Pariset. - -"It is useless," he said wearily. "Their shells will pierce the -galleries to-morrow. One of my men has already had his hand blown off; -others are seriously wounded. To-night I shall flood the magazines and -break all the rifles and guns; in the morning I must surrender. But you -and your friend are not of my garrison: there is work for you outside; -why should you be carried prisoners to Germany? Slip out in the -darkness. There are no infantry around the fort. I can provide you -with civilian dress. It will be dangerous to attempt to get into Liege. -Make for Seraing, cross the river there, and slip between the Flemalle -and Hollogne forts towards Brussels. And tell General Wonters that we -held out until resistance was hopeless." - -Towards midnight the two friends in peasant costume slipped out of the -rear of the fort, and taking the stars as their guide trudged through -the fields and woods and up the hill into the deserted streets of -Seraing. The great iron-foundries were silent; no glare from the -furnaces lit the sky. - -"Belgium is paying a heavy price," thought Kenneth. - -They crossed the silent bridge in the moonlight, crossed the Namur road -and the railway beyond, and had just reached the road leading through -Waremme and Louvain to Brussels when the sound of voices on their right -caused them to shrink back behind a hedge. Peering out they saw a -patrol of some twenty-five Uhlans riding past at a foot pace. - -"We shall have to go across the fields," whispered Pariset, when the -horsemen had gone by. "We dare not pass them. This means a general -advance to-morrow. The bosches lose no time." - -They struck across the fields to the south of their true course, and -plodded on, more or less at a venture. Turning by and by into a lane, -they almost collided with a cyclist, who, swerving to avoid them, -skidded on the wet track, and fell to the ground. The sinking moon shed -just enough light for them to distinguish a French uniform, and they ran -forward to assist the fallen man, Pariset speaking to him in French. - -"Ah! You are French?" said the cyclist, springing to his feet and -raising his bicycle. - -"Belgian and English, monsieur," Pariset answered. "You are a scout?" - -"Yes; a troop of Chasseurs are a mile or two south. Have you seen -anything of the enemy?" - -"A number of Uhlans are riding up the Waremme road." - -"How many?" - -"Twenty-five or so." - -"Are they riding fast?" - -"No; at a walking pace." - -"Then we will capture them. I will ride on to the road and keep my eye -on them. You hurry along the lane and tell our men to hurry. There is -no time to be lost." - -Willing enough to do something, even at this last moment, for the common -cause, Kenneth and Pariset hurried along the lane. In the course of a -quarter of an hour they met the Chasseurs. Pariset gave the message, -and on explaining that he was a Belgian officer and knew the country -well was invited to mount behind the captain and act as guide. Kenneth -sprang up behind a trooper, and they set off at a trot, riding across -the fields in order not to be heard. - -Presently they heard, in the distance, a revolver shot. Immediately -afterwards came the crack of carbines. Quickening their pace, they -galloped in the direction of the sounds, expecting to find that the -scout had been killed. - -At Pariset's instructions, they rode in a north-westerly direction, so -as to strike the Waremme road some miles west of the spot where he and -Kenneth had seen the Uhlans. The firing continued; the sound of the -single revolver was clearly distinguishable from the reports of the -carbines. Wondering what was happening, they came suddenly upon a -remarkable scene. - -Dawn was stealing over the country. At a turn of the road, the cyclist -was standing behind a tree, resting his revolver against the trunk. No -one was in sight at the moment, but just as the Chasseurs, who had now -reduced their pace to a walk, came up behind the cyclist, he fired his -revolver at a Uhlan who had edged round the corner. - -The Chasseur captain took in the situation at a glance. Whispering to -Pariset and Kenneth to get down, he gave his men the order to charge. -With a wild cry they dashed forward, swept round the bend, and fell upon -the Uhlans, grouped indecisively at the side of the road. There was a -brisk fight, lasting half a minute. Ten of the Uhlans were killed or -wounded, the rest flung down their arms and surrendered. - -"Many thanks, messieurs," the cyclist was saying to Pariset and Kenneth. -"I was afraid they would not be up in time. But they are a timid lot, -these bosches." - -It appeared that, not content with merely watching the Uhlans, he had -conceived the bold notion of holding them up until the Chasseurs -arrived. - -The Chasseurs returned with their prisoners towards their own lines. The -captain had invited Pariset to accompany them, but Pariset decided, -tired though he was, to continue his course towards Brussels. With -Kenneth, he plodded along the road, and an hour later they were -challenged by Belgian outposts at Waremme. They were too fatigued to -enter into explanations at once, and sought shelter in a cottage, where -they slept until the sun was high. And when they awoke and went into -the village street, they found the people streaming westward, in carts, -on foot, carrying what they could of their household gear. Fort -Boncelles had surrendered. - -Seeking the colonel of the nearest regiment, they told him what they had -seen in the fort. He had just heard by telephone that Fort Loncin also -had surrendered that morning, and General Leman was a prisoner. - -They begged a lift in a farmer's cart, and in the evening reached -Brussels, where they found an asylum with a friend of Pariset's. There -they remained for a few days, recuperating after the strain which, -scarcely noticed while they were in action, had told heavily upon them -both. Every day they heard of fresh advances of the Teuton hordes, of -gallant deeds by the sorely tried little army of Belgium. Every day -they saw pallid, nerve-shaken, wounded refugees flocking in from -Tirlemont and other places desolated by German shot and shell. - -Pariset was much depressed. - -"We shall cease to exist," he said one day. "The brutes will destroy us -all. They are ruthless. They are fiends. What have we done that we -should suffer so?" - -"Cheer up, old man," said Kenneth. "Look here! 'Gallant little -Belgium!'" He pointed to the headline of an article in an English -newspaper. "You might have chosen the easy course; you didn't, and the -whole world admires you." - -"But that won't save us." - -"No, but you've saved France. You've thrown the German war machine out -of gear, and I bet you you've smashed their chances. Lord Kitchener is -raising a great army. The Kaiser scoffs at our men; he'll sing a -different tune some day. I'm going home, Remi, going to join -Kitchener's army. Sorry to leave you, old man, but we'll meet again, -never fear, perhaps soon, perhaps not until British, French and Belgians -meet the Russians in Berlin. And when the war is over, you may be sure -that gallant little Belgium will rise like the phoenix, and grow -stronger and more prosperous than ever." - - ---- - -Four days later Kenneth was in London. He found awaiting him at home a -bulky envelope addressed in a strange hand, the postmark Amsterdam. -Opening it, he took out two letters, dated a week back, and posted in -Koenigsborn. One was in the handwriting of Max Finkelstein, the other -in the large round hand of Frieda. - - "I hope this will reach you," the former wrote. "I am sending - it through my friend Vandermond. After a few days' detention as - a spy, I was released for want of evidence, and as business is - absolutely dead, we have come to Koenigsborn, where we shall - rusticate and pinch until this dreadful war is over. We hear - all sorts of tales, and the credence paid them by otherwise - intelligent people makes me think that we as a nation have a - good deal to learn. One extraordinary story, by the way, will - amuse you. It was rumoured in Cologne that a French airman had - run off with one of our Taubes, a feat which you, knowing - Cologne, will recognise as impossible. I believe it as little - as I believe that the Irish are in revolt. - - "I am glad for our sake that recruiting is a failure in England. - People here are very bitter against the English, but I explain - that you have been hoodwinked by those awful Russians. Your - statesmen are so easily taken in. After the war your people - will admit it. - - "Keep the London business together as well as you can. Next - year I dare say I shall settle in London myself, and nothing - shall interfere with our plans for a partnership. Write to me - if you can." - - ---- - -"Poor old Max!" thought Kenneth. "Of course, like all Germans, he -thinks they will win: professors and the General Staff have drummed that -into their foolish heads. He'll have a shock when I tell him I have -joined the army. Now for Frieda." - - ---- - -"Was it you?" he read. "I daren't suggest it to Father; he scoffs at -the mere idea that any one could do so audacious a thing. But when you -didn't come back for your luggage I was anxious and went down to the -station, and the stationmaster told me that you had gone away with your -ticket and hadn't come for your seat that he had engaged for you, and -when I heard the rumour about the French airman I couldn't help thinking -it was just the mad sort of thing you would delight in. Do tell me if I -am right. - -"This is a terrible war, isn't it? What is the good of you English -fighting? Father says your army is too small to do anything, and you -can't get recruits because all your young men want to play football. I -am so sorry for you. Father says you will give it up when we take -Paris, and then you will have to give us some of your colonies. You -have so many that I am sure you can spare some. - -"We shall very likely come to London next year, Father says. We shall -always be friends, you and I, shan't we? - -"We haven't seen anything of Kurt Hellwig lately. You don't think I -grieve?" - - ---- - -"It's amazing!" said Kenneth to himself. "I thought Frieda would have -known better. She would laugh, I suppose, if I told her that I am -likely to be in Berlin before she comes to London." - -But Kenneth Amory was to go through many adventures, before he met Remi -Pariset in Berlin. - - - - - PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, - BRUNSWICK ST., STAMFORD ST., S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HERO OF LIEGE *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39150 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a -registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, -unless you receive specific permission. If you do not charge anything -for copies of this eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may -use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative -works, reports, performances and research. They may be modified and -printed and given away - you may do practically _anything_ with public -domain eBooks. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, -especially commercial redistribution. - - - -The Full Project Gutenberg License - - -_Please read this before you distribute or use this work._ - -To protect the Project Gutenberg(tm) mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or -any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg(tm) License available with this file or online at -http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use & Redistributing Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic works - - -*1.A.* By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the -terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all -copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works in your possession. If -you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -*1.B.* "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things -that you can do with most Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works even -without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph -1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -*1.C.* The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of -Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works. Nearly all the individual works -in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you -from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating -derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project -Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the -Project Gutenberg(tm) mission of promoting free access to electronic -works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg(tm) works in compliance with -the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg(tm) name -associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this -agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full -Project Gutenberg(tm) License when you share it without charge with -others. - -*1.D.* The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg(tm) work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -*1.E.* Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -*1.E.1.* The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg(tm) License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg(tm) work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with - almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away - or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License - included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org - -*1.E.2.* If an individual Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic work is -derived from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating -that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can -be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying -any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a -work with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on -the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs -1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg(tm) trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -*1.E.3.* If an individual Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic work is -posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and -distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and -any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg(tm) License for all works posted -with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of -this work. - -*1.E.4.* Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project -Gutenberg(tm) License terms from this work, or any files containing a -part of this work or any other work associated with Project -Gutenberg(tm). - -*1.E.5.* Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg(tm) License. - -*1.E.6.* You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg(tm) work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg(tm) web site -(http://www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or -expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a -means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include -the full Project Gutenberg(tm) License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -*1.E.7.* Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg(tm) works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -*1.E.8.* You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works -provided that - - - You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg(tm) works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg(tm) trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - - - You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg(tm) - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) - works. - - - You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - - - You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg(tm) works. - - -*1.E.9.* If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg(tm) trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3. below. - -*1.F.* - -*1.F.1.* Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg(tm) collection. -Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works, and the -medium on which they may be stored, may contain "Defects," such as, but -not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription -errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a -defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer -codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. - -*1.F.2.* LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg(tm) trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg(tm) electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. -YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, -BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN -PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND -ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR -ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES -EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. - -*1.F.3.* LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -*1.F.4.* Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS,' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -*1.F.5.* Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -*1.F.6.* INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg(tm) -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg(tm) work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg(tm) - - -Project Gutenberg(tm) is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg(tm)'s -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg(tm) collection will remain -freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and -permanent future for Project Gutenberg(tm) and future generations. To -learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and -how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the -Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org . - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state -of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue -Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification number is -64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf . Contributions to the -Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the -full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. -S. Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official page -at http://www.pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - - -Project Gutenberg(tm) depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where -we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state -visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any -statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside -the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways -including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, -please visit: http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic -works. - - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg(tm) -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg(tm) eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg(tm) eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. unless -a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks -in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's eBook -number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII, -compressed (zipped), HTML and others. - -Corrected _editions_ of our eBooks replace the old file and take over -the old filename and etext number. The replaced older file is renamed. -_Versions_ based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving -new filenames and etext numbers. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg(tm), -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/39150.zip b/39150.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 36d509b..0000000 --- a/39150.zip +++ /dev/null |
