The Belgians to the Front | Page 7

plan is in case of an attack. It is for the forts to hold off
the Germans until there's time for the French army to come up and
relieve them. And they're not supposed to be able to stand the fire of
heavy guns. The plan was made for use against an army that wouldn't
have time to bring up its siege artillery."

"Yes, that's true enough. But, just the same, I think we can help. I'm so
sure of it that I'm going to take these plans into Liege to-night and try
to get them to General Leman."
"I'm with you, Paul! Are we to go now?"
"Not quite yet. I'm interested in this house, too. I want to find out
whatever we can about it before we go in. Don't you see what our
finding that gun mounting means, Arthur? Finding it just where we
did--in a field that belongs to that house?"
"You mean there may be spies there now?"
"I don't say that they're there now. But I think they have been there.
And I know I'm going to find out all we can."
"All right. I think we ought to do that, too. Let's get along! It'll be
awfully late when we get into Liege, I'm afraid."
The house that had suddenly assumed such an air of mystery, so great
an importance, was dark as they approached. Not a light showed from
its windows. But they took no chances, none the less. They got very
close to it without detection; they were able to go up to the windows.
And, listening there, they heard not a sound inside to indicate that
anyone was within.
"I'm going in," said Paul, suddenly. "Let me have your light, Arthur."
"Can't I come in, too?"
"One of us must stay outside and keep watch," said Paul. "It's the
hardest part of the job, Arthur. If you stay outside, watch carefully,
especially near the door. Hide, so that you won't be seen, but in a place
where you can see anyone who comes. And if anyone is coming, call
like a quail. I'll be listening, and I'll slip out of this back window and
get back to you. But if they catch me, go back and get the plans, and
then hurry into Liege. Tell General Leman, if you can get to him, or a
staff officer, if you can't, everything that has happened since we found

these papers, whether it seems important to you or not. Something that
may not seem to mean anything at all may really be very important."
"But it seems to me you're taking all the risk," protested Arthur. "That
isn't fair."
"It's just as risky outside as in," said Paul. "Here goes! Off with you,
now, and find a good place to hide! We haven't any time to lose, I can
tell you. If there's no one inside now, they won't leave a place like this
deserted very long, I'm sure."
Arthur went off reluctantly, but, as usual, he obeyed Paul to the letter.
He found a clump of bushes from which, without being seen himself,
he could watch the door of the house, and there he crouched down to
wait. It was dull work, and, after he had once settled himself, he was
afraid to move lest unseen eyes be watching somewhere in the
neighborhood.
Meanwhile Paul was busy getting into the house. It was easier than he
had thought it likely to be. The catch on the window was simplicity
itself and he forced it with his penknife without any difficulty at all.
"I feel like a burglar," he thought to himself, as he climbed in. "But I
don't care. Even if there's nothing wrong in here, I've got the right, in a
time like this, to make sure. Every Belgian has to think of his country
first now."
And he was pretty sure that there was a decided connection between
this cottage, so strangely stout in its construction, and the
unquestionably threatening and sinister discovery he and Arthur had
made in the field only a stone's throw away.
Inside, he found himself in a large room that took up all save a very
small part of the ground floor of the cottage. To the left there was a
wall, and in it an open door--he could see that much through the very
faint light that filtered through the windows. Seemingly, he was in luck.
There was absolutely nothing to make him doubt that he was alone in
the house. Everything was still. There was not even the ticking of a

clock, the one sound he might reasonably have expected to hear even in
a temporarily deserted house. But he waited for quite a minute, to make
sure that no one was about. He felt