nflict. Some
6,000 French Turcos and artillery did arrive, but too late to be
of use in helping to save Namur. Shells now began to drop in the
city while aeroplanes flung down bombs. A thunderstorm rumbled in
combination with the continuous roar of the German guns. A panic
took hold of the citizens. Distracted men, women and children huddled
together in spellbound terror, or sought the shelter of their cellars.
The more superstitious pronounced this to be the end of all things,
from the eclipse of the sun which darkened the sky. Fort Malonne
succumbed sometime during the afternoon of August 21, 1914.

As at Liege, with General Leman, so in Namur General Michel foresaw
the city and forts' fate was imminent. Only the northwest forts
Suarlee, Emines and Cognelee held out. The Belgians and French
had been defeated by the Germans in the angle of the Sambre and
Meuse. The horizon revealed no sign of a French army advancing.
General Michel, therefore, decided upon the evacuation of the city
by the Belgian infantry. It was successfully accomplished, though
even more in the nature of a flight than at Liege. But General
Michel went with them, instead of remaining, like General Leman,
to fight the defense of his fortress to the last.

The retreating Belgians on August 22, 1914, had some adventurous
wandering before them. They had first to cut their way through
a body of German troops, then to become involved with a French
force near Charleroi. It took them seven days to reach Rouen by way
of Amiens. There they were embarked for sea transport to Ostend.
At Ostend, they joined the main Belgian army after its retreat
from Antwerp.

On Sunday morning, August 23, 1914, the Germans began the bombardment
of Fort Suarlee. This fort repeated the heroic resistance of Fort
Boncelles at Liege. It held out until the afternoon of August 25. It
was apparently then blown up by the explosion of its own magazine,
thus again repeating the end of Fort Loncin at Liege. Meantime the
Germans had succeeded in reducing Forts Cognelee and Emines.

The Germans entered Namur on the afternoon of August 23, 1914. There
seems to have been some oversight in the plan, for the advance guard
found themselves under fire of their own guns directed upon the citadel
and the Grande Place. This, however, was speedily rectified. Their
behavior was much the same as at Louvain and Brussels. They marched
in with bands playing and singing patriotic songs. Proclamations