aunt
old type with white hair and moustache--the sort you read about in story
books.

After lunch we found that there was no use in trying to get to Tirlemont,
so gave that up, and inquired about the road to Diest. Everybody who was
in any sort of position to know told us we could not get more than a few
kilometers along the road, and that as Uhlans were prowling in that
neighbourhood, we might be potted at from the woods or even carried off.
On the strength of that we decided to try that road, feeling fairly
confident that the worst that could happen to us would be to be turned
back.

As we drew out along the road, the traffic got steadily heavier. Motors
of all sorts--beautifully finished limousines filled with boxes of
ammunition or sacks of food, carriages piled high with raw meat and
cases of biscuit. Even dog-carts in large numbers, with the good Belgian
dogs straining away at the traces with a good will, and barking with
excitement. They seemed to have the fever and enthusiasm of the men and
every one was pulling with all his strength. In some places we saw men
pushing heavily-laden wheelbarrows, with one or two dogs pulling in
front.

From Louvain on most of the barricades were mined. We could see clearly
as we passed where the mines were planted. The battery jars were under
the shelter of the barricade and the wire disappeared into some
neighbouring wood or field. Earthworks were planted in the fields all
along the lines, good, effective, well-concealed intrenchments that
would give lots of trouble to an attacking force. There was one place
where an important intrenchment was placed in a field of hay. The
breastworks were carefully covered with hay and the men had it tied
around their hats in such a way as to conceal them almost completely.
This war is evidently going to be fought with some attention to detail,
and with resourcefulness.

Diest itself we reached at about half past three, after having been
nearly turned back six or seven times. We were the only civilians that
had turned up all day, and although our papers seemed to be all right
and we could give a good account of ourselves, our mere presence was
considered so remarkable that a good many of the outposts were inclined
to turn us back. By virtue of our good arguments and our equally good
looks, however, we did manage to get through to the town itself.

Diest is an old town which figures a good deal in the combats of the
middle ages. It has a