them to look at our papers, which they did in a
perfunctory way. Then, after shaking hands all round, they sent us on
with a cheer. We were hero-curiosities as the first civilians who had
got through from the German lines since the occupation of Brussels. And
perhaps we were not glad to be safely inside the Belgian lines! It was
nervous work that far, but once inside we found everybody friendly and
got through without any trouble, although we were stopped every
kilometer or so. Soon after we passed the first outposts, we began
passing Belgian troops advancing toward Malines in large force. They
seemed in good spirits and ready for anything. Our position here has
gone steadily up since the beginning of the hostilities, and everywhere
we went, the flag was cheered and we got a warm welcome.

This forward movement of the troops was a part of a concerted operation
by which the Belgians were to attempt to push through to Brussels while
the main German army was engaged in attacking Mons and Charleroi.

About twelve kilometers out of Antwerp, we were stopped at a little
house and asked if we would take a wounded man into town to the
hospital. He had been shot through the hand and was suffering from shock
and loss of blood, but was able to chew on a huge chunk of bread all the
way into town. He had no interest in anything else, and, after trying
one or two questions on him, I let him alone and watched the troops we
were passing--an unbroken line all the way in. The main Belgian army and
a lot of the Garde Civique were inside the ring of forts and were all
being put on the road with full contingents of supply wagons,
ambulances, and even the dog artillery. These little chaps came tugging
along the road and turned their heads to bark at us with enthusiasm.

For a mile or so outside the _enceinte_, which has been thrown up around
the town, the roads are heavily mined, and small red flags planted
between the cobbles to warn passers-by to tread gently and gingerly. We
did not require the urging of the sentries to make us proceed with
caution over these places, which were so delicately mined that heavy
carts were not allowed to pass. I breathed more easily when we were once
out of this.

We found the military hospital and handed over our wounded soldier to
the attendants, who bundled him inside and then rushed back to hear what
we could tell them. They had not heard a word from the outside
world--or rather from our part of the out