I gave them was satisfactory. Then they wanted to
know whether the Royal Palace had been respected, or whether the German
flag was flying over it; also whether the Belgian flag still flew on the
Hotel de Ville. Their pride in their old town was touching, and when
they heard that no harm had as yet been done it, you would have thought
that they were hearing good news of friends they had lost. Then they
started in and told me all the news they had from outside sources--bits
of information which had reached them indirectly via Holland, and the
reports of their military authorities. We have never had such complete
information given us--enough to justify the trip even if I had not
restored communication with the Department.

We stayed on and talked until nearly half-past twelve, when I got up and
insisted on leaving; perhaps it is just as well. They did not want to
break up the party, but when I insisted, they also made up their minds
to call it a day's work and quit.

We brought van der Elst back to the hotel, and with his influence ran
our car into the Gendarmerie next door. Then to bed.

Blount and I had a huge room on the third floor front. We had just got
into bed and were settling down to a good night's rest when there was an
explosion, the like of which I have never heard before, and we sat up
and paid strict attention. We were greatly interested, but took it
calmly, knowing that the forts were nearly four miles out of town and
that they could bang away as long as they liked without doing more than
spoil our night's sleep. There were eight of these explosions at short
intervals, and then as they stopped there was a sharp _purr_ like the
distant rattle of a machine gun. As that died down, the chimes of the
Cathedral--the sweetest carillon I have ever heard--sounded one o'clock.
We thought that the Germans must have tried an advance under cover of a
bombardment, and retired as soon as they saw that the forts were
vigilant and not to be taken by surprise. We did not even get out of
bed. About five minutes later we heard footsteps on the roof and the
voice of a woman in a window across the street, asking some one on the
sidewalk below whether it was safe to go back to bed. I got out and took
a look into the street. There were a lot of people there talking and
gesticulating, but nothing of enough interest to keep two tired men from
their night's sleep, so we climbed back into bed and stayed until
morning.

Blount call