do
what she could to make things run smoothly. She is rabid about the
Germans, but is not for taking it out on these helpless people. And that
seems to be the spirit of everybody, although it would be quite
understandable if they showed these people some of their resentment. The
Gardes were bestirring themselves to look after their charges. Some of
them had contributed their pocket money and had bought chocolate and
milk for the children and mineral waters and other odds and ends for
those that needed them. And some of them are not very sure as to how
long they will have pocket money for themselves. Aside from the fright
and the heat and the noise of that crowd in the Cirque, it was all
pretty depressing. During the night one old man died--probably from
fright and shock--and a child was born. It was altogether a night of
horror that could perfectly well have been avoided if people had only
been able to keep calm and stay at home until time for the train to
leave.

Having settled my charges and taken a look round, I went back to the
Legation and got off some telegrams and talked with Bell over the
telephone. He had a lot of news that we had not received and many
errands to be done for people who had friends and relatives here.

A little after midnight friend Nasmith came along and we set out
together for our rounds. We first took a look at one or two places and
then went to my diggings for a sandwich and such rest as we could get
before time to start on our round-up. Soon after midnight, Fortescue
came rolling up in a cab looking for a place to lay his head. He had
just come in from Liege, where he had had a close view of yesterday
morning's heavy fighting. He said the Germans were pouring men in
between the forts in solid formation, and that these sheep were being
mown down by the Belgians heavily intrenched between the forts. The
Germans are apparently determined to get some of their men through
between the forts and are willing to pay the price, whatever it may be.
To-day we hear that the Germans have asked for an armistice of
twenty-four hours to bury their dead.

After we had hung upon his words as long as he could keep going, Nasmith
and I got under way to look after our exodus. The Garde was keeping
order at all places where there were refugees, and I was easy in my mind
about that; my only worry was as to what might happen when we got our
people out into the streets. Promptly at three o'clock we began to marc