e effect of the first shot or
two. In a regular battle, in open country, both armies will probably
use aeroplanes in this war. The man in the aeroplane can see just
where the shells strike, and send back word."

"How?"

"In lots of ways. Some of the bigger ones have a small wireless
equipment. Sometimes they drop bombs, that make a smoky patch in the
air when they explode--they drop them right over the place the
artillery wants to hit, and then the men with the guns get their
instruments and figure out just what the range is."

"I don't think the Germans are so very brave, after all," said Arthur,
in a moment. "They all ran as soon as the shells began to come."

"That doesn't show they're not brave--it only shows that their officers
have some common sense. What good could they do if they stayed there
to be killed? They couldn't save those guns, could they? I'm sorry
they couldn't have been warned, that's all. You see, they might have
thought the first shell was just a chance, lucky shot and so they
stayed after that, and tried to fire themselves. But when the second
one came plumping into them they knew the truth--and the officers sent
them to cover, just as any officers who knew their business would have
done."

"I suppose it's war," said Arthur, a little gloomily. "But--"

"It's war right enough," said Paul, with a shudder. "It's not like the
pictures we've seen of Waterloo, but it's war. But there'll be plenty
of the other sort, too, before it's over, Arthur. You needn't worry
about that. The Germans haven't had time to bring up very many men
yet, but I expect they will, and they may try to rush the forts. Did
you notice that they were stretching a lot of wire fencing near Fort
Boncelles when we passed it last night?"

"Yes. What was that for?"

"To stop an infantry charge, or to help to stop it. You see, an attack
by infantry is likely to be made at night, when it's harder to see the
men being massed. And the wire fence piles up a charge. Oh, I think
there'll be some pretty bad fighting of the old-fashioned sort before
they capture Liege!"

"I don't see how they can capture Liege at all," said Arthur, stoutly.
"The firing of the guns has almost stopped; it seems to me that they've
been beaten back."

"It seems so, but I'm afraid it isn't really true," said Paul, with a
smile. "The Germans haven't begun yet, Arthur. And there are millions
of them. They can put thousands of men in t