aps this is a mistake. It might be
better if I shot you myself, to make sure--eh?"

"You needn't trouble," said Arthur, and the soldier roared with
laughter.

"All right, then, I won't!" he declared. "You are good boys. I am
glad they let you go. But what will you do? You live in Liege, don't
you? You can't get back there."

"We have friends in Brussels," said Paul. "I think we shall do very
well now, thank you."

"Good! Then I will go back, and you will go forward--so! Good-bye!"

"Good-bye!" they echoed.

He drew himself up, stiffly, saluted, and then, laughing, broke into
the famous German goose step, used as a mark of respect to superior
officers, for a few paces. In a few moments he was gone.

"I don't believe he wanted to come into Belgium and fight against us,"
said Arthur. "He was splendid to us, wasn't he? And the colonel was
kind, too. It made me feel--oh, I don't know--"

"As if we were being sneaky? I know just what you mean. I felt like
that, too. But I told myself that we couldn't think of whether we
liked a few Germans who were good to us--that they weren't just people,
they were part of the enemy."

"Yes. That's what I thought of, too. But it was hard just the same,
Paul. I did feel like a sneak. But I suppose we are doing what is
right."

"I wish there was some way of getting the news of what we've learned
to-night into Liege," said Paul, frowning. "I don't see just what it
all means, but I'm quite sure it's important. I tell you what--I
believe they're sending even more troops into Belgium than anyone
thought they would. That soldier was from a regiment that is stationed
with the army corps that has its headquarters in Koenigsburg, near the
Russian border. It seems to me they are going to leave fewer troops
there than anyone expected. Perhaps the staff knows that, but then
perhaps it doesn't."

"If we get to Huy they can send word from there," said Arthur. "They
must have wireless working, even if the Germans have cut all the wires."

"That's so! I hadn't thought. I don't know just where we are, though,
do you?"

"Not exactly. They tried to keep us from finding out, I think. But I
watched the stars whenever I could, and I think if we turn to the right
here and keep on northeast, we'll come to the river road from Liege to
Huy. Then we shouldn't have any trouble at all, so far as I can see."

Paul looked up at the stars himself, studied the lay of the land