however, were still in fine condition, for it was a part of
their training to see to it, wherever they were, that their mounts were
properly cared for.

The soldiers ignored entirely the few people who still remained outside
their houses. Most of the villagers, impressed by what Paul had said,
or, like Raymond, the blustering butcher, more afraid of their wives
than of the foreign enemy, had gone within, and the place was very
quiet. But those who had not gone in greeted the Germans with sullen
looks, which did not provoke so much as a smile.

One of the Uhlans, evidently detailed in advance for the duty, produced
proclamations and orders, like the ones the refugees had described.
These he affixed to posts and buildings in conspicuous places. Then he
joined his fellows, and the little troop rode on, with a clattering of
hoofs to the mairie, the official centre of Hannay. There stood the
maire, a small, spectacled, frightened man, with the parish priest to
support him, waiting for them. Paul and Arthur drew near to listen.

"Which is the burgomeister?" asked a young lieutenant with closely
cropped head and a tiny blonde moustache, which he had tried in vain to
cultivate so that it would resemble the moustache that the German
Kaiser's pictures have made famous. Paul noticed that this young
officer spoke excellent French, with hardly a trace of an accent. It
impressed him as showing how well the Germans had prepared for this war
that apparently only they had known was bound to come.

"It is I," said the little man very promptly.

"Say 'Sir!' when you speak to a German officer!" thundered the
lieutenant. "And salute! Tell all your people to do so, also."

"Yes, sir," said the maire. "But how are we to know it is an officer
we see? We poor people do not understand all about your uniforms."

"If you are in doubt, salute every German soldier," said the officer
contemptuously. "They are worthy of your salutes in any case, and it
will be better for your people to salute a thousand soldiers without
the necessity of doing so than to fail to salute one officer who is
entitled to the honor."

"Yes, sir," said the maire, meekly.

"Hannay is occupied by the German army," said the lieutenant, then,
smiling a little at the maire's timidity. Was he wondering if a German
burgomeister would submit as tamely were it a German village that had
witnessed the arrival of invading troops? Probably not! Few German
officers