et's see if we can't buy
something to eat. I think we can, if the Germans haven't taken
everything."

But now, as they went about trying to find someone to sell them food,
they found that Arthur's fear as to the opinion the villagers had of
them was justified by the facts. At first they met only excuses.

"I have had to give up all I can spare for the Prussians," they were
told.

But finally, when they went to the shop of Raymond the butcher, hoping
to buy some meat and cook it for themselves, they got plain speech.

"Go to your Prussian friends if you want food!" said Raymond, eyeing
them angrily. "You will get none from any good Belgian in Hannay, I
can tell you!"

"The Prussians are not our friends! They forced us to come back with
them because they had forbidden everyone to travel in the direction we
had taken," said Paul.

"Tell that to the gatepost!" said Raymond. "Be off with you! You
fooled our people this morning, but now they know the truth."

And so Paul and Arthur faced the prospect of going hungry. They might
have appealed to Major Kellner, who had shown himself inclined to be
friendly toward them, apparently because his boy was, like them, a Boy
Scout. But that neither of them would do.

"I'd rather go without than ask the Germans for anything!" said Arthur.

"So would I!" agreed Paul. "But I would like to get away from here."

That, however, proved to be impossible. Sentries were posted all about
the village, and new notices had been added to those the Uhlans had
posted earlier in the day, forbidding anyone to leave Hannay until
permission was given by the officer in command of the German troops.

"I could laugh if it weren't so unpleasant!" declared Paul. "These
poor people, whose village would be in ruins now except for us, think
we have betrayed them! And the Germans would send us home as
prisoners, if we were lucky, if they even guessed that it was because
of us that they were kept from taking Liege in their first attack!"

"The only one who gave us so much as a friendly look was the wife of
Raymond, the butcher," said Arthur, thoughtfully.

"Did you see that? So did I! I think perhaps he has got his courage
back and has frightened her--but she was on our side this morning, too.
Perhaps if we could see her alone, a little later, she would sell us
some food. I tell you what we will do. We will watch to see if he
does not go out, and then if the coast is clear, we will try