ant to know if our people are ready.
If they come through Belgium, you know, they will want to get through
as quickly as they can, to attack the French."

"But I don't see why they should want to come through Belgium at all,
Paul. Why can't they leave us alone? They can attack the French along
their own border, I should think."

"They can. But the French know that, and they have their strongest
fortresses all along there, from Belfort to Verdun. It would take the
Germans weeks, months perhaps, to get past these fortifications along
the border, and that would give the French time to bring up all their
soldiers. And the Germans have to beat the French quickly this time,
or else not at all. They aren't fighting France alone, but Russia as
well, and their plan must be to beat France first and then turn on
Russia. They think that here in Belgium it will be easy for them to
get around these forts. If they once get behind them, the French will
have to retreat. And the Germans think that the quickest way to bring
that is for them to go through our country and so attack Paris."

"They ought to be stopped!" said Arthur, hotly. "England and France
would help us, wouldn't they?"

"France certainly would, because she would have to. And I believe the
English would help, too. I hope so. Because even if the Germans
promised to go away as soon as they'd beaten France, I don't believe
they would. They'd make Belgium a part of Germany."

"They can't do that! They shan't! Why, we're not German! We're a
free country!"

"Yes, but we may have to fight to remain free, Arthur. Free countries
have had to do that before. If there is war, I think we shall see the
Germans here within a day of its declaration. We had better hope for
peace. But we must be prepared for war--and we must not deceive
ourselves. A treaty guarantees our neutrality, but I think the time is
coming when treaties will be forgotten."

"We shall have to teach these Germans to remember them, then," said
Arthur, valiantly. "We may be weak, but we are brave, we Belgians. I
believe we can give them something to think about."

Paul smiled a little sadly. He understood the true facts, the real
possibilities, better than his friend.

"If it comes to fighting, we will do our part," he said, "but we should
be helpless against Germany alone, Arthur. The only thing we could do
would be to try to hold them back long enough for the French and the
English