"But we don't want to leave you, dear, dear Granny!" cried the Twins,
throwing their arms about her neck.

"And I don't want you to go, either, my lambs," said Granny; "but, you
see, there are lots of things to think of. In the first place, of
course you want to go on hunting for your mother. It may be she has
gone over the border; for the Germans are already in trenches near
Antwerp, and our army is nearer still to Antwerp and in trenches, too.
There they stay, Father De Smet says, for all the world, like two
tigers, lying ready to spring at each other's throats. He says Antwerp
is so strongly fortified that the Germans can never take it, and so it
is a better place to be in than here. The De Smets will see that you
are left in safe hands, and I'm sure your mother would want you to go."
The children considered this for a moment in silence.

At last Jan said, "Do you think Father De Smet would let me help drive
the mule?"

"I haven't a doubt of it," said Granny.

"But what about Fidel, our dear Fidel?" cried Marie.

"I tell you what I'll do;" said Granny. "I'll take care of Fidel for
you! You shall leave him here with me until you come back again! You
see, I really need good company, and since I can't have you, I know you
would be glad to have Fidel stay here to protect me. Then you'll always
know just where he is."

She hurried the children into their clothes as she talked, gave them a
good breakfast, and before they had time to think much about what was
happening to them, they had said good-bye to Fidel, who had to be shut
in the cottage to keep him from following the boat, and were safely
aboard the "Old Woman" and slowly moving away down the river. They
stood in the stern of the boat, listening to Fidel's wild barks, and
waving their hands, until Granny's kind face was a mere round speck in
the distance.

X

ON THE TOW-PATH

When they could no longer see Granny, nor hear Fidel, the children sat
down on a coil of rope behind the cabin and felt very miserable indeed.
Marie was just turning up the corner of her apron to wipe her eyes, and
Jan was looking at nothing at all and winking very hard, when good
Mother De Smet, came by with a baby waddling along on each side of her.
She gave the two dismal little faces a quick glance and then said
kindly:

"Jan, you run and see if you can't help Father with the tiller, and,
Marie, would you mind playing with the babies while I put on the
soup-kettle and f