he man quite
exhausted with ill-usage. Any German soldiers or spies who passed them
could hardly fail to remark that they were fugitives, and they would
soon find themselves in as bad a case as before. Questioning a woman who
still retained a show of self-possession, Max learned that they had
friends in another part of the town, and towards their house he promptly
directed their retreat.

Without further misadventure they reached the house they sought, and Max
and Dale saw their charges safely inside the door. Then they hurried
away, for it was obviously dangerous both for them and for the fugitives
to be in one another's company a moment longer than necessary. Thanks
were not thought of; the rescued were not ungrateful but were altogether
too upset for expression, and the rescuers were only thankful to have
been of use, without a thought of anything else.

"By George, Max, how I did enjoy that!" cried Dale with enthusiasm, as
they turned their steps once more towards the works. "I feel an inch
taller, and can face the world as an honest man."

"Aye, Jack, I feel like that too. How should we have felt had we let
that business go on unchecked?"

"And it has done a bit of good, too, I imagine. Those cowardly Germans
will not forget that rain of quartz in a hurry, and may leave the poor
folk alone another time."

"I am not so sure. But the question is, what are we going to do now? We
cannot go on casting shells which will be certain to be seized by the
Germans. If we make railway material it will only be used to convey
soldiers into the field against our men. No. I must see Schenk, and get
him to close all branches of the works that might be of use to the
enemy. That is the only thing to be done. Then I shall try to get
through to join the Belgian army."

"And I too, Max. I will join with you. We have started on this business
together and we will finish it together."

CHAPTER VII

A Few Words with M. Schenk

Arrived at the Durend works, Max went straight to M. Schenk's office.
Two men, whom Max had not seen before, were coming out as he entered,
but the manager was at that moment alone. He looked up as Max came in,
and, when he saw who it was, smiled in a way that our hero did not
altogether like. It seemed less a smile of welcome than of tolerant
amusement, and instead of commencing diplomatically, as he had intended,
Max burst out rather heatedly:

"Monsieur Schenk, we must close the works. We cannot