Page 133 - A Hero of Liége

"To see how we reduce the population. There's a big farm in a hamlet a
quarter-mile up the road. Rumpelmeyer was shot near there, so we routed

out all the men in the place except the farmer, who escaped. As soon as he
is rounded up we are going to shoot the lot."

They rumbled on into the hamlet, and pulled up at the gate of the farm. The
terrified villagers were penned up like cattle in the farmyard, guarded by a

dozen Uhlans. A few women at the wall, imploring the Germans to have
mercy, were answered with brutal jeers.

"A dirty herd!" said the trooper on the wagon. "Why don't you shoot them
at once?"

"The Wachtmeister thinks that would be too good for them. First dinner,

and then sport, says he. He is a humorist, our Wachtmeister. Here he is."

"Thank goodness I needn't go any further on this lumbering wagon," said

the trooper. "Is the whole regiment coming up from Spa?"

"In the course of the day. Fifteen of us came in advance. Two are hunting
for the farmer."

"Well done, Schmidt," said the sergeant, coming up to the wagon. "You've
a good load there."

"Shall I unload, and give the horses a feed?" asked the trooper.

"They can wait. There's a hot dinner ready, prepared by our kind friends the
Belgians. They entertain us; afterwards we shall entertain them. Poor

Rumpelmeyer has gone. But a dozen Belgians are waiting yonder to join
him. A dozen Belgians are not worth one good German, but it's something
to go on with. We shall find others; it would be a pity to leave too many to

bother us when the country is ours."

Kenneth, under the hay, was squirming. Pariset, knowing no German, was
not aware of what was coming, but his apprehension was all the greater for