Page 145 - A Hero of Liége

way along a narrow sunken road. Ignorant of their whereabouts, they could
only trust to chance and the compass, unless they should presently come

upon Belgians whom they might ask to direct them.

But the country appeared to be deserted. When they cautiously approached
the first wayside cottage they came to, they found no one there. Everything
was in order; the Germans had not yet visited it; clearly the inhabitants had

fled at the mere rumour of their advance.

About eight o'clock they came in sight of a large country-house, lying back
from the road in extensive grounds. The aspect of it, and an armoured
motor-car standing at the gates, caused them to draw up within the cover of

the trees bordering the road. The gates were broken, there were gaps in the
wall, and one side of the house was damaged by shells.

"We had better go back a little, and cut across the fields," said Pariset.
"That car is probably German; there may be Germans inside. It would be

risky to pass the house."

"Perhaps it's a Belgian car," Kenneth suggested. "I'm inclined to wait until
we know. We have hopelessly lost our way."

"Look out!" said Pariset.

Two men in German uniform had descended on the far side of the car, and
begun to walk up and down in front of the gates, in the manner of men
stretching their legs after long waiting. Pariset and Kenneth drew farther

back, behind a clump of trees, dismounted, and watched.

In a few minutes they heard the characteristic clatter of a motor bicycle.
From beyond the house a cyclist in uniform dashed up at full speed; he
halted at the gates, dismounted, and exchanging a word with the waiting

men walked up the drive and entered the house. Soon he reappeared, with a
German officer and a civilian. These entered the motor-car with the two

men, and drove away in the direction from which the cyclist had come. He
remounted and rode after them. An old man had tottered after the Germans;