Page 177 - A Hero of Liége

The Chasseur captain took in the situation at a glance. Whispering to
Pariset and Kenneth to get down, he gave his men the order to charge. With

a wild cry they dashed forward, swept round the bend, and fell upon the
Uhlans, grouped indecisively at the side of the road. There was a brisk

fight, lasting half a minute. Ten of the Uhlans were killed or wounded, the
rest flung down their arms and surrendered.

"Many thanks, messieurs," the cyclist was saying to Pariset and Kenneth. "I
was afraid they would not be up in time. But they are a timid lot, these

bosches."

It appeared that, not content with merely watching the Uhlans, he had

conceived the bold notion of holding them up until the Chasseurs arrived.

The Chasseurs returned with their prisoners towards their own lines. The
captain had invited Pariset to accompany them, but Pariset decided, tired
though he was, to continue his course towards Brussels. With Kenneth, he

plodded along the road, and an hour later they were challenged by Belgian
outposts at Waremme. They were too fatigued to enter into explanations at

once, and sought shelter in a cottage, where they slept until the sun was
high. And when they awoke and went into the village street, they found the
people streaming westward, in carts, on foot, carrying what they could of

their household gear. Fort Boncelles had surrendered.

Seeking the colonel of the nearest regiment, they told him what they had
seen in the fort. He had just heard by telephone that Fort Loncin also had
surrendered that morning, and General Leman was a prisoner.

They begged a lift in a farmer's cart, and in the evening reached Brussels,

where they found an asylum with a friend of Pariset's. There they remained
for a few days, recuperating after the strain which, scarcely noticed while
they were in action, had told heavily upon them both. Every day they heard

of fresh advances of the Teuton hordes, of gallant deeds by the sorely tried
little army of Belgium. Every day they saw pallid, nerve-shaken, wounded

refugees flocking in from Tirlemont and other places desolated by German
shot and shell.