Page 62 - A Hero of Liége

"No, German Swiss. For my part, I've no great liking for German Swiss.
They're only one remove from Germans. But his money is good, and it's

something to make a little money out of the old mill after all these years."

The old man spoke quite frankly, and evidently had no suspicions about his
tenant. Pariset thought it safe to disillusion him.

"Would you be surprised to learn that your fisherman is actually a
German?" he said.

"But that is impossible," said the miller. "He would have gone back to
Germany, because of the war."

"Unless he is a spy! We have reason to believe that he is, and that he is

using your mill for the benefit of the enemy. That is what has brought us
here."

"Sacre nom de nom!" the old man ejaculated, and the farmer thumped the
table and swore. "Is that the truth, monsieur?"

"We suspect him of intending to blow up the railway bridge at a given
signal."

"Ah! the villain! And he will use the underground passages. That is why he

pays me a high rent, parbleu! But he has come to the end of his tether. You
are here to arrest him?"

"No. We have no men with us. We came to learn whether our suspicions
were justified. We are not sure of our man yet."

"Bah!" shouted the old man, red with fury. "It is certain. He has fooled me.
I will raise the countryside. We will fall on these Germans. Before night

they shall lie in the dungeons of Charleroi."

"Do you think that is the way to go to work?" Pariset asked tactfully. "They
would hardly allow themselves to be caught napping; at the first alarm they