Page 80 - A Hero of Liége

It was no time for half measures. Kenneth covered his assailant, fired, and
brought him down. Through the shrieks of the old woman in the passage

there came to his ears a shout of encouragement, and immediately after he
had fired his shot Pariset rushed up to the doorway, reaching over

Kenneth's shoulder to point his revolver. At the sight of this the three
remaining men dashed to the open window and leapt out; the last of them,
pausing to close the window, was winged by Pariset's flying shot. Kenneth

and his friend sprang across the room, threw the window open, and jumped
into the yard. But the brief delay at the window had given the fugitives time

to make their escape in the darkness. They were not to be seen.

"The lancers will get them!" Kenneth panted.

"If they've come!" replied Pariset.

He blew his whistle. There was no response. They dashed across the yard,
wondering how the Germans could have escaped, for there was no outlet on

this side of the house, and the wall was high and spiked. But after a minute
or two they discovered a gap in the base of the wall, large enough to admit

a man crawling. On the outside it was concealed by long grass and weeds.
Wriggling through this they sprinted along by the wall to the road. And
then they heard the distant galloping of a troop of horsemen. Pariset blew

his whistle again, and in a few seconds a half squadron of Belgian lancers
reined up.

"Three men have escaped," cried Pariset. "Round them up!"

The horsemen galloped off, some along the road, some along the grassy
bank of the stream, the rest into the field beyond the hedge.

"A pity they were late," said Pariset, walking slowly with Kenneth back to
the house. "When I heard your shot I expected that they'd force the door

and rush in."

"I hope they will catch the Germans," said Kenneth. "One of them--it was
the last comer, the man whose ring at the bell you heard--was Hellwig. I