Part 16 (1/2)

The Frenchman rapped out an oath.

”More work for our engineers,” he remarked. ”Nevertheless, the Prussians shall pay. We have them. With the English between Antwerp and Louvain, and your army between Louvain and Tirlemont, these Germans are in front of a wall that cannot be climbed. You say that part of your convoy is destined for Namur? Send them on, monsieur. We hold both banks of the Sambre. For the rest we cannot, unfortunately, offer you any guarantees.”

Accordingly the convoy was split up, Kenneth and Rollo going with the cars containing the mails for the Belgian troops at Tirlemont.

”The papers were right after all, old man,” remarked Kenneth. ”Our troops are in Belgium. Now, admit that your doubts were ill-founded.”

”I suppose so,” admitted Rollo; ”but all the same I should like to see a khaki regiment, if only for the sake of ocular demonstration.”

Before four that afternoon the mail for the 9th Regiment of the Line was safely delivered, and with the utmost dispatch the work of distribution began. It seemed a fitting reward that Kenneth should receive half a dozen letters, three of which, bearing different dates, were from his father. Rollo had to be content with four.

While the latter, with his usual deliberation, opened his communications in the order of their postmarks, Kenneth impetuously tore the envelope of his latest-dated one, and read as follows:--

”DEAR KENNETH,

”I wrote you at the Poste Restante at Liege, on the off-chance that you might receive it on the eve of the declaration of war. From the contents of your letter I have reason to believe that you did not. I am naturally most anxious concerning Thelma. Up to the time of writing I have had no tidings whatsoever, although I made enquiries of the British Consuls at Antwerp, Rotterdam, and The Hague.

”In my previous letters addressed to you at the Field Post Office of the 9th Regiment of the Line, I expressed my fullest approval of the step you have taken. In case you have not received my former letters I must repeat these sentiments. You are doing your duty to your country by serving under the Belgian flag as faithfully as if you were under your own--for ours is a united cause. Perhaps more so, since you are not yet of an age to accept a commission. Should you be in need of funds, I have placed the sum of Fifty Pounds to your account in the Credit Belgique at Brussels.

”I am also sending you a batch of newspapers [”They have gone adrift,”

thought Kenneth] which will be of interest to you.

”I hear also that ... [Here was a long excision by the Censor.]

”Once more, good luck. Do your duty manfully and fearlessly. Regards to young Barrington. I made a point of seeing his father the other day, and he is with me in my view of the step you two have taken.

Needless to say, my Mediterranean trip is off. There is other work even for an old buffer such as I am.

”Your affectionate father, ”THOMAS EVEREST.”

”The pater's a brick,” declared Kenneth, after he had finished wading through his other correspondence; then, observing that Rollo was still scanning his budget, he made his way across to the motor-cycles. In his excitement he had forgotten to turn off the petrol tap of his mount, and had just remembered the fact.

On the way back he ran across Major Resimont, whom he had not seen since the night of the evacuation of Liege.

The Major greeted him warmly, congratulated him upon gaining his stripes, and asked him how he had fared.

”I have, unfortunately, bad news,” said the Major sadly. ”It would be well to keep the information to yourself: the Liege forts have fallen, and General Leman is a prisoner.”

”I thought they could hold out for months,” Kenneth blurted out, his sense of discretion overcome by the suddenness of the news.

”We all thought so,” rejoined Major Resimont quietly. ”But those huge German guns, they cracked the cupolas like nutsh.e.l.ls, and killed or wounded every man in the forts.”

”The French are here, though,” announced Kenneth. ”We came in touch with them this morning.”

”I know,” said the Belgian. ”They have already succeeded in taking Dinant. We have certain hopes in the French.”

”And the British troops are in Belgium.”

The Major shook his head.