upon the interior, the commander
refused an offer of surrender. A little later the concrete inner
chamber walls fell in. The commander of Boncelles, having exhausted
his defensive, hoisted the white flag. He had held out for eleven
days in a veritable death-swept inferno.

Fort Loncin disputed with Boncelles the honor of being the last to
succumb. The experience of its garrison differed only in terrible
details from Boncelles. Its final gun shot was fired by a man with
his left hand, since the other had been severed. Apparently a shell
exploded in its magazine, and blew up the whole fort. General Leman
was discovered amid its debris, pinned beneath a huge beam. He was
released by his own men. When taken to a trench, a German officer
found that he was merely unconscious from shock.

When sufficiently recovered, General Leman was conducted to General
von Emmich to tender his personal surrender. The two had previously
been comrades at maneuvers. The report of their meeting is given
by a German officer. The guard presented the customary salute due
General Leman's rank. General von Emmich advanced a few steps to
meet General Leman. Both generals saluted.

"General," said Von Emmich, "you have gallantly and nobly held your
forts."

"I thank you," Leman replied. "Our troops have lived up to their
reputation. War is not like maneuvers, _mon General_," he added
with a pointed smile. "I ask you to bear witness that you found
me unconscious."

General Leman unbuckled his sword to offer it to the victor. Von
Emmich bowed.

"No, keep it," he gestured. "To have crossed swords with you has
been an honor."

Subsequently the President of the French Republic bestowed on Liege
the Cross of the Legion of Honor. To its motto in this instance
might have been added appropriately: Liege, the Savior of Paris.
The few days of its resistance to an overwhelming force enabled
the Belgium army to improve its mobilization, the British to throw
an expeditionary army into France, and the French to make a new
offensive alignment. It will forever remain a brilliant page in war
annals. In a military estimate it proved that forts constructed on
the lastest scientific principles, but unsupported by an intrenched
field army, crumple under the concentrated fire of long-range,
high-power enemy guns.

The fall of the northern and eastern Liege forts released Von Kluck's
army for its march into central Belgium. Meanwhile the Belgian army
had been co