ladies--who have good nerve, and
don't turn a hair at being arrested--to Rotterdam and then run down to
Antwerp, some 280 kilometers, a long run in war time.

We were off at 6:30, and bowled along beautifully in a bitter cold wind
until we were in sight of Tilburg, where the engine broke down. Eugene,
the chauffeur, tried everything he could think of, and tore his hair in
rage and shame. Finally we got a soldier on a bicycle to go into Tilburg
and get a motor to tow us in. Then two good hours in a garage before we
were in shape to start.

We caught the boat at Moerdyck and got into Rotterdam a little before
four. I installed my companions at the Maas Hotel, overlooking the same
old Meuse, and then started back through the rain toward Antwerp. At
Willemsdorp we just missed the boat for Moerdyck and lost an hour.
Eugene raged and smoked many cigarettes, to the danger of his health,
because his _sacree_ machine had lost us so much time.

At eight we got to Rosendaal, near the Belgian frontier, and were
forbidden to go any farther until morning, as the outposts were taking
no chances.

Had a good supper at the little hotel, had my papers viseed by the
Belgian Consul, and at 6 o'clock yesterday morning was up and away, by
way of Putte.

The Belgian outposts received us with levelled rifles, but when we got
near, one of the officers recognised me through his glasses, and we got
through without any more trouble. Arrived at the St. Antoine as
everybody was coming down to breakfast. The Germans were bombarding the
outer forts, and they could not believe their eyes when I came in. Not
a word of news had got through the lines for some days, and I was nearly
torn to pieces by the excited friends.

I had coffee with Colonel Fairholme, and got all the news he could tell
me. Malines has been bombarded again, and Antwerp is filled with
refugees. Before I left, the Germans had occupied Malines itself and
were bombarding the fort at Waelhem.

After breakfast I started out on my carefully planned campaign. First to
the Consulate-General to get off some telegrams, etc. Then to the
Foreign Office with a lot of things to attend to. I was able to give van
der Elst word that his son is in Magdebourg--a prisoner, but not
wounded. The look on his face when he got the news paid for the whole
trip. I saw M. Davignon, and went with him to see the Prime Minister,
who had heard I was there and had sent for me.

On the way we saw hundreds of