what actually happened. The vegetation was dry, as no rain
had fallen for many a day. The shavings and store of logs in the hut
burned like tinder, promptly creating a raging furnace wholly beyond the
control of the unthinking dolts who started it. The breeze which had
sprung up earlier became a roaring tornado among the trees, and some
acres of woodland were soon in flames. The light of that fire was seen
over an area of hundreds of miles. Spectators in Holland wrongly
attributed it to the burning of Vise, which was, however, only an
intelligent anticipation of events, because the delightful old town was
completely destroyed a week later in revenge for the defeats inflicted
on the invaders at Tirlemont and St. Trond during the first advance on
Antwerp.

Once embarked on a somewhat perilous descent, the fugitives gave eyes or
thought to naught else. Jules, the pioneer quoted by Leontine, who was
the owner of the hut and maker of sabots, had rough-hewed a sort of
stairway out of a narrow cleft in the rock face. To young people, steady
in nerve and sure of foot, the passage was dangerous enough, but to Joos
and his wife it offered real hazard. However, they were allowed no time
for hesitancy. With Leontine in front, guiding her father, and Maertz
next, telling Madame Joos where to put her feet, while Dalroy grasped
her broad shoulders and gave an occasional eye to Irene, they all
reached the level tow-path without the least accident. Irene, by the
way, carried the rifle, so that Dalroy should have both hands at
liberty.

Without a moment's delay he took the weapon and readjusted the magazine,
which he had removed for the climb. Bidding the others follow at such a
distance that they would not lose sight of him, yet be able to retire if
he found the way disputed by soldiers, he set off in the direction of
Argenteau.

In his opinion the next ten minutes would decide whether or not they had
even a remote chance of winning through to a place of comparative
safety. He had made up his own mind what to do if he met any Germans.
He would advise the Joos family and Maertz to hide in the cleft they had
just descended, while he would take to the Meuse with Irene--provided,
that is, she agreed to dare the long swim by night. Happily there was no
need to adopt this counsel of despair. The fire, instead of assisting
the flanking party on the western side, only delayed them. Sheer
curiosity as to what was happening in the wood drew al