X. OFF FOR ANTWERP
X. ON THE TOW-PATH
XI. THE ATTACK
XII. THE ZEPPELIN RAID
XIII. REFUGEES
XIV. THE MOST WONDERFUL PART

THE BELGIAN TWINS

I

THE HARVEST-FIELD

It was late in the afternoon of a long summer's day in Belgium. Father
Van Hove was still at work in the harvest-field, though the sun hung so
low in the west that his shadow, stretching far across the level, green
plain, reached almost to the little red-roofed house on the edge of the
village which was its home. Another shadow, not so long, and quite a
little broader, stretched itself beside his, for Mother Van Hove was
also in the field, helping her husband to load the golden sheaves upon
an old blue farm-cart which stood near by.

Them were also two short, fat shadows which bobbed briskly about over
the green meadow as their owners danced among the wheat-sheaves or
carried handfuls of fresh grass to Pier, the patient white farm-horse,
hitched to the cart. These gay shadows belonged to Jan and Marie,
sometimes called by their parents Janke and Mie, for short. Jan and
Marie were the twin son and daughter of Father and Mother Van Hove, and
though they were but eight years old, they were already quite used to
helping their father and mother with the work of their little farm.

They knew how to feed the chickens and hunt the eggs and lead Pier to
water and pull weeds in the garden. In the spring they had even helped
sow the wheat and barley, and now in the late summer they were helping
to harvest the grain.

The children had been in the field since sunrise, but not all of the
long bright day had been given to labor. Early in the morning their
father's pitchfork had uncovered a nest of field mice, and the Twins
had made another nest, as much like the first as possible, to put the
homeless field babies in, hoping that their mother would find them
again and resume her interrupted housekeeping.

Then they had played for a long time in the tiny canal which separated
the wheat-field from the meadow, where Bel, their black and white cow,
was pastured. There was also Fidel, the dog, their faithful companion
and friend. The children had followed him on many an excursion among
the willows along the river-bank, for Fidel might at any moment come
upon the rabbit or water rat which he was always seeking, and what a
pity it would be for Jan and Marie to miss a sight like that!

When the sun was high overhead, the whole family, and Fidel also