e German Government--dating back years before
the war, in which Schenk is instructed to prepare the Durend works for
the eventuality of a German occupation of Liege. It's all here, even to
the laying down of concrete gun-platforms, one of which the impudent
beggar disguised as our tennis-court."

"Good! Anything else?"

"Nothing quite so good as that. Plans of the Durend mines and works and
such-like. They may be useful some day."

"When we get rid of Schenk, eh? That will be some time yet, so you need
not bother your head about plans of the works. In fact, to put it
mildly--I don't want to hurt your feelings--I expect the place will be
so altered when you get it back that you won't recognize it, and those
plans will be of mighty little use to you or anyone else."

"Yes," replied Max thoughtfully. "You're referring to Schenk's threat
that, if ever the Germans had to leave Liege, he would smash up the
works so thoroughly that not one brick would be left upon another?"

"Aye."

"He's just the man to do it."

"He is that. And the less reason for you to bother about the place. It's
no use worrying; it can't be helped."

"I'm not so sure. Anyway I'm going to do what I can to save the place.
As for these papers of Schenk's, I'm going to hand them over to the
British consul. They'll be useful, I don't doubt, as one more proof of
Germany's deep-laid plans for war."

Max did as he proposed, and the papers were accepted with alacrity and
forwarded to the British Foreign Office. At the same time Max made
application on his own and Dale's behalf for employment in Belgium as
members of the British Secret Service. After a week or two's delay,
during which time enquiries no doubt were being made into their
credentials, an official arrived with the necessary documents, and after
a long conversation, detailing exactly what was required of them, Max
and Dale were accepted and enrolled.

A few days later they had said good-bye to their home in quiet
Maastricht and were away across the frontier, in the great whirlpool of
the war once more.

They resumed the disguises of Walloon workmen, which had already served
them in such good stead, and applied for work in Liege and all the big
towns of Belgium. For two years and more they worked steadily, in
different workshops up and down the country, gathering news and
transmitting it faithfully to the agents of the British Government. They
were cool and reliable observers, and their in