Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-14
CHAPTER NI-(Continued)

CHAPTER NJ -(COntlnuedD
"VOU must have been Eoverness-com
panion in some German family Of post
tlon. ! can foresee trying future. l must
brush up my dates, or lose caste forever
Isn't there a doggerel Jingle beginning:
! nfty-hvG and nfty-four
tame Caesar o'eT to Brltain's shore9
If | learn It, It may save me many a trip"
Here, you two" growlcd Jan Maertz,
talk language a fellow can understand
The road was deserted save for them
selves. and the others had unConsCiuusly
spoken English Dalroy turned to apollo.
gizc to their rough but trusty friend, and
thus missed the quizzical and affeCtionate
glance which Irene dartcd at him She was
still smiling when next he caught her eye
what is 1t now" he asked.
Il was thinking how difficult 1t is tc
see n wood for trees" she replied.
Maertz took her literally.
"I'n be glad when we're in the open
country again, madcmoiselc," he said II
don't like this forest. one can't guess what
may be hiding around the corner"
Yet they stopped that night at Braine lc
Comte, and crossed EnEhien next day with
out incident. 1t Is pity that such a
glorious rambe should be described SO
BADLY In happier times, when Robert
.OulS SltNeHSOll loDh lldl blllHt JouIltN
through the Cevennes with a donkey, a
similar excursion produced a book which
will be read when the German madness
has long been releEated TO a detested oh.
llvion. But Uhlan pickets and 'squarehead'
sentries supply wretChed sgn-posts in
land of romance, and the wanderers were
now in region where each kilometer had
TO be surveyed with caution.
Maertz owned an aunt in every village
and carefully inquiry had, of course, located
one Of these numerous relatives in Lierde
n hamlet on the Grammont-Gand road
Oudenarde was strongly held by the enemy
but the roads leading TO Gand were the
scene of magnificent exploits by the ar.
mored cars Of the Belgian army. Certain
Belgian motorists had become national
heroes during the past fortnight An inn.
keeper in Grammont told with bated breath
how one famous driver, helped by ma
chine gun crew, was accounting for scores
OF marauding cavalrymen. "The English
and French are beaten. but our fellows are
holding them" he said with a fine air
when you boys get through youll enjoy
life, My nephew who used TO be a great
chasseur, says there Is no sport like chasing
mounted Boches."
This frank recognition Of Dalroy as one
of the innumerable young Belgians ther
engaged in crossing the enemys lives II
order to serve with their brothers was an
unwilling compliment 70 student who
had picked up the colloquial phrases and
Walloon words in Maertz's uncouth speech
man who looked like an unkempt peas
ant should speak like one, and Dalroy was
an apt scholar. He never trod on doubtful
ground. Strangers regarded him as a tact
turn person, solely because of this lin
gustic restraint. Maertz made nearly al
inquiries and never erred In selecting ar
informant The truth was that German
spies were rare in this district They were
common as crows in the cities and on the
frontiers of Belgium and France, but rura
Brabant harbored few, and that simple fact
accounts for the comparatively slow prog
ress OF the invaders as they neared the
coast.
It was at place called Oombergen, mid
way between Oudenarde and Alost, that the
fugitives met the Deaths Head Hussars
And with that il-omened crew came the
great adventure.