Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-12
CHAPTER XI-(Continued)


'.WTHY safer in Huy than here or any
w where else where these hrutes may
be-"
"Huv has been occupied by the Germans
since the 18th and Is their temporary
headquarters. From what I gather they
usually spare such towns That is why we
never dreamed Of Andcnnc being sacked
palroy remembered the aged cures expo
sition Of ,Nultur as a policy. rs THIS sort
Of thing going on generally them ne
asked
Monsieur Pochard was a Frenchman. He
raised his eyebrows where can you nave
been, monsieur. not to know what has hap
pened at Liege Wise, Flemelle Grande'
Bagny Trembleur, and score or other
wise" broke in the cracked, piping voice
of zoos whats that about Vise?
"It ia burnt to the ground, and nearly all
the inhabitants killed
"Is anthing said Of a fat major named
Busch. whom Henri Joos the miller struck
with a fOrk?"
"a Prussian, do you mean?"
"Ay. one Of the same breed-a West
phalian."
u haven't heard"
"He tried to assault my daughter, so
l got him. The second one, Uhlan, killed
nv wife, and l got him too. cut his
throat down there in the main street It's
easv to kill Germans. They're soft ike
pigs" -.,-
Though Joos's half-demented boasting
was highly injudcous Dalroy did not
interfere He was In a mood to let matters
drift. They could not well be worse. He
had tried to control the course Of events in
SO far az they affected his own and Irene
Beresford's fortunes, but had failed lament
ably. Now, fate must take charge.
Pochard's comment was to the point. at
any rate. 81 congratulate you, monsieur"
he said "Ill do a bit in that line myself
when this little one Is lodged with his aunt
in Huy. II every Belgian accounts for two
Prussians, you'll hold them till the French
and English join up"
"Do YOU know for certain where the
English are?" put in Dalroy eagerly,
Yes, at Charlerol The French are In
Namur Come with me 10 Huy few
days, and the sales Alboches will be pelting
back to the Rhine"
For the second time Daroy heard
slang epithet new 20 him applied 10 the
Germans lie little guessed how familiar
the abbreviated French form Of the word
would become In his ears. Briton, French
man, Slav, and Italian have cordially
adopted "Boche" as a suitable term for the
common enemy. 1t has no meaning, Yet
conveys sense Of cOntemptuous dislike.
Stricken France had no heart for humor
in 1870. The merciless foe was then
and the change held a comforting slgnih-
canoe
Frenchman's opinion as to the speedy dis
comfture of the invader; but night was fall
ing, the offer Of shelter was too good to be
refused. Nevertheless, he was careful to
reveal a real difficulty. Unfortunately,
we have a dead woman in the cart" he said.
Madame Stauwaert, too, is III, but she
has recovered from falnting At, see."
"Ah poor Stauwaert," murmured the
other. "a decent fellow. l saw them kill
him And that's his wife, Of course,
didn't recognize her before.
Dalroy was relieved 10 find that the
Frenchman and the bereaved woman were
friends. He had not forgotten the priests
statement that there would be a spy in
every group in that part of Belgium, Later
he ascertained that Monsieur Pochard was
a well-to-do leather merchant in Andehne,
who, like many others, refused to abandon
a long-establlshed business for fear Of the
Germans; doubtless he was destined TO pay
a heavy price for his tenacity ere the war
ended. He behaved now as a true Samart-
tan Urging an immediate move and prom
Using even to arrange for Madame Joos 3
burial. Dalroy helped him TO carry the
child, a three-year-old boy, who was very
sleepy and peevish, and did not understand
whV he should not be at home and In bed.
Joos suffered them to lead him where
thew listed. He walked by the side OF the
cart and told 'Llse" how he had dealt with
the Uhlan. Leontine sobbed afresh and
tried TO stop him. but he grew quite angry.
why shouldn't she known he snapped.
1T 10 her affair and mine. You screamed
and turned away, but hacked at him Till
his wlndpipe hisaed,"
Monsieur Pochard brought them to Huy
by rough road among the hllls
IT was dreAdfal Journey Ia the eIoam-
/. u az Z. naII4.1 1uItIuaI' q 0I1u|nW 1.1a "a