They are fairly well prepared here at Liege. The forts
are in order; they have good men, and plenty of ammunition for their
guns. But against our Krupp pieces--"
He laughed to express the chance that the stout forts of Liege were to
have against the German artillery. And outside Arthur, listening,
ground his teeth. He was glad that he had come; already he had learned
facts likely to prove of the first importance. No matter how well the
garrison of Liege was prepared for any emergency, it would be vastly
helpful to know when the blow might be expected to fall. It is one
thing to be prepared for a trouble that may come some day; it is quite
another to know that it is imminent, and to make plans accordingly.
In Arthur's mind an idea now began to take root. The voices of the two
Germans inside died away, and he seized the opportunity to make his way
quietly to the front of the cottage. There, lying on its side, was the
motorcycle of which the new arrival had spoken. Arthur had ridden
motorcycles himself, and now he went up to this one and examined it
carefully. He found that while it was different from the ones he had
ridden, the points of difference were really trifling and that he could
understand it easily enough.
Then he went back for another peep in the window. The two German
officers were busily engaged now in eating, and were washing down the
sausage, amid a good deal of laughter at the rough fare, with two
bottles of wine.
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