"There must be a fire," said Arthur.
"I should think so," said Paul, grimly. "The Uhlans are ahead of us, Arthur."
CHAPTER XIII
THE CIVIC GUARDS
That this was no mistaken guess they soon learned. Half a mile of fast walking brought them to a small village, and there they met a stream of panic-stricken refugees, fleeing from their own burning homes a little further on. The people of the village swarmed about the newcomers, exclaiming in horror and anger at their stories. Paul and Arthur listened.
German cavalry, it seemed, had ridden in early that morning, and posted notices, in German, French and the Walloon dialect that many of the peasantry still used. These notices warned all the people that the German army had occupied the town or village, and that no act of violence against the invaders must be committed. All arms, it read, were to be surrendered, and certain rules about keeping lights in every window and having all doors unlocked must be strictly obeyed.
If obedience were given, said the Germans, no harm would be done to the occupied places or any of their citizens.
"Then they rode away," a woman was saying. "And presently foot soldiers came in their places. And—a shot was fired. It struck an officer. Then they went into the house where the man who fired the shot had been, and they brought out every man they found in it, and killed them right before all of us, before they set the house on fire. And they set other houses on fire, too, where they said they found guns and pistols! They said we were murderers! Is it murder to defend oneself in time of war? My man is with the army! Is he a murderer?"
Arthur was panting with anger as he listened. Paul, seeing this, drew him aside.