"I suppose you think she's right, don't you, Arthur?" he asked, quietly.
"Of course! If you were in your home and you saw German soldiers coming, wouldn't you shoot as many as you could?"
"Perhaps. But I'd expect them to take me out and shoot me, when they caught me, and burn my house. I wouldn't call them brutes and barbarians for doing it."
"But why? Isn't it war to attack the enemy?"
"Yes, if soldiers do it. Soldiers ought to fight soldiers. If women and men who aren't in uniform fight, they must expect to be attacked themselves. Listen, Arthur! If our soldiers were in Germany they'd have to do just what the Germans are doing here, to protect themselves. They'd have to frighten the people into playing fair, if it couldn't be done any other way. It isn't fair to hide and shoot a man who isn't expecting it, is it? At any rate, those are the laws of war. France and Belgium have agreed to them, and bound themselves by them, just as the Germans have done. So we can't complain if the Germans stick to the rules. Don't do anything foolish now. The Germans may be here any minute, if they're as close to us as these people say."
"I'll do whatever you say, Paul," Arthur agreed, finally. "But it doesn't seem sensible to me."
"It is sensible and right, believe me," said Paul, earnestly. "And I think we'll stay here, Arthur, for a little while, anyway. I believe there'll be a chance for us to do some good work here. If we can keep these poor people from acting so that the Germans will destroy their village it will be a good thing, won't it?"
"Ye—es, I suppose so. Yes, I can see that, Paul. Even if I think it's all wrong, I can see that the Germans are too strong. They can do whatever they like, whether it's right or not."
"That's one way to look at it," said Paul. "That's one of the things I hope to try to make them understand—that they'd better submit to injustice than lose their homes. Might makes right, though the Germans have a good excuse for acting in the way they do."
"Still I don't see what good we can expect to do, Paul. These people here don't know us, and I don't believe they'll pay any attention to anything we say," deep doubt written on his face.