“What’s the idea, Jack?” he asked.
“There’s some sort of mansion close by, which has a tower on the roof, and the idea struck me we might get a bird’s-eye view of what’s going on if we chose to climb up there.”
“But perhaps the owner might seriously object, Jack.”
“Don’t let that bother you, Amos,” he was told. “The great German army stormed through here on the road to Paris. When it was pushed back by slow degrees in this section nothing worth taking was left. If it couldn’t be used up or carried away to the Rhine country ten chances to one it was destroyed, so that the enemy couldn’t have any benefit of it.”
“Then you think this estate is a ruin, do you?”
“You’ll soon see for yourself what happens when an invading army passes through a hostile country, for here we are at the place.”
As Jack said this he pointed ahead. Signs of destruction and vandalism could be seen the very first thing. The stone fence that surrounded the property had been thrown down in numerous places. Even trees had been chopped down to afford fire wood for the camp, or else because they were supposed to interfere with the efficiency of quick-firing guns that at one time had been planted on the roof or in the tower of the building.
As the boys advanced they were shocked at the picture of devastation they saw all around them. Close to the walls of the house all manner of costly furniture and valuable china ornaments had been ruthlessly smashed.
“It’s worse than a country fire over in the States,” remarked Amos. “Why do you suppose they did this thing?”
“Probably to keep the enemy from getting any benefit out of all this stuff,” explained Jack, “or perhaps just to strike terror to the hearts of all well-to-do Belgians who declined to welcome the invaders with open arms.”