"Something of the sort," admitted Max. "Looking through those old papers we raided out of Schenk's clutches. Some of them are his and not my father's, and I can see why he was so anxious to get them back again. Why, here is correspondence—between the rascal and someone who, I expect, is an agent of the German Government—dating back years before the war, in which Schenk is instructed to prepare the Durend works for the eventuality of a German occupation of Liége. It's all here, even to the laying down of concrete gun-platforms, one of which the impudent beggar disguised as our tennis-court."
"Good! Anything else?"
"Nothing quite so good as that. Plans of the Durend mines and works and such-like. They may be useful some day."
"When we get rid of Schenk, eh? That will be some time yet, so you need not bother your head about plans of the works. In fact, to put it mildly—I don't want to hurt your feelings—I expect the place will be so altered when you get it back that you won't recognize it, and those plans will be of mighty little use to you or anyone else."
"Yes," replied Max thoughtfully. "You're referring to Schenk's threat that, if ever the Germans had to leave Liége, he would smash up the works so thoroughly that not one brick would be left upon another?"
"Aye."
"He's just the man to do it."
"He is that. And the less reason for you to bother about the place. It's no use worrying; it can't be helped."
"I'm not so sure. Anyway I'm going to do what I can to save the place. As for these papers of Schenk's, I'm going to hand them over to the British consul. They'll be useful, I don't doubt, as one more proof of Germany's deep-laid plans for war."
Max did as he proposed, and the papers were accepted with alacrity and forwarded to the British Foreign Office. At the same time Max made application on his own and Dale's behalf for employment in Belgium as members of the British Secret Service. After a week or two's delay, during which time enquiries no doubt were being made into their credentials, an official arrived with the necessary documents, and after a long conversation, detailing exactly what was required of them, Max and Dale were accepted and enrolled.