The Fall of Liege
Arrived at his home, Max was astonished to find that his mother and
sister had fled over the border to Maastricht, taking two of the
servants with them. A letter had been left for him, however, and this he
tore feverishly open. In a few words his mother explained why she, as an
Englishwoman and one getting on in years, preferred to seek safety in
Holland to remaining in a city which obviously would soon be the
storm-centre of a terrible struggle. She then reminded Max that he had
not yet reached a man's age, and could not be expected to take a man's
part. Would he not leave the affairs of the firm to M. Schenk and join
her in Holland? But his conscience must decide, she finally conceded,
though it was clear how her own desires ran. But whether he left or
stayed, she expected him to take no part in the fighting that was bound
to come.
Questioning the servants, Max found that his mother's flight had been
arranged at the urgent solicitation of M. Schenk, and without more ado
he left the house and hastened to the works to see the manager, and
gather what further particulars he could. He did not doubt the wisdom of
his mother's precipitate flight, for even now scouting parties of the
Germans had appeared before the eastern forts, and no one could doubt
that the city was on the point of being invested and besieged.
M. Schenk was clearly surprised to see Max and his friend, and was at no
pains to hide it.
"A letter was left for you, Monsieur Max," he said in his ponderous way,
"telling you that your mother wished you to join her instantly. Did they
not hand it to you?"
"Yes," replied Max, "I have received the letter, and I have come to
learn something more about their flight. Have they taken money enough
for what may be a long stay? And can we send them more before the city
is invested?"
"All that is seen to, Monsieur Max. I have had a large sum of money
transferred to a bank in Maastricht for their use. They will be safe and
well there, and I strongly advise you to join them. You will certainly
not be safe here."
"Why not? Why should I go if you can stay--if you _are_ staying?"
"Because, sir, you are half an Englishman, and before the day is out
England will have joined in this conflict. No Englishman will be safe
here if the Germans enter, and I strongly urge you and your friend to
escape before the city is surrounded. I will carry on the business, and
do my best in the interests of the firm and your good mother."
"Yes, yes, I know; but I am a Belgian as much as an Englishman, and I am
not going to fly the country like that. If I cannot yet fight for her I
can work for her, and I have made up my mind to stay, Monsieur Schenk."
"As you will," replied M. Schenk, shrugging his shoulders in
indifference, "but do not blame me if things do not go as you wish."
"That's all right," replied Max quickly. "Now, as to the work of the
firm. I have been thinking that we might use our great works to assist
in the defence of the town. Soon the forts will be in action, and if the
city is invested they can only replenish their stores from within the
town itself. Why should we not begin to cast shells instead of rails,
and see whether we cannot make rifles and machine-guns instead of
machinery? There are many things we could do at once, and many others in
a little while."
"That is true, sir, and you will find that I have not been behindhand. I
have already seen the commandant, and our casting-shops are almost ready
to begin casting shells. I am not letting the grass grow under my feet,
I can assure you, and in a week or two we shall be able to do great
things in the defence of the town. Come down to the works with Monsieur
Dale, and see the preparations we are making for turning out shells for
big guns. You will see that the Durend workshops are going to be well to
the fore here as elsewhere, and I prophesy that they will be so until
the end of the war."
As they made the tour of the works, Max was both astonished and
delighted at the evidence he saw of the energy and ability displayed in
turning over the vast manufacturing resources of the firm from peace to
war. The rapidity with which the works had been transformed was indeed
remarkable, and his opinion of M. Schenk's capacity, already great,
became almost profound.
"Now, Dale, what are you going to do?" demanded Max as the two friends
parted company with the manager at the door of the last shop. "I think
you had better get clear while you can. This place is my home and I must
stand by it, but you are not concerned and ought to get out of it, if
only for your people's sake."
"My people! My uncle and aunt, you mean. _They_ won't bother their heads
about me," replied Dale decidedly. "No, Max, I came over here to see the
sights, and I am going to see 'em, come what may. If England is in it,
well and good; it will then be my quarrel as much as yours, and we will
work or fight against Germany together. Hurrah!"
Max grasped his friend's hand. "I ought not to encourage you, Dale, but
I can't help it, and I'm jolly glad. Let us go into this business
together--it will seem like old times. D'ye remember the fight we put up
for Benson's?"
"Who could forget it?" cried Dale with enthusiasm.
"And how it ended?"
"Aye--and it was fixity of purpose that did it, so said Benson. Well,
let us do something of the sort again. Hark! d'ye hear that?"
"Rifle-shots. The fun has commenced. Come along, and we will see what we
can of it before the day is out. To-morrow I am going to start work in
the casting-shops, and I hope you will come and help me."
"I will. Come along."
The sound of rifle-shots was quickly succeeded by the distant boom of
guns. Then the sound was swallowed up in the roar of the big guns of the
forts, and it seemed as though a tremendous attack was in progress. The
streets of the town instantly began to fill with excited people, until
it appeared as though everyone had left his work to discuss the
situation and listen to the noise of battle. Through the crowds pressed
small bodies of soldiers dispatched as reinforcements to the ring of
forts surrounding the town.
Max and Dale followed one of these parties at a respectful distance, and
climbed with them from the cup-like hollow in which Liege is situated to
the hills beyond. The soldiers were bound for one of the forts on the
eastward side, and, as they reached the higher ground, the two lads
caught their first glimpse of the fighting. Darkness was coming on, and
away in the distance they could see the intensely bright flashes of
high-explosive shells bursting on or around the forts, as well as the
flame of the fortress guns belching forth their replies. As it grew
darker the duel grew more intense, and lasted without intermission
throughout the night till three or four o'clock in the morning.
By that time the forts were apparently thought to have been sufficiently
damaged to permit of an assault, and the German infantry were flung
against them in massed formation. Unfortunately for them, however, the
guns had not been heavy enough to make any impression on the steel
cupolas which sheltered the big guns of the forts, and, as the infantry
pressed forward to the attack, they were literally swept away by a
devastating shell-fire from the forts attacked and those flanking them.
Again and again fresh masses were sent forward to the assault, only to
meet with a similar fate. In the attack on one of the forts the
infantry, favoured no doubt by the formation of the ground, were able to
get so close that the guns could not be depressed sufficiently to reach
them. They believed the fort as good as won, and with cheers of
exultation pressed on to the final assault. But at the corners of the
forts quick-firing guns were stationed, and these and the infantry
lining the parapets mowed them down as surely as the big guns.
In the wide spaces between the forts the Belgian field army had
entrenched, and with rifle-fire and frequent bayonet attacks frustrated
every attempt of the German infantry to break through.
The infantry assaults lasted until eight o'clock in the morning, when
the Germans withdrew, heavily shaken. They had hoped to rush the forts
with heavy masses of infantry, supported only by light artillery, and
they had failed. They now waited for the heavy guns, which were already
on the road, to arrive, and very soon forts Fleron and Chaudfontaine
were deluged with an accurate fire of enormous shells, so powerful as to
overturn the massive cupolas and to pierce concrete walls twelve feet
thick as though they were made of butter. Such shells as these they had
never been built to withstand, and it was not long before they
succumbed, thus opening a way for the invaders towards the town itself.
Forts Evegnee and Barchon soon shared the same fate, and the Belgian
field army, which had continued to maintain an heroic resistance, began
to fall back on the town.
Max and Dale had not been allowed to see much of these events. Before
midnight they were accosted by a patrol and ordered to return to the
safety of the town.
Early the following day, before the fall of the forts and the retreat of
the Belgian army, Max and Dale carried out their intention of presenting
themselves at the casting-shops and lending a hand in the making of
shells. To their satisfaction they found the work going forward with
splendid energy and smoothness, and, with their own ardour kindled by
the sights they had seen the previous night, they joined zealously in
the work.
Presently it came home to Max that there had been considerable changes
in the personnel of the shop since he had last worked there. The men he
looked out for--those with whom he had been on most friendly terms when
he was there--were gone, and their places were taken by other and, for
the most part, younger men, all quite strangers to the place so far as
he could see.
But, most strange of all, the language of the shop was German. The
Walloon, or Flemish-speaking Belgians, were the men who had gone, and
German-speaking workmen had taken their places.
On making a few cautious enquiries, Max learned that the men who had
gone had been transferred to shops which were still engaged in executing
peace-time orders, rails, axles, wheels, and the like, and that the
whole of the shell output was being handled by the newer German-speaking
workmen.
Max felt no particular resentment at this. He did not like it, but he
knew the manager's preference for these men as workmen, and he could not
deny that they were a hard-working, docile lot, nor that the work was
well organized and being carried on with splendid spirit and energy.
It seemed hard, however, that the Belgian-born men should not have a
chance of directly working for their country's benefit, and, as soon as
he could, Max took an opportunity of representing the matter to M.
Schenk.
"Why have you withdrawn all the older men from the shell-shops, Monsieur
Schenk? They were good men, and have served the firm well. Upon my word,
while working there and hearing naught but the German tongue, one might
have fancied oneself in the enemy's country."
"They are loyal Belgians, Monsieur Max," replied M. Schenk reassuringly.
"They are as ready as Flemings or Walloons to work to the utmost,
casting shells for our gallant army. That speaks sufficiently for their
sentiments. I have filled the shop with them because they work well
together, and there is no jealousy. We must do our best for Belgium in
this crisis, and should be swayed by no consideration save that of
finding the best men for each of our great tasks."
"Well done, Monsieur Schenk!" cried Max impulsively. "I also will go
where you think best. Where shall it be?"
"Thank you!" replied the manager, smiling. "I think you are doing so
well where you are that I cannot improve upon it. Remain at work in the
casting-shop and aid me to increase the output of shells. It is my
belief that we can turn out double the number with no increase of staff,
and I shall leave no stone unturned to make my opinion good."
Greatly heartened by this evidence of the manager's energy and
patriotism, Max and his friend did stick to their work and fling
themselves into it even more whole-heartedly than they had done before.
On the morrow, the 7th August, however, events happened that entirely
changed the aspect of affairs. Forts Fleron, Chaudfontaine, Evegnee, and
Barchon had fallen, and early in the morning of that day German infantry
entered Liege. The forts on the north, south, and west of the town still
held out for a time, but the town from that moment remained in German
hands. To the people, and especially the workers of Liege, this made a
vital difference. The output of the numerous factories, in so far as it
was useful to the German armies, was at any moment liable to be
requisitioned by them; and it was as clear as noonday that all who
toiled in the manufacture of such articles were assisting the enemy in
their attack upon their own kith and kin, and strengthening the grip he
had already laid upon their native land.