The Dispatch-Riders

ght Ret

urtyards of the Palace of Justice. The thunder of the bombardment still roared. The noise

Around him stood a number of soldiers, some of whom had paused in the act of clean

, somewhat vacantly. "What has ha

're in luck again. It was your suspicions that put the comman

injury, but his nerves are stricken. He must rest until to-morrow. I will have h

with me, Kenne

ive o'clock-seventeen hours, they call it. Al

my bike is

cheerily. "Don't worry abo

the circumstances under which the sup

k panelling terminated about six inches from the heavily-raftered ceiling. At one end was a space between two parallel massive beams, th

s Rollo was dispatched with his message, a file of skilled riflemen ascended the observation gallery. Noiselessly they took up their position

ely pressed the trigger of his revolver. The bullet missed the lad's head b

n spite of the thunder of the guns, when he was

he fancied himself back at St. Cyprian's. By the f

yourself a prisoner in the hands of the Germans you must make a move. The bulk of the Belgi

d Rollo, springing out of bed, o

is to be given up. I don't think it will be of much use to the Germans. They'll have considerable difficulty to pass between the forts. They say the Germans have had another nasty reve

t rocky," admitted Rollo

rs have been given for the troops intended for the field

e vaulted cellar and gained the street. It was a perfectly dark night. The stars were obscured, the air was misty and hot. Away to the north, south

xiously, as Rollo wheeled his deliber

jigger for a rascally Prussian to smash. I'm jolly glad we are still attached to the

to some of the men in his company. They swear by him; but he's awfully

have suffered severely had a shell fallen in their ranks; but owing to the fact that the Germans were hoping to take early possession of the city, their gun

hoped that the forts could hold out. Already they had proved themselves equal man for man to the vaunted soldiers of the Kaiser. Their object was now to contest every

y had bandages round their heads; others had their hands swathed in linen, while a few limped badly; yet one and all showed resolute co

column the lads could see the cased colours round which a fierce struggle had taken place during t

on a journey that knows no return. There was also a detachment of twenty cyclists belonging to the regiment, but most of thes

r again the column was obliged to halt owing to the congestion of the roads, for twenty thousand

stance save by a few words of encouragement. Every time there was a halt Rollo leant across the saddle, welcoming the rest, yet dreading the exertion required to resume the tortuous march. To lag behind was to risk capture, for small parties of U

unavoidable, halts a voic

st-is Monsieur

neth, recognizing the voice a

o enquire after you

here,

thought he would

y much up to

an electric torch up

e your bicycle in the first wagon that passes. Say that I, Captain Plancheno?t, orders it. Then relieve your English comrade of his motor-cycle. Monsieur Bar

his chum. As the grey dawn began to break, he too felt that

e village of Omal. Here trenches were dug, barbed-wire entanglements set up, barns and cottages loopholed and p

ctual fighting was concerned. With the rest of the mobile Belgian forces,

de off at full speed to carry orders to bands of armed civilians to cease firing upon Belgian airmen; for these plucky air-scouts were so h

ne of these errands when the Col

way to Tongr

h he had never been there, a close study of the m

attack upon our position reinforcements are urgently requested to hold the village of

sfactorily. The Col

uickly as you can, for t