Liège had fallen before the invading German hosts, though several of the
forts still held out; Louvain had been captured and its beautiful
buildings burned to the ground. Brussels had been invested by the
Teutons. In Alsace-Lorraine the French had been forced to relinquish the
spoils won in the first days of the war. General Pau, after a stubborn
resistance, had fallen back, and General Joffre, commander-in-chief of
the French army, also had been forced to retire.

So close to Paris were the Germans now that the seat of government, the
day before this story opens, had been removed to Bordeaux. Homes and
other buildings in the French capital were being razed, so that the great
French guns in the city could sweep the approach to the town
unobstructed. Paris, the most strongly fortified city in the world, was
being prepared to withstand a siege.

And still the Germans came on. Several of the enemy's war aviators flew
over Paris and dropped bombs in the streets. This occurred upon several
days, and then the French airmen put an end to these daring sky fighters.
After this, no more bombs were dropped on Paris.

But as the Allies fell back, it was always the few British troops that
time and again checked the Germans. The morale of the English was
excellent.

In a final desperate charge, a small body of British cavalry had
succeeded in driving back the German vanguard, while the main body of
English retired still further. Then this little body of men returned,
their number much smaller than when they had charged.

For some time now there had been no sign of the enemy, and Hal and