III
THE ALARM
For some time the little village of Meer slept quietly in themoonlight. There was not a sound to break the stillness, except oncewhen Mother Van Hove's old rooster caught a glimpse of the waning moonthrough the window of the chicken-house, and crowed lustily, thinkingit was the sun. The other roosters of the village, wiser than he, madeno response to his call, and in a moment he, too, returned to hisinterrupted slumbers. But though there was as yet no sound to tell oftheir approach, the moon looked down upon three horsemen galloping overthe yellow ribbon of road from Malines toward the little village. Soonthe sound of the horses' hoofs beating upon the hardened earth throbbedthrough the village itself, and Fidel sat up on the kitchen doorstep,pricked up his ears, and listened. He heard the hoof-beats and awakenedthe echoes with a sharp bark.
Mother Van Hove sat up in bed and listened; another dog barked, andanother, and now she, too, heard the hoof-beats. Nearer they came, andnearer, and now she could hear a voice shouting. She shook her husband."Wake up!" she whispered in his ear, "something is wrong! Fidel barks,and I hear strange noises about. Wake up!"
"Fidel is crazy," said Father Van Hove sleepily. "He thinks some weaselis after the chickens very likely. Fidel will attend to it. Go tosleep."
He sank back again upon his pillows, but his wife seized his arm andpulled him up.
"Listen!" she said. "Oh, listen! Weasels do not ride on horseback!There are hoof-beats on the road!"
"Some neighbor returning late from Malines," said Father Van Hove,yawning. "It does not concern us."
But his wife was already out of bed, and at the window. The horsemenwere now plainly visible, riding like the wind, and as they whirled bythe houses their shout thrilled through the quiet streets of thevillage: "Burghers, awake! Awake! Awake!"
Wide awake at last, Father Van Hove sprang out of bed and hastily beganputting down his clothes. His wife was already nearly dressed, and hadlighted a candle. Other lights sparkled from the windows of otherhouses. Suddenly the bell in the church-steeple began to ring wildly,as though it, too, were shaken with a sudden terror. "It must be afire," said Father Van Hove.
Still fastening her clothing, his wife ran out of the door and lookedabout in every direction. "I see no fire," she said, "but the villagestreet is full of people running to the square! Hurry! Hurry! We musttake the children with us; they must not be left here alone."
She ran to wake the children, as she spoke, and, helped by hertrembling fingers, they, too, were soon dressed, and the four rantogether up the road toward the village church. The bell still clangedmadly from the steeple, and the vibrations seemed to shake the veryflesh of the trembling children as they clung to their mother's handsand tried to keep up with their father's rapid strides.
They found all the village gathered in front of the little town-hall.On its steps stood the Burgomeister and the village priest, and nearthem, still sitting astride his foam-flecked steed, was one of thesoldiers who had brought the alarm. His two companions were already farbeyond Meer, flying over the road to arouse the villages which layfarther to the east. The church-bell suddenly ceased its metallicclatter, and while its deep tones still throbbed through the night air,the wondering and frightened people crowded about the steps inbreathless suspense.
The Burgomeister raised his hand. Even in the moonlight it could beseen that he was pale. He spoke quickly. "Neighbors," he said, "thereis bad news! the German army is on our borders! It is necessary forevery man of military age and training to join the colors at once incase the army is needed for defense. There is not a moment to lose.This messenger is from headquarters. He will tell you what you are todo."
The soldier now spoke for the first time. "Men of Belgium," he cried,"your services are needed for your country and your King! The men ofMeer are to report at once to the army headquarters at Malines. Do notstop even to change your clothing! We are not yet at war, and our goodKing Albert still hopes to avert it by an armed peace, but theneutrality of Belgium is at stake, and we must be ready to protect itat any cost, and at an instant's notice. Go at once to the Brusselsgate of Malines. An officer will meet you there and tell you what todo. I must ride on to carry the alarm to Putte." He wheeled his horseas he spoke, and, turning in his saddle, lifted his sword and cried,"Vive le Roi!"
"Vive le Roi! Vive la Belgique!" came in an answering shout from thepeople of Meer, and he was gone.
There was a moment of stunned silence as he rode away; then a sound ofwomen weeping. The Burgomeister came down from the steps of thetown-hall, said farewell to his wife and children, and took his placeat the head of the little group of men which was already beginning formin marching order. The priest moved about among his people with wordsof comfort.
Father Van Hove turned to his wife, and to Jan and Marie, who wereclinging to her skirts. "It is only a bad dream, my little ones," hesaid, patting their heads tenderly; "we shall wake up some day. Andyou, my wife, do not despair! I shall soon return, no doubt! Our goodKing will yet save us from war. You must finish the harvestalone--but--" "Fall in!" cried the voice of the Burgomeister, andFather Van Hove kissed his wife and children and stepped forward.
Mother Van Hove bravely checked her rising sobs. "We shall go with youto Malines, at any rate," she said firmly. And as the little group ofmen started forward along the yellow road, she and many more women andchildren of the village marched, away with them in the gray twilightwhich precedes the coming of the dawn. The priest went with his people,praying for them as he walked, in a voice that shook with feeling.
The sky was red in the east and the larks were already singing over thequiet fields when the men of Meer, followed by their wives andchildren, presented themselves at the Brussels gate of the city.