"Couldn't well be much worse," he exclaimed. "I'm not going to risk anothertrip. The Germans are taking everything they can lay their armson, and are destroying what they can't seize. I nearly lost thisload, and my life into the bargain. If it hadn't been that,without knowing it, we stopped so near the Belgian line oftrenches that they could fire on the German foragers who tried totake our cargo, I shouldn't have been here to tell this tale."

"God only knows what will become of Belgium if this state ofthings continues," groaned the merchant. "Food must come fromsomewhere or the people will starve."