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222 WITH THE GERMAN ARMIES IN THE WEST
But many of the farms, chateaux and villas dotted about the
country have been wrecked by German shells, whilst others
have been levelled to the ground by the defenders themselves
in order to clear the line of fire. On both sides of the road we
observed some excellent field fortifications, which the Belgians
had thrown up on retiring northward, and we noticed that
bowl-shaped recesses have been excavated at the sides of the
ditches for protection against the rain of shrapnel bullets. On
the left, great tracts of country are still under water. Rafts
made of barrels, used by the Germans to cross certain water-
ways, are still floating about.
The population seems to have vanished into space. It is
but rarely that one sees a forlorn-looking peasant or other
mortal who had chosen to face the hurricane of battle. Yet
the life on this great highway almost beggars description and
the traffic increases the further north we get. It is the same
familiar transport trains in the same endless columns, looking
exactly as they did on the southern roads and travelling in the
same exemplary order. Again we see the same old Landwehr
troops, halting beside roads and trees, with rifles piled and
coats, life-belts and cartridge-pouches slung over the bayonet.
And here we have entire regiments of Landsturm, with men
well into the forties in the ranks, plodding on their way
towards Ghent. There is no lack of cheery humour and every-
one is in good spirits ; the men march along with the light-
hearted step of young soldiers and sing as if they were going to
a harvest festival, with flowers tied to the rifle barrel and more
flowers in wreaths round their necks. After five days’ un-
interrupted railway journey they are now marching the last
forty-five kilometres to reach their post, where they are to
guard the German lines of communication in western Belgium,
an important and hazardous task, for even here the Father-
land may claim the sacrifice of their lives. That is why they
sing so gaily. Yet wives and children have been left behind.
It is for their liberty and happiness that they fight and fall at
their post. They know what is at stake. The greater the
progeny they have given their country, the more they have
to defend and the more important it is for them that Germany’s
liberty and future greatness shall be assured.
At some of the aristocratic villas and chateaux lining the
road we take the liberty of paying a visit. A few of them are
guarded by some faithful old retainer, others are empty and
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