"I will send a man to look after them," was the reply. "We must take you into Fort Loncine, and you must be blindfolded. These are my orders whenever we find strangers in the vicinity of the defences." "Very well," replied Kenneth with as good a grace as he could command, at the same time producing his handkerchief. Guided by soldiers, the two blindfolded youths were led into the fort. Kenneth kept count of the number of paces before crossing the drawbridge; they totalled four hundred and eighty-five, which, allowing thirty inches for his long stride, meant that the glacis, or level grassy ground surrounding the fort, was a little over four hundred yards in breadth. When the handkerchiefs were removed from their eyes the lads found themselves in a large vaulted room lighted by electricity. On three sides were several low-arched doorways, on the fourth a fairly broad gateway through which they had been brought. Although it was impossible to see straight into the open air, a distant glimpse of diffused daylight showed that this entrance communicated either with the glacis or else an enclosed portion of the fort that was exposed to the rays of the sun. Seated on benches or lolling against the walls were quite a hundred soldiers, yet the place was by no means crowded. Beyond looking with evident curiosity at the two lads under arrest, they took no further interest in them. Presently a sergeant approached and questioned the guards concerning their prisoners. "English? Perhaps they are sent ... but, no; they are but youths. Bring them along. I will inform Major Résimont." The sergeant knocked at one of the doors, and in reply to a muffled "Entrez!" he passed through. The lads noticed that the door was of steel, and required considerable effort on the part of the non-commissioned officer to open it. "Englishmen found in the vicinity of the fort, mon major," announced the sergeant, saluting and standing stiffly at attention. "Let them enter. Ah, my young friends, this, then, is the manner in which you come to Liége?" The two chums could well express astonishment, for their questioner was none other than the officer who in Namur had advised them to abandon their proposed visit to the Birmingham of Belgium. "Well, what have you to say?" proceeded the major. "We lost our way and scrambled on to the bank to see where we were. We happened to catch sight of one of the guns, with disappearing mountings, and we were curious to see what happened," replied Kenneth. "Your curiosity might lead you into trouble," said the Belgian officer gravely. "How am I to know that you are not German spies?" Kenneth bridled indignantly. "We give you our word that we are not." "Your word will hardly do, monsieur, at a time like this. Can you produce proofs? Have you anyone in the district who can identify you?" The lads produced their permits.