No, it was very evident that these soldiers had a special mentality. The little dandy, tightly buttoned up in his grey coat, marching at the head of his men, seemed to me absolutely repugnant. I knew that our soldiers, commanded by one of our brave comrades, would not have remained long in the situation of this band of cowards. There they were, out-numbering us ridiculously, escorted by seven Belgian soldiers, marching to our Headquarters at Aerschot. Prisoners! They were prisoners and ... happy! I was just about to fall in and close the march of this column, after promising to send help to the wounded, who were groaning in the ditch and calling out all the time: "A doctor. A doctor!" when a big, rough hand seized mine and shook it unceremoniously. It was Corporal Dethier, of the 27th, a brave miner of Liege. "Captain," he whispered, "we all thank you. As for me, I am very glad, for I feel that I have been a good soldier to-day."[5] FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 5: The names of these six brave men are: Massin, Cyclist Company; De Sutter, 3/2; Menu, 3/2; Le Kouttre, 3/2 of the 7th Line Regiment; Barthels and Sty, Cyclist Carabineers of the 1st Cavalry Division, who were both proposed later on for honorary distinction; Corporal J.J. Dethier, who was wounded at the Yser and had his leg amputated. He has been made a Knight of the Order of Leopold.] CHAPTER XVI (September 9-12, 1914) The Second Sortie from Antwerp Episode of the Battle before Over-de-Vaert (Haecht). By Lieutenant L. Chardome of the 14th Line Regiment I am writing the account of this combat in bed, at the Elisabeth Ambulance, as I am still suffering from my wounds of thirteen months ago. I give this account without any pretension and without any false modesty; my only care being to tell the exact truth. It was during the second _sortie_ of the Antwerp garrison. My Company, the 2nd Division of Hotchkiss machine-guns of the 3rd Army Division, had passed the night of September 11 and 12, 1914, along the embankment of the Malines-Louvain railway line, five hundred yards from the Haecht-Wespeleare station. At 4 in the morning, we received orders to get into line and go to the support of the 14th Line Regiment; my men mounted the slope in glee, and had soon cleared the summit. Very soon the two guns of my Section, the 52nd and 53rd, had taken their place with the sharp-shooters of Commander Magnette's Company, supporting the last Section of Infantry to the extreme left.