Netteke, who was partly hidden from the group by a bunch of young
willows near the water's edge, and with great speed and presence
of mind had slipped her bridle over her head and gently started
her up the tow-path.

"Oh," murmured Joseph, "suppose she should balk!" But Netteke had
done her balking for the day, and, having been refreshed by her
luncheon of green grass, she was ready to move on. The. river had
now quite a current, which helped them, and while the soldiers
were still having their joke with Father De Smet the boat moved
quietly out of sight. As she felt it move, Mother De Smet lifted
her head over the boat's rail behind which she and the children
were hiding, and raised the end of the gangplank so that it would
make no noise by scraping along the ground. She was beside
herself with anxiety. If she screamed or said anything to the
boys, the attention of the soldiers would immediately be directed
toward them. Yet if they should by any miracle succeed in getting
away, there was her husband left alone to face seven enemies. She
wrung her hands.

"Maybe they will stop to eat the onions," she groaned to herself.
She held to the gangplank and murmured prayers to all the saints
she knew, while Jan and Joseph trotted briskly along the tow-
path, and Netteke, assisted by the current, made better speed
than she had at any time during the day.

Meanwhile his captors were busy with Father De Smet. "Come! Drink
to the Kaiser!" shouted the first soldier, "or we'll feed you to
the fishes! We want our supper, and you delay us." Still Father
De Smet said nothing. "We'll give you just until I count ten,"