of metal weighing wer 30 tons each, they had an effective range at least one and a half times longer than any of . the guns in the Belgian forts. The Belgians were practically powerless to reply, and were compelled to endure silently the agony of piecemeal demolition of their defences. Thick steel cupolas were cracked like egg-shells. Concrete walls collapsed like pieces of cardboard. The defenders were choked and blinded by the fumes, maimed, blown to bits.
The end came at last. Fort after fort was battered and broken by the dominating German fire. In one fort the defenders blew up everything rather than surrender when they could hoick out no Ignger.* At Chaudfontaine a shell penetrated the magazine and blew the place to atoms.
Fort Loncin was the last to stand out. Here Leman and a small l^roup of survivors made a final stand. Three out of four of the garrison had been killed or incapacitated; the general him- self could scarcely move, his legs having been partly crushed by a fall of masonry; most of the guns were out of action. The general made all ready for the end, burning papers, destroying everything of military value, preparing to blow up the place ^t thelastmonient. Thencameatremendousconcertedbombard- ment frbrii the entire strength of the German howitzers.
A strong infantry force had moved up, ready to stonn the fort. The fire paused; the infantry leaped in. As they advanced a magazine exploded, killing some of them. Therci was no mor^ fighting. Those of the garrison left were helpless. A German officer related the fate of General Leman himself. After a German shell had exploded the magazine in one of the forts, Germansoldiersenteredonthework. Theycameonthebody of the general, with blackened face, lying amid the ruins. “Respect the general! He is dead!" said his adjutant, who stood guarding the prostrate figure. General Leman was not dead. Later on he recovered consciousness. When he offered his sword to the German general, the latter refused to accept it. “Military honour has not been violated by your sword," he said. “Keep it." General Leman had remained unmoved up to now. Butatthistearssprangtohiseyes. With the fall of Li6ge the way to Brussels was open: Belgium was defenceless. The Belgian army was powerless in face of the German avalanche, and could do little more than fight a series of dasperatc rearguard actions. Reluctantly but