THE YPRES TIMES
35
The losses of his army had been immense, but once again he sallied forth from
Antwerp. The Belgians retook Alost, re-occupied Malines and held strong
positions about Cortenberg, between Brussels and Louvain. For a whole week the
cannonading was heard continuously night and day in the capital.
During those momentous seven days King Albert was everywhere in the
Belgian lines; now by the roadside consulting with his generals; now in the trenches,
with a rifle borrowed from a soldier, firing himself at the foe; and again at the
front, encouraging and directing. Still insufficient reinforcements came to him and
he was forced to abandon the attack. Once again he withdrew his troops to
Antwerp. The sortie, however, had won him more than he lost, for the German
casualties were heavyfrom between 40,000 to 50,000 killed and wounded.
Queen Elisabeth and her children moved from Antwerp to Ostend, where she
busied herself with Red Cross work and attention to the soldiers' needs. She was
the last to leave Ostend, and from there she joined King Albert on the Franco-
