ont of us and we found
ourselves looking into three rifle barrels. A gruff German voice
called, "Halt! Who goes there?" and we threw up our hands and grunted
a reply. Immediately the guns were lowered and the men came toward us,
but instead of finding two helpless prisoners, they were met by good
hard blows delivered in true British fashion. We had taken them
completely by surprise, and in a few minutes we were able to break
through. We didn't wait to see what condition they were in, but made
the best time possible to a place of safety. We heard one of them blow
his whistle, just after we got away, and a couple of shots were fired,
but if reinforcements came we did not see them. We kept on going until
we thought we were safe from pursuit, and we began looking for a place
in which to lay up for the day. This was our seventh day without food
excepting raw vegetables, and our strength was almost exhausted.

This encounter with the patrols had used us up pretty badly owing to
our weakened condition, and we knew that the supreme test was still
ahead. Presently, right in the centre of the bush, we came to a place
where the slough grass was very long and thick, and we decided to risk
spending the day there. We were now in the centre of the patrol
district, and there was no _safe_ place; but we hoped to be fortunate
enough not to be too close to the beat of the nearest patrol. We
pulled a quantity of long grass and buried ourselves in it. Although
very tired, sleep was out of the question, and we lay there planning
how we could get through the last two lines of guards.

About 8 A.M. we were alarmed by the noise of some one crashing through
the bushes, and our hearts beat like hammers as we listened to the
sound growing nearer. Of course we were sure it was a patrol, and we
began to fear our little game was up. We lay there scarcely breathing,
and all at once voices reached us, and Mac whispered to me, "Gee! they
must have women in this patrol." We peered through the grassy cover,
and there, coming straight towards us, were two young German girls.
The wooden shoes they wore accounted for the great racket they made,
but I assure you we felt very much relieved, though our danger was
still very great, for they could give the alarm, and we did not know
who might be near.

A short distance from us they took off their coats, and we saw they had
come to work. All through this part of the woods were scattered
bundles