r a wood, at
a short distance from it. Here they ate their supper, laid a
blanket on the ground, put the bundles down for pillows, and lay
down close together, putting the other two blankets over them.

"It's mighty cold," Tim said, "but we might be worse."

"It's better than a prison in Pomerania, by a long way," Ralph
answered. "By the look of the sky, and the dropping of the wind, I
think we shall have snow before morning."

At daybreak, next morning, they were up; but it was some little
time before they could start, so stiffened were their limbs with
the cold. Ralph's prognostication as to the weather had turned out
right, and a white coating of snow lay over the country. They now
set off and walked, for an hour, when they arrived at a large
village. Here it was agreed they should go in, and buy something to
eat. They entered the ale house, and called for bread, cheese, and
beer.

The landlord brought it and, as they expected, entered into
conversation with them. After the first remarks--on the sharpness
of the weather--Ralph produced a tin of portable soup, and asked
the landlord if he would have it heated, for their uncle.

"He cannot, as you see, eat solid food," Ralph said; "He had his
jaw broken by a shell, at Woerth."

"Poor fellow!" the landlord said, hastening away with the soup.

"Are you going far?" he asked, on his return.

"To Saint Goar," Ralph said.

"But why does he walk?" the landlord asked. "He could have been
sent home, by train."

"Of course he could," Ralph said. "We walked over to see him, and
intended to have walked back again; but when the time came for us
to start, he said he would come, too. The surgeon said he was not
fit to go. Uncle had made up his mind to be off and, as the surgeon
would not give him an order, he started to walk. He says it does
not hurt him so much as the jolting of the train, and we shall be
home to breakfast."

An hour later they arrived at Saint Goarshaus. They were now quite
out of the track which prisoners escaping from Mayence would be
likely to take, and had not the slightest difficulty in getting a
boat to cross the Rhine.

"How beautiful the river is, here," Percy said.

"Yes it is, indeed," Ralph answered. "I believe that this is
considered one of the most lovely spots on the whole river. I can't
say that I think that that railway, opposite, improves it."

They landed at Saint Goar, and tramped gaily on to Castellan, and
slept in a barn nea