we refused to be drawn into discussion of
the war, its causes and issues. The enemy was "top dog" for the time
being, we were in his power: we did not know what was in store for us;
we did not wish to prejudice any chances we might have, and it would not
pay to lose our tempers or be indiscreet.

Christmas Eve was still too rough for the ships to tie up alongside, and
our Christmas the next day was the reverse of merry. The Germans had
held a Christmas service on the _Wolf_ on Christmas Eve, and sounds of
the band and singing were wafted to us over the waters. We could have
no music on the _Igotz Mendi_, as we had no piano, but our friends on
the _Wolf_, so we heard afterwards, gathered together in the 'tween
decks and joined in some Christmas music.

I went out on deck early on Christmas morning, and there met the Spanish
Chief Mate chewing a bun. He asked me to share half with him--a great
sacrifice! Such was the commencement of our Christmas festivities. Later
in the morning the Spanish Captain regaled the ladies with some choice
brand of Spanish wine, and offered first-class cigars to the men
prisoners (rather better than the "Stinkadoros" sometimes offered us by
the crew), German officers on the ships exchanged visits, and we all
tried to feel the day was not quite ordinary.

Our thoughts and wishes on this sad Christmas Day turned to our friends
and relations at home who would be mourning us as dead, and may perhaps
be "better imagined than described," and with the bad news from the
various seats of war we all felt fairly blue.

The German officers had a great feast and a jolly time on the _Wolf_.
One cow and three pigs had been killed for the Christmas feast, but they
did not go far between eight hundred people. The day before we had been
served with some of the "in'ards," or, as the American said, the
"machinery" of the poor beasts cut up into small pieces, even the lungs
being used. Some of us turned up our noses at this, but the Captain
assured us that if we ever _did_ get to America or England we should
find that the U boats had reduced our countries to such straits that
even such "machinery" would be welcome food!

With Christmas Day came to an end for us a quarter of a year's
captivity, and all the prisoners, at least, were glad when the dismal
farce of Christmas under such conditions was over.

"This is the life," said the German sailor who supplied us with water
twice daily. He was a very hardworked