shall have to live up to them now! We heard from the Nippon
Yushen Kaisha in London that the Japanese authorities had sent an
expedition to look for the _Hitachi_. The expedition called at the
Maldives, and had there found, in the atoll where we had first anchored
in the _Wolf's_ company, a door from the _Hitachi_ splintered by
shell-fire and a case of cocoanut identified as having been put on board
the _Hitachi_ at Colombo. The natives on this atoll could have told the
expedition that at any rate the _Hitachi_ was not sunk there, as they
saw the _Wolf_ and her prize sail away at different times. The
_Hitachi's_ disappearance was attributed to a submarine, though it was
not explained how one managed to operate in the Indian Ocean!

We also heard in London that the Captain of the _Hitachi_ committed
suicide before the _Wolf_ arrived in Germany.

No comment need be made on the German procedure of dragging their
prisoners month after month over the oceans. Such a thing had never been
done before. The Germans had had opportunities to release us, but had
taken none to do so, as they had evidently determined not to allow any
account of the _Wolf's_ cruise to be made known. They might have put the
_Hitachi_ prisoners on the Maldives and left them there to get to
Colombo as best they could, the Germans taking the ship; they might have
sent the prisoners on the _Igotz Mendi_ to Colombo or Java after they
had taken what coal they wanted. As the Spanish Captain said, they had a
right to take his contraband, but not his ship. But a question of right
did not bother the Germans. Many times they promised him to release his
ship, never intending to do so. Whenever they were asked why they did
not release us when we thought it possible, they always advanced
"military reasons" as the excuse. "That," as I said to the Captain,
"covers a multitude of sins." The Commander of the _Wolf_ had personally
assured the married couples on the _Matunga_ that they would be kept no
longer than two months. But they were kept nearly seven. Some men had
been kept prisoners on the _Wolf_ for more than a year.

It was hard enough on the men, but infinitely worse for the women. One
had been eight months, one seven, and others five months in captivity on
the high seas, often under the worst possible conditions. But they all
played their part well, and kept cheerful throughout, even when it
appeared they were certain to be taken with their husbands into Germa