iny stove to warm it,
and the windows were shut so that the atmosphere was a cold frowst. In
another room a fellow was lecturing on something to a dozen hearers and
drawing figures on a blackboard. Some were in ordinary khaki, others
in any old thing they could pick up, and most wore greatcoats. Your
blood gets thin when you have nothing to do but hope against hope and
think of your pals and the old days.

I was moving along, listening with half an ear to the lieutenant's
prattle and the loud explanations of the deputy-commandant, when I
pitchforked into what might have been the end of my business. We were
going through a sort of convalescent room, where people were sitting
who had been in hospital. It was a big place, a little warmer than the
rest of the building, but still abominably fuggy. There were about half
a dozen men in the room, reading and playing games. They looked at us
with lack-lustre eyes for a moment, and then returned to their
occupations. Being convalescents I suppose they were not expected to
get up and salute.

All but one, who was playing Patience at a little table by which we
passed. I was feeling very bad about the thing, for I hated to see
these good fellows locked away in this infernal German hole when they
might have been giving the Boche his deserts at the front. The
commandant went first with Peter, who had developed a great interest in
prisons. Then came our lieutenant with one of the doctors; then a
couple of warders; and then the second doctor and myself. I was
absent-minded at the moment and was last in the queue.

The Patience-player suddenly looked up and I saw his face. I'm hanged
if it wasn't Dolly Riddell, who was our brigade machine-gun officer at
Loos. I had heard that the Germans had got him when they blew up a
mine at the Quarries.

I had to act pretty quick, for his mouth was agape, and I saw he was
going to speak. The doctor was a yard ahead of me.

I stumbled and spilt his cards on the floor. Then I kneeled to pick
them up and gripped his knee. His head bent to help me and I spoke low
in his ear.

'I'm Hannay all right. For God's sake don't wink an eye. I'm here on
a secret job.'

The doctor had turned to see what was the matter. I got a few more
words in. 'Cheer up, old man. We're winning hands down.'

Then I began to talk excited Dutch and finished the collection of the
cards. Dolly was playing his part well, smiling as if he was amused by
the