eam to look for a bridge.

In ten minutes he found one, a new-made thing of trestles, broad enough
to take transport wagons. It was guarded, for he heard the tramp of a
sentry, and as he pulled himself up the bank he observed a couple of
long wooden huts, obviously some kind of billets. These were on the
near side of the stream, about a dozen yards from the bridge. A door
stood open and a light showed in it, and from within came the sound of
voices.... Peter had a sense of hearing like a wild animal, and he
could detect even from the confused gabble that the voices were German.

As he lay and listened someone came over the bridge. It was an
officer, for the sentry saluted. The man disappeared in one of the
huts. Peter had struck the billets and repairing shop of a squad of
German sappers.

He was just going ruefully to retrace his steps and try to find a good
place to swim the stream when it struck him that the officer who had
passed him wore clothes very like his own. He, too, had had a grey
sweater and a Balaclava helmet, for even a German officer ceases to be
dressy on a mid-winter's night in Anatolia. The idea came to Peter to
walk boldly across the bridge and trust to the sentry not seeing the
difference.

He slipped round a corner of the hut and marched down the road. The
sentry was now at the far end, which was lucky, for if the worst came
to the worst he could throttle him. Peter, mimicking the stiff German
walk, swung past him, his head down as if to protect him from the wind.

The man saluted. He did more, for he offered conversation. The
officer must have been a genial soul.

'It's a rough night, Captain,' he said in German. 'The wagons are
late. Pray God, Michael hasn't got a shell in his lot. They've begun
putting over some big ones.'

Peter grunted good night in German and strode on. He was just leaving
the road when he heard a great halloo behind him.

The real officer must have appeared on his heels, and the sentry's
doubts had been stirred. A whistle was blown, and, looking back, Peter
saw lanterns waving in the gale. They were coming out to look for the
duplicate.

He stood still for a second, and noticed the lights spreading out south
of the road. He was just about to dive off it on the north side when
he was aware of a difficulty. On that side a steep bank fell to a
ditch, and the bank beyond bounded a big flood. He could see the dull
ruffle of the water under the wind