our own ingenuity. For the first few days we
could do nothing beyond promenading, discussing the war and our
situation. These two subjects were speedily worn thread-bare since we
knew nothing about the first topic and were only able to speculate
vaguely about the second. The idea of being made to work never entered
our heads for a moment. Were we not civilian prisoners of war: the
victims of circumstances under the shield of the best traditions of
German honour?

But we were not the first arrivals at Sennelager. We were preceded by a
few hours by a party of French soldiers--captives of war. They were
extremely sullen. Travel and battle-stained they crouched and stretched
themselves upon the ground. Whence they came I was never able to
discover. One or two of our party who were versed in the French tongue
endeavoured to draw them into conversation, but to no purpose. They
either replied in vague monosyllables or deliberately ignored the
questions. There is no doubt the poor fellows felt their early capture
very sorely, and had accordingly sunk into the depths of despair. Sulky
and morose they glared fiercely upon any approach, and when they did
anything it was with an ill-grace impossible to describe. Indeed, they
were so downcast that they refused to pay the slightest attention to
their personal appearance, which accentuated their forbidding aspect.

Killing time as best we could, doing nothing soon began to reveal its
ill-effects upon those who, like myself, had always led an active life.
I approached Dr. Ascher, explained that idleness would drive me mad, and
petitioned him to permit me to work in the hospital. I did not care what
the job was so long as it effectively kept me employed. He sympathised
with my suggestion and hurried off to the Commanding Officer. But he
came back shaking his head negatively. The authorities would not
entertain the proposal for an instant.

Suddenly we were paraded. Rakes and brooms were served out to every man
and we were curtly ordered to sweep the roads. We buckled into this
task. But the dust was thick and the day was hot. Soon we were all
perspiring freely. But we were not permitted to rest. Over us was placed
a bull-headed, fierce-looking Prussian soldier armed with a murderous
looking whip. I should think he had been an animal trainer before being
mobilised from the manner in which he cracked that whip. When he saw any
one taking a breather up he came, glaring menacingly and cra