pital friends had
been wounded about the same time as I. My street-gang mates, a Belgian
and a Frenchman, knew little except that up till June the Ostend-Nancy
fighting line was still held by both armies. The lack of news did not
worry me during my days of pain, but as the strength came back to me it
brought a craving for news of the Great Game. Where were the Allies?
What of the North Sea Fleet? How was Australia taking it? What was Nap
doing? were questions that chased each other through my mind. Five
Taubes had flown over us the day before, going south, but--what was
doing?

It was on the Cologne Bridge a week later that a rather pretty girl,
with an unmistakable English face, stopped to converse with one of my
guard. At the same time she pointed to me: at which the guard looked
round, frowned and spat with contempt.

"Are you English?" she queried.

"Yes," I replied, "I'm from Australia."

I had touched a sympathetic chord and she "sparked" up.

"Australia! Do you know Sydney?" she asked.

"I'm from Manly," was all I replied.

Then she did what I thought was a foolish thing--she came over and
nearly shook my arm off!

The officer of the guard resented it, but she jabbered at him and
explained to me that Australian prisoners were to have special
treatment, then glancing at my number she stepped out across the bridge.

I found she was correct. When my gang returned to the barracks my number
was called and I was questioned by the officer in charge. I was informed
that Germany had no quarrel with Australia, hence I was only to be a
prisoner on parole, to report myself twice a day and come and go as I
pleased.

That is how I came to win great facts regarding Germany and her ideals.
That is how I found out how it was that with Austria, Germany for nine
months could hold at bay the mighty armies of the world's three greatest
Empires, British, French and Russian, as well as the fighting cocks of
Belgium; and at the same time endeavor to knock into some sort of
fighting shape the crooked army of the Turks; how three nations of
109,000,000 people could defy for nine months the six greatest nations
in the world with a joint population of 622,200,000!

The facts are of striking import to-day and should be understood by
every man who is fighting for the Allies on and in the land, sea and
air.

[Illustration: "On the bridge across the Rhine, at Cologne."--Chapter
VIII.]

CHAPTER IX.

Some Surprises in Co