sented another officer, an "Augen Rechts" when we should
come to it.

"I'll see him in hell first," I muttered to the man next me. I was in
the lead of the party. I shook with excitement and fear of I knew not
what.

As the command rang out I stepped out with a swing, and with the
action, decision came to me. As I approached the officer he drew up
slightly and looked at me expectantly.

I gave him a stony stare, and passed on.

A few more steps and I reached the post. I pulled back my shoulders
with a smart jerk, got my arms to swinging freely, snapped my head
round so that my eyes caught the post squarely and swung my left hand
up in a clean-cut parabola to "Eyes right," in good old regimental
order.

A half dozen shocked sentries came up on the double. It was they who
were excited now. I was master of myself and the situation. The
_unteroffizier_ ordered me to repeat and salute. I did so--literally.
The officer was, to all outward appearances, the only other person
there who remained unmoved. My ardour had cooled by this time, and his
very silence seemed worse than the threats of the guard. Nor was I
exactly in love with my self-appointed task. Nevertheless, I saw my
mates watching me and inwardly applauding. I was ashamed to quit. I
did it again. That won me another five days' cells.

CHAPTER XII

THE ESCAPE

Picking a Pal for Switzerland--Cold Feet--The Talk in the
Wood--Nothing Succeeds Like Success and--!--Simmons and Brumley
Try Their Hand.

Mervin Simmons of the 7th, and Frank Brumley of the 3rd Battalion,
Canadian Expeditionary Force were planning to escape. Word of it
leaked through to me. This added fuel to the fire of my own similar
ambition. They, and I too, thought that it was not advisable for more
than two to travel together. I began to look around for a partner. I
"weighed up" all my comrades. It was unwise to broach the subject to
too many of them. I bided my time until a certain man having dropped
remarks which indicated certain sporting proclivities, I broached the
subject to him. He was most enthusiastic. We decided on Switzerland as
our objective and awaited only the opportunity to make a break.

There were few if any preparations to make. We were not yet receiving
parcels and our allowance of food was so scanty that it was impossible
to lay any by. We had a crude map of our own drawing. And that was our
all.

In the interval we discussed ways and means of later travel