oad, I headed
across the fields, and after jumping, or falling into, several flooded
ditches, came to an overgrown marsh. A few yards from _terra firma_
was a large sallow bush, growing on a tiny island. After getting
thoroughly wet, I succeeded in crawling on to this and screening my
headquarters from prying eyes with green rushes. As it became lighter,
I heard occasional voices and peculiar creakings, the cause of which I
could not interpret, and might well render my position unsafe. The
anxiety was increased when a large, dark shadow loomed out of the fog
and threatened to completely swallow my little island. All at once the
curling white mist drifted away, and everything was explained in an
instant. The terrifying shadow resolved itself into the great
red-brown sail of a passing barge. I was lying close beside the
tow-path of a canal. Just as the sun had risen over the trees and the
mists were beginning to disperse and float upwards, another noise
attracted my attention, which developed into a deep throbbing roar.
Looking up, I saw three large "Zepps," flying low, and rolling
slightly in the stiff morning breeze, returning to their lair after a
strenuous night out. As they passed over the school-children in a
neighbouring village cheered excitedly.

Except for the usual mosquito bites and inability to sleep, the day
passed uneventfully. When darkness fell and all was quiet again, I
once more saddled up and started out, this time earnestly hoping, yet
fearing, to reach the river Ems, which had to be swum whatever
happened. About midnight I came to something concrete at last--a
long-expected railway. After a short reconnaissance, I crossed this,
and made my way over the fields towards the all-important river, which
flowed parallel to the frontier and about twenty kilos away from it.
Every few yards I came to a dyke, which always had to be passed
through if the direction was to be kept. It was an odious experience,
for, no sooner did I emerge dripping from one than it was time to
enter the next. About three o'clock, after milking several cows and
swimming a few small canals, I passed through some open flood-gates,
built in a grass ridge made to keep the water from encroaching on the
low-lying farms, and came upon a most disheartening sight. Beyond
several hundred yards of dangerous marsh flowed the river, looking
very white in the deceptive light of early morning. The wavelets
formed by the steady wind and the current