ly walked along the
German sentry's path, just beyond the canal, the night before. Having
had no escaped prisoners in that district before, they had a
disquieting idea that I should very likely be interned. I learnt that,
in all probability, I should proceed to a larger town for further
examination the following day, and gathered that, in the meantime, it
would be advisable for me to remain close to my headquarters and
refrain from wandering about by myself, the frontier being too close
for safety.

Shortly after lunch the two officers entered the room, carrying a
couple of sporting guns, and announced their intention of spending the
afternoon at a canal on the frontier duck shooting, and said that I
might expect them back about tea-time. Being a prisoner no longer the
very thought of seeing grey-clad sentries standing at their posts
appealed to me so much that I begged to be allowed to accompany them,
deciding to run the small risk such a visit might entail. Hoffman was
considerably surprised at my proposal, but said I could come at my own
risk if I thought I had known him long enough to be able to take his
word. He reminded me, at the same time, that one can easily step over
a frontier line, intentionally or otherwise, and produced a loaded
automatic pistol from his coat pocket as if to back up his argument,
asking me to choose my course of action. For a few seconds I reasoned
with myself and then accepted, it seeming perfectly obvious that
Hoffman would never have shown his hand had he intended playing a
crooked game. Just before starting the innkeeper lent me a civilian
cap and overcoat, which gave me a sense of security and enabled me to
set out with the others if not a perfect, at any rate a passable
Dutchman.

Presently we arrived at a bridge-head, where the Dutch guard turned
out and saluted, when, it must be confessed, I felt a trifle nervous,
being then almost on the frontier. The formalities over, we left our
bicycles in the guardroom and, crossing the bridge, proceeded along
the tow-path at the side of the canal. There, sure enough, were the
grey-clad sentries, standing near their boxes along a little raised
path, at intervals varying from one to two hundred yards. Seeing that
our presence seemed to occasion considerable interest on the part of
the sentries, I inquired the reason from one of my companions, and was
informed that only persons in the company of Dutch officers were
allowed where we were walki