hat,
unfortunately, they had all gone the wrong way!

When I was taken back at the end of the interview, a sergeant-major
and a corporal thought they would have some fun at my expense. They
opened my cell door and then led me to a comparatively comfortable
room close by, and asked me which I preferred. However, I upset their
calculations by entering my original cell and sitting down. As the
result of an argument which ensued I was put into the better room,
where I fell asleep. This comfort was only short-lived, and soon, by
order of the commandant, I was put into the original cell again. It
snowed all the next evening, and when the sergeant brought me my
watery supper, I asked if he would stand my boots by the guardroom
fire that night as the fleece held such a quantity of water. He seemed
surprised at my request, but said that he would ask. He soon returned
and said that it could not be done. It was four days before I felt at
all warm, my clothes drying on me all the time. I have since been
told that Lieutenant Schram, while speaking of me later to other
captured officers, asserted that he dried all my clothes for me. Yet
this same gentleman during his first interrogation asked me why we
English called them uncultured!

On the afternoon of the fourth day I was ordered to get ready to
proceed to Germany, as enough prisoners had been captured at the
Beaumont Hamel show to make up a large draft. At the main entrance I
found a group of about twenty officers, composed of eight or ten
Zouaves and the remainder British. Then off we went to the station in
high spirits, for it is not often that one gets a chance of a tour in
Germany, _via_ France and Belgium, free of charge!

CHAPTER V

OSNABRUCK

Our guards had mostly been selected from different regiments, on
account of their being due for leave in Germany. The officer in charge
travelled separately. He had recently been wounded, and had seen
rather more of the British than he cared; in consequence he was almost
human! Not yet being dry and now having no overcoat, I felt decidedly
cold. We arrived late at St. Quentin and settled down for a long wait,
but our good spirits were infectious and, besides, some of our number
had with them a surplus of turnip jam, and we were allowed to sing.
This we did with a vengeance, and it was indeed curious to hear the
desolate waiting-room echoing the popular strains