ing cry they
would commence gliding in a vast sweeping circle with scarcely a
movement of their wings, every feather under perfect control, until at
length they disappeared into the endless blue. We still have a lot to
learn, but talk of the "homing instinct," if only a few aeroplanes had
been handy I know which would have made the quickest non-stop flight
to "Blighty."

The next day a number of Belgian officers left to take up their abode
in the quarters vacated by us in Osnabrueck, many of them resplendent
in their tasselled caps, and a few wearing clanking swords which they
had been allowed to retain in recognition of the gallant way they had
defended some of the Liege and Antwerp forts. With them went two
Belgian officers, who, curiously enough, could not speak their lingo.
This was not surprising, however, as their real names were Captain
Nicholl, R.F.C., and Lieutenant Reid, R.N. It appeared they intended
to jump the train before reaching their destination and have a try for
the Dutch border. German trains often go slowly and stop, but as luck
would have it this one, as we afterwards heard, refused to do anything
of the sort. Whether Captain Nicholl succeeded in getting off I do not
know, but Lieutenant Reid, seeing discovery imminent, jumped through
the carriage window and broke his ankles. They were both taken to
Osnabrueck and Nicholl was sent back under arrest. After three weeks
Lieutenant Reid returned, lame, but quite cheery. As he was under
arrest, however, we could not learn much of their treatment, though it
was common knowledge that he had left hospital _very_ soon, and was
made to walk up from the station as best he could. His sentence was
lengthened by some days on the charge of answering his wrong name at a
roll call on arrival at Osnabrueck, but as he was quite unable to stand
this was obviously a fabrication.

When we had been there about ten days a lot more British officers
arrived from Friedburg, where they had received quite good treatment.
Many of the prisoners at this camp had been taken at Mons, La Cateau
and Ypres, and were consequently a little out of date. They could
hardly realise what a "Somme barrage" was like, and were therefore
known as the "Bow and Arrow" men! On the journey to Clausthal two of
them managed to jump from the train and got clear away. About this
time five Italian officers were warned to leave the next day. The
preceding night, after supper, Colonel Bond (K.O.Y.L.I.),