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cornfield from the Hochschule, and
reciting long English sentences to him
self to while away the time. In due
course he had learnt how to write a
straightforward business letter, begin
ming: Dear Sir. am In receipt of your
favor of the 10th instant" but they had
not foreSeen that his relations with the
English might be other than CONNER
cial. Nobody had taught him what
sentences to use to preserve his own life
when he was made prisoner of war.
You wish to know" he stammered,
where I am born?"
mo. What town did you come up
to the line from?"
During rare periods of rest, the Herr
Leutnant had lectured them on the
danger of giving secrets to the enemy.
This English officer would be very
angry, but he must not be told where
the battalion had been stationed, or
anything else which would give him in
formation about the attack Ernst
Scheffer felt new patriotic feroism
coursing warmly through his veins.
Come what might, he would not speak.
He drew himself up to his full height,
so that, despite his badly cut, shabby
gray tunic, he looked quite impressive.
That I do not say" he declared
The colonel shrugged his shoulders
He had not done so badly; they had
got their prisoner. identified his regi-
ment and found out when he had come
into the line. That ought to please the
Brass Hats" all right.
Search him." he ordered the
sergeant
Ernst Scheffer repressed his desire
to resist. for resistance was so obviously
futile. The sergeant-major emptied his
pockets one by one. First came a pay
book which the colonel took UP with
eager satisfaction. Then a bit of string,
made out of twisted paper, a pocket
knife, little box of the fruit drops
Gretel had sent him for his birthday,
worn stump of pencil. and then a
pocket case, the case containing all his
letters The German tried to snatch it
out of the sergeant-major's hand.
"Geben Sic mir das Zuruck," he
PLEADED, That is-private. Let-me-
please-keep that"
ordered, and all Gretel's letters, recount
ing her quarrels with her mother-in-
law, and the difficulty of obtaining food
for the baby. were handed over to the
colonel, who examined them with
interest.
Letters" he grunted contentedly.
Ought to be useful. Give him back
his other things. except the penknife,
I'll talk to him again later"
Very good, SIR" said the sergeant
major. Ere you are, sonny"
Ernst Scheffer, crimson with shame
that all Gretel's letters would be made
public property, took back his belong
tngs. clicked his heels together smartiv,
bowed to the colonel. and followed the
sergeant major to another dugout where
he was given tea and cigarettes BY his
guards.
The colonel lit cigar, pulled away
contentedly at the roof Of the dugout,
and then began to study the letters
before they were sent on to brigade
headquarters. to be annexed by the
military intelligence people. He had not
spent more than couple of minutes at
MS task before he jumped to his feet
with a little exclamation of ANNOYANCE.
In his excitement about the prisoner he
had forgotten all about the raiding party
itself. He gave hurried instructions to
MS adJutant to communicate informa-
ton about the prisoner to headquarters,
and strobe up the narrow trench to the
support line again.
where's Capt Stanhope?" he asked
the first man he met
In is ougout, sir. Jest saw I'm 70
down.
The colonel hurried down the steps,
still excited by the success Of the raid
Splendid, Stanhope!" he announced
We've got all we wanted-2Oth wur-
tembergers! His regiment came into
the line last night. The brigadier will
be very pleased about 1t. It's a feather
in our"
He broke off little suddenly as, for
the first time, he caught sight of the
others face
How awfully nice" said stanhope,
IN a slow, dead voice, If the briga-
adiers pleased"
"Oh-er-what about the raiding
party? Are they all safely back?"
Did you expect them to be all safely
back, sir?" There was a pause, then
Stanhope spoke again. -Four men and
Raleigh came safely back"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Thats-er-siX men,
Poor Osborne!"
still, itll be awfully nice If the
brigadier's pleased"
Don't be silly, Stanhope Do you
borne?"
"A hand-grenade, while he was wait
ing for Raleigh"
And the otherS?"
"Machine-gun bullets, I suppose"
Stanhope looked so bitter and so
tired that all the excitement about the
prisoner died out of the colonel's face.
He fldgeted uneasily, seeking for suita-
bic words, when none were suitable.
what about Raleigh?" He asked, to
change the subject. "wnere Is hep"
Stanhope nodded toward Raleigh's
dugout, and then went across to the
entrance and called him.
At the second summons Jimmy Ra-
leigh got slowly to his feet and came
into the larger dugout. His hands were
bleeding and his uniform had been torn
in two or three places by the barbed
wire. He walked almost as though he
were asleep, and frown of bewilder-
ment appeared on his forehead when