t Angora a month previously to superintend the
requisitioning.

So Ranjoor Singh sent for Tugendheim, whose writing would have the
proper clerical appearance, and by a lantern in the tent dictated to
him a letter in German to the effect that this Turkish officer, by
name Nazim, with all his men and carts and animals, had been
diverted to the aid of Wassmuss. The letter went on to say that on
his way back to Angora this same high German officer would himself
cover the territory thus left uncared for, so that nothing need be
done about it in the meanwhile. (He wrote that to prevent
investigation and perhaps pursuit by the men in Angora who waited
Nazim and his plunder.)

At the foot of the letter Abraham cleverly copied the signature of
the very high German officer, after making many experiments first on
another sheet of paper.

Tugendheim of course protested vehemently that he would do no such
thing, when ordered to write. But Ranjoor Singh ordered the barrel
of a Turkish soldier's rifle thrust in the fire, and the German did
not protest to the point of permitting his feet to be singed. He
wrote a very careful letter, even suggesting better phraseology--his
reason for that being that, since he was thus far committed, our
total escape would be the best thing possible for him. The Germans,
who are so fond of terrifying others, are merciless to their own who
happen to be guilty of weak conduct, and to have said he was
compelled to write that letter would have been no excuse if we were
caught. Henceforward it was strictly to his interest to help us.

Finally, when the letter had been sealed in its envelope, there came
the problem of addressing it, and the Turk seemed ignorant on that
point, or else stupid. Perhaps he was wilfully ignorant, hoping that
the peculiar form of the address might cause suspicion and
investigation. But what with Tugendheim's familiarity with German
military custom, and Ranjoor Singh's swift thought, an address was
devised that served the purpose, judging by results.

Then came the problem of delivering the letter. To have sent one of
the Turkish soldiers with it would have been the same thing as
marching to Angora and surrendering; for of course the Turk would
have told of what happened in the night, and where it happened, and
all about it. To have sent one of the half-starved Syrians would
probably have amounted to the same thing; for the sake of a
bellyful, or from fear of ill-treatment the