o the
character of the wheel gave me even greater determination to see that
everything was done to protect the army from the machinations of a
German spy.

I stood in the road and stopped the wheel. The poor man had to
dismount and walk beside me. I wished to delay him long enough for the
despatch rider to return with his message from the Brigade. Our
conversation was a trifle forced, and I remember thinking that if my
friend was really a British officer he would not have submitted quite
so tamely to the interference of a Padre. Then I looked at the
revolver in his belt, and I thought that, if, on the other hand, he
was a German spy he would probably use his weapon in that lonely road
and get rid of the man who was impeding his movements. We went on till
we came to the sentry whom I had warned at first. At once, we were
challenged, "Halt, who are you?" and the suspected spy replied "Indian
Army." But the sentry was not satisfied, and to my delight he said,
"You will both have to come in and be identified". We were taken into
the guardroom and told that we should have to stay there for the
night. My friend got very restless and said it was too bad to be held
up like this. I looked anxiously down the road to see if there were
any signs of the returning despatch rider. The sentries were (p. 087)
obdurate and said they wouldn't let us go till we could be identified
in the morning. Then the officer requested that he might be sent to
the Brigade under escort. The sergeant asked me if that would meet
with my approval. I said, "Certainly", and so, turning out three
members of the guard with fixed bayonets, they marched us off towards
the Brigade. The spy had a man with a fixed bayonet on each side of
him: they gave me only one. I felt that this was a slight upon my
manhood, and asked why they did not put a soldier on each side of me
too, as I was as good a man as the other. It was a queer procession in
the moonlight. At last we came to the orchard in which stood the
billet of the General commanding the Artillery Brigade. I was delighted
to find that some Canadian Batteries were there, and told the men what
my mission was. They instantly, as true Canadians, became fired with
interest and spy-fever. When we got to the house I asked to see the
General. He was asleep in a little room off the kitchen. I was shown
in, and he lit a candle and proceeded to get up. I had never seen a
general in bed before, so was much interested