white
fog thickened after the mid-day meal, and, luckily for us, it was
impossible to see far ahead. Soon after two we passed a floating mine,
and we knew that before long we should be going through a minefield--not
a very cheerful prospect with floating mines round us in a fog,
especially as the Captain admitted that the position of the mines might
have been altered since he last had knowledge of their exact situation!
But we were all too far gone to care now; and some of us gathered
together in our cold and gloomy cabin were discussing the prospects and
conditions of imprisonment in Germany and attempting to console
ourselves with the reflection that even internment at Ruhleben could not
be worse than the captivity we had experienced on the high seas, when,
at 3.30 on that Sunday afternoon, we felt a slight bump, as if the ship
had touched bottom. Then another bump, and then still one more! We were
fast! Were we really to be saved at the very last minute? It began to
look like it, like the beginning of the end, but it would not do to
build too much on this slender foundation. The engines continued
working, but no progress was made; they were reversed--still no
movement.

One of the men amongst us was so overjoyed that he attempted a very
premature somersault in the saloon. He was sure it was to be a case of
"Hooray for our side" this time! What thoughts of freedom, what hopes
flashed through our minds! The fog was fairly thick, but we could just
make out through it the line of the shore and the waves breaking on it
some distance away, and two sirens were going at full blast, one from a
lightship and one from a lighthouse. The Captain, luckily from our point
of view, had mistaken one for the other, and so had run aground. The
German officers became agitated; with great difficulty a boat was got
out--what chance should we have had if we had had to leave the ship in
haste at any time?--soundings made, and various means adopted to work
the ship off, but all were of no avail. The Captain admitted that his
charts of this particular spot were not new and not good. Again how
lucky for us! It was impossible to tell the state of the tide at this
moment; we all hoped it might be high tide, for then our rescue would be
certain. The engines were set to work from time to time, but no movement
could be made. Darkness fell, and found us still stuck fast. Our spirits
had begun to rise, the prospect was distinctly brighter, and soon a