ad taken the place of elation, of arrogance, in
Germany. Bitter hatred of England was paramount, and, next to it,
detestation of France and all that was French. Such hatred was
greater, we may say, amongst the civil population of Germany than
amongst the men in the army. Indeed, so great was it that had the
treatment of prisoners of war been left to them--treatment none too
good and often diabolical when conducted by officials of the army--not
a prisoner would have survived; and, for the same reason, escaping
prisoners, such as Jules and Henri and Stuart, might look for little
else from the inhabitants of Germany than blows, than immediate
betrayal to guards, than persecution and harsh treatment.

"Here we are on the far side of the yard, and this looks like an open
shed in which carts are stored. Yes, carts," repeated Henri, having
driven his shin rather violently against a shaft, and with difficulty
refrained from giving loud expression to his feelings. "Let's have a
look at the roof. Stop here a minute, while I prospect and see whether
there's a loft."

Stepping back into the yard, he stared up overhead, and, thanks to the
fact that the night was not excessively dark, was able to detect the
line of roof as it cut across the sky. From its height it gave promise
of a loft under its shelter, and, searching round for some access to
it, Henri presently stumbled upon a wooden staircase. Clambering up
it, he was astonished to find a glimmer of light coming through the
chinks of a door on his left, and, applying his eye to those chinks,
discovered a fire burning on a brick hearth in a room of small
dimensions. To open the door quietly was the most sensible procedure,
and, lifting the latch and pushing the door before him, he carefully
investigated every corner of the room.

"Looks as though it were used by some farm hand, or a groom of some
sort," he told himself. "In any case, it's warm and comfortable and
untenanted, and will allow us to strip off our clothes and dry
ourselves."

Turning abruptly on his heel, he crept slowly down the staircase, and
very soon had brought Stuart and Jules to the warm quarters he had
discovered. There, indeed, they stripped off their wet clothing and
hung it in front of the fire, which, by diligent prodding and by an
addition of logs which lay beside it, was soon giving off a fine heat,
and was crackling and blazing merrily.

"A mighty fine feed," declared Stuart, now without