w his Germany well, just as well almost as he could speak the
language, and both he and Jules were fluent. We have described them
earlier as typical Englishmen when taking a first glance at them; and
we have to declare that they were just as typically French when one had
the pleasure of making their acquaintance; but in the darkness, when no
one could see their spruce and dapper appearance--and how many German
youths can boast of being spruce and dapper?--when the voice alone
could give an indication of the nationality of the speaker, then both
Henri and Jules could pass muster as Germans with the greatest ease and
security. But Stuart, this big, raw-boned, healthy, red-faced
individual, was typically British in build, in gesture, and in action,
and when he spoke just as typically an offspring of the British
peoples. Blunt, direct, uncouth almost at times in his speech, he
couldn't, had he attempted to speak German--which he did at times, and
could make himself understood--have aped the guttural accents of the
Teuton. He despised the German thoroughly, detested him most
cordially, and perhaps it was characteristic of his bluntness that he
thoroughly detested his language. Thus, while in the darkness Henri
and Jules might hope to pass muster, in the case of Stuart there was
not the smallest prospect of this.

"We have got to keep clear of the towns, that's the first thing to be
remembered," continued Henri; "and my advice is that we stay in the
open, right in the country, hiding up in woods in the daytime and
marching during the night. For food we shall have to do just as best
we can; beg it if possible, steal it if necessary. As to our course,
it's not the time now, nor the place, in which to discuss the matter,
for the first thing to do is to put as great a distance as possible
between us and the camp. To-morrow, when the light comes, our guards
will send out a report broadcast, and it may be that they'll put
bloodhounds on our track and endeavour to follow us. So let's put the
best foot forward and march on. Any direction's good enough, so long
as it takes us away from Ruhleben."

Certainly any direction was good enough which would take them away from
the babel of shouts and noise which had now broken out in the camp
outside which they were lying, and which told plainly enough that
another alarm had been given. Indeed, if the noise created by the
discovery of the two prisoners in the depths of their tunnel