phew. You may recall the helpful
suggestions sent to the Secretary of War and forwarded back to me by the
General Staff. I have always wanted to explain about those dish towels,
ladies. You see, you happened on us at a bad time. Our dish towels had
come, but though neatly hemmed they lacked the small tape in the corner
by which to hang them up. I therefore----"

"Oh, keep still!" said the general in an angry tone. "Now, what brings
you women here?"

"My nephew has been taken prisoner," Tish said coldly. "I want to know
merely whether you propose to do anything about it or intend to sit here
in comfort and do nothing."

He became quite red in the face at this allusion to the cribbage board,
et cetera, and at first seemed unable to speak.

"Quietly, man," said the colonel. "Remember your blood pressure."

"Damn my blood pressure!" said the general in a thick tone.

I must refuse to relate the conversation that followed--hardly
conversation, indeed, as at the end the general did all the talking.

At last, however, he paused for breath, and Tish said very quietly:
"Then I am to understand that you refuse to do anything about my
nephew?"

"Who is your nephew?"

"Charlie Sands."

"And who's Charlie Sands?"

"My nephew," said Tish.

He said nothing to this, but shouted abruptly in a loud voice:
"Orderly! Raise that curtain and let some air into this rat hole."

Then he turned to the colonel and said: "Thompson, you're younger than I
am. I've got a family, and my blood pressure's high. I'm going out to
make a tour of the observation posts."

"Coward!" said the colonel to him in a low tone.

The colonel was very pleasant to us when the other man had gone. The
general was his brother-in-law, he said, and rather nervous because they
hadn't had a decent meal for a week.

"The only thing that settles his nerves is cribbage," he explained. "It
helps his morale. Now--let us think about getting you back to safety.
I'd offer you our humble hospitality, but somebody got in here today and
stole the duckboard I've been sleeping on, and I can't offer you the
general's cellar door. He's devoted to it."

"What if we refuse to go back?" Tish demanded. "We've taken a risky trip
for a purpose, and I don't give up easily, young man. I'm inclined to
sit here until that general promises to do something."

His face changed.

"Oh, now see here," he said in an appealing voice, "you aren't going to
make things difficult for me,