ther prisons of whose interiors I made the acquaintance, I can assert
truthfully that I was never troubled with the unsolicited company of
body lice, and only once or twice discovered one or two unwelcome
strangers in my hair. The coarse and harsh German soap effectively
rendered my hair untenantable. But some of the prisoners were
overwhelmed and presented terrifying spectacles. It was here that the
superiority of the Britisher in matters pertaining to personal hygiene
towered over all the varying races by which he was surrounded, not even
excepting the Germans. From our own experience and observation it was
only too palpable that the Teuton soldiers are quite as careless in this
connection as the less enlightened peoples of south-eastern Europe,
because they were as severely infested--if not more so--with vermin.

One of the jobs set to us was making hay in an adjoining field and for
the purpose of getting away from the camp for a few hours many of us
volunteered for this toil. The hay had to be laden upon huge waggons,
the load thus easily exceeding that incidental to British hay-making
operations, and this had to be hauled to Paderborn for storage in lofts.

Although I was on the sick list at the time I could not resist the
chance to secure a glimpse of new surroundings and a few strange faces.
It was on this occasion that I made my first, but abortive, attempt to
escape. The sentry was dozing in the hot afternoon sun, having found a
soft couch on a haycock. I slunk off towards the trees which surround
the camp. Presently I spotted a sentry. I passed him safely and still
keeping to the trees pushed forward, only to be surprised to discover
another sentry standing on watch with his loaded rifle. Him, too, I
eluded, and was congratulating myself upon my success when I was
disturbed by the clattering of approaching horses. I peered through the
trees and saw a squadron of cavalry trotting towards me. I slipped into
the undergrowth to throw myself prone under a sheltering bush. The
soldiers passed within twelve feet of me. I held my breath half-dreading
that perhaps one of the horses, scenting something unusual, might give a
warning. I kept to my cover until the soldiers had disappeared from
sight. Then I stole out to wander stealthily forward. But I speedily
discovered that the further I got away from the camp the greater the
number of cavalry I encountered. Moreover it was easy to see that
manoeuvres and training were