rhythm of
serving. But each man as he stooped to recover a fallen piece received a
second hunk surreptitiously, as was my direct intention. However,
unfortunately for me, the bread did not go far enough, the outcome being
an outburst of further trouble. As I had expected, my room was preferred
to my company in that kitchen and I was deposed.

While in Sennelager I had been sedulously keeping an elaborate diary in
which I entered details of every incident that befell the camp. I had
also recovered my original diary which had played such a prominent part
at my trial in Wesel prison.

[*gap]

Now diaries were the one thing in Sennelager which were rigorously
debarred. To have been caught with such a record of the doings and my
opinions of the German authorities would have brought me an exemplary
sentence of solitary confinement or penal servitude in a German prison,
if not something worse. Consequently I was compelled to post my diary in
secrecy. I discovered a hiding-place which would never have occurred to
the guards, even if they had gained an inkling that such a document was
in existence.

One of our party fell a victim to chronic asthma, and was isolated,
being given a room under the officer's quarters. Someone was required to
accompany him to extend assistance and constant surveillance, and
selection fell upon me. Locking myself in this room at night, with my
sick companion, I used to while away the time preparing some rough notes
which I was keeping for a specific purpose in addition to the diary
proper, which, however, I left in its original hiding-place.

By some means or other the guard suspected my engagement in some such
task. They made several surprise entrances but failed to catch me in the
act of writing. The heavy tread of their coming feet always gave me
ample warning so that I could get my notes into safe hiding. But one
night they burst open the door suddenly and I was caught red-handed. On
my knees was my pad at which I was writing feverishly. But the pad was
inscribed with notes which I regarded as of an emergency character.
Realising the object of their unexpected entry I clapped the pad on the
table, thus covering up the prepared and detailed notes which I desired
to keep. The guard sprang forward delirious with joy at having made a
capture, snatched the loose sheets from the pad, and went off in high
glee to report my heinous offence. But the man in his haste left the
proper notes on the table