ir to receive a
thorough scrubbing with water and soft soap. We were given buckets, and
were compelled to walk some distance to draw supplies of water from the
pump, to which place we also had to repair to throw away the dirty
liquid, so that we were assured of an exacting load upon both journeys.

The guard supervising us in this work was a despicable young cub. He was
short and stubby. By the way I must relate that this individual
illustrated one of the weird turns of the Wheel of Fortune as revealed
by the war. I have already referred to F---- K----, who had accompanied
me from Wesel prison to Sennelager. What was F---- K----'s amazement to
discover, upon entering the camp, that this man, who formed one of the
guards, had been one of his own van-men before the war. It was a
remarkable instance of the reversal of positions. The erstwhile van-man
was now the top-dog and he did not hesitate to extract endless amusement
and delight from ordering the prisoners, among whom was his former
employer, to despicable duties and harassing them right and left.

I had one bout with this impertinent little bounder which I do not think
he will ever forget. It was the result of exasperation and was
precipitated upon the spur of the moment with subsequent disastrous
results.

I was carrying a bucket of water back to the pump to throw away and to
secure a fresh supply. As I approached the pump, which was near an
adjoining field, and over the fence of which some young girls were
leaning talking to the sentry, I saw that they were having some fun at
my expense. I resented this laughter and merriment, more particularly as
I was feeling very seedy.

The guard, to parade his assumed authority before the girls, drew
himself to the full height of his fifty-four inches or thereabouts,
threw out his chest, and as I was about to empty the bucket, roared in
stentorian tones:

"Take that back again!"

"But I am going to fill the bucket with clean water!" I protested.

"Did you hear what I said? I told you to take it back again!" to which
he added an afterthought which I did not understand, but which induced
the girls to burst out laughing afresh with mad glee.

I ignored his instructions and was about to turn out the dirty contents.
My temper somewhat ruffled by illness and now very hasty was rising
rapidly. He moved forward and thundered:--

"Cannot you obey orders? Take it back again, I tell you!"

I picked up the bucket as if to comp