ly and stepped back a pace or two.
Then lifting it up I shouted back,

"I'll see you damned first!"

With these words I hurled the contents over him. The water was filthy.
It caught him full in the face and smothered him from head to foot.

He was so surprised at this unexpected sequel to his arrogant order that
he merely stood still, spluttering and cursing. Then he grabbed his
rifle. At the same moment I threw the bucket itself at him, catching him
a nasty blow on the shoulder. The girls who had been laughing at me now
chaffed the discomfited sentry unmercifully. Foaming with rage and
swearing terribly he lowered his rifle to run me through with the
bayonet.

It was madness to argue with a bayonet in the hands of an infuriated
German sentry. I turned and fled. Being long of leg, thin, and agile, I
ran with the swiftness of a hare while my pursuer being short-legged and
thick-set came trundling after me like a cart-horse. I tore towards the
hospital, vaulted over the chairs and tables, and darted in and out,
with the sentry, now beginning to blow hard from his unusual exertion,
hot on my trail. In my mad rush I upset some of my companions, but they,
instantly guessing something unusual was afoot as they caught sight of
my flying coat-tails and the heavy-footed soldier chasing me, at once
entered into the spirit of the fun.

L----, our humorist, was one of the party. Jumping on a table he
commenced to yell frantically:

"Sennelager Derby! What's the odds? Twenty to one on Mahoney! Go it,
Tubby! Christopher, but you'll never stay the course!"

The cries were taken up by the other fellows and excitement grew
furious, which only served to exasperate my pursuer still more.

I was flying for dear life. I knew very well, if that sentry got within
bayonet reach of me, that my days were ended. He was seeing red with a
vengeance. Round the hospital, over the tables and chairs, I dashed as
if bereft. I was looking for the doctor. I had long since learned that
in the event of a disagreement with a sentry it was wise to be first
beside the ears of authority and to relate the incident. The first
version, whether from guard or prisoner, was almost certain to be
believed.

Once as I came tearing round the hospital calling for one of the medical
officers, L---- and his companions, now emulating the frenzied language
and manners of racecourse frequenters, and forming field glasses with
their hands, were bawling at the tops of