ar from showing my inner feelings of chagrin. I
entered into their banter as energetically, and with a parting "See you
to-morrow, boys!" vanished down the steps with their frantic hails
ringing in my ears.

The following morning we were marshalled, and as K---- had been
dreading, the worst had happened. We were consigned "British Prisoners
of War for internment at Ruhleben!" Home was now farther from me than
ever!

PRISON FOUR--RUHLEBEN

CHAPTER XVIII

THE CAMP OF ABANDONED HOPE

It was 4.30 in the morning of November 12 when the blare of the bugle
echoed through the long, dreary passages of Klingelputz Prison. To the
British prisoners--in fact to all the aliens--that crash was of fearful
import.

We were commanded to parade at 5 a.m. in one of the long upper corridors
flanked on either side by cells. We were formed in a double line, and as
our names were called we had to step forward. The roll-call was bawled
out, not once, but half a dozen times to make positive it had been read
correctly. Then we were counted, also some half-a-dozen times, to assure
the totals tallying.

These preliminaries completed, preparations for our transference to
Ruhleben were hurried forward. We packed up our belongings, together
with all the food upon which we could place our hands, and re-lined up.
Under a strong guard we were marched to Cologne station. On the way,
several of us, anxious to communicate with our friends and relatives,
notifying them of our new address, dropped post-cards into the roadway.
The idea was to attract the attention of the guards to them, and then by
bribe to induce them to place them in the post. But the officers were
too eagle-eyed. They evidently anticipated such a ruse and accordingly
kept the soldiers under severe surveillance. One soldier who picked up a
post-card, which I had dropped in this manner, was caught in the act and
received a terrifying rating on the spot. Thus we who dropped the cards
had to rely upon the tender mercies and good-natured feeling of whoever
chanced to pick them up to slip them into the post, but I fear very few
were dispatched.

We were huddled into the train at Cologne, but it was not until 8.30
that we steamed out of the station. We travelled continuously throughout
the day until we reached Hannover at 9 in the evening. During the
journey, those who had exercised the forethought to bring food with them
had every reason to congratulate themselves, becaus