that
neither law nor order, except as interpreted and maintained by the rifle
and the bayonet of the unscrupulous German sentries, prevailed, the
necessity to turn the colony inside out and to inaugurate some form of
systematic control and operation was only too obvious.

In the early days we were entirely dependent upon the authorities for
our food supplies, and they were invariably inadequate, while still more
often the victuals were disgustingly deficient in appetising qualities.
There were no facilities whatever for supplementing the official rations
by purchases from a canteen such as we had enjoyed for a time at
Sennelager. At last a German _frau_, animated by desire to improve the
shining hour at the expense of the interned civilians, opened a small
booth where some extras such as we so urgently desired could be
procured. This booth, about as large as the bathing machine common to
our seaside resorts, was situate in the centre of the camp. The
diminutive dimensions of the "shop" prevented the woman carrying
extensive stocks, and, as a rule she was cleared right out before
mid-day. Her specialities were sweets, fruit, canned foods, herrings,
and such like, but in extremely limited quantities.

This shop became known throughout the colony as the "Pond-side" stores,
and the nickname was apt. Why, constitutes a little story in itself. It
virtually occupied the centre of the main thoroughfare, and certainly
became the busiest corner in the community. But at this point the land
made a sudden dip. Consequently, when we were visited by rainstorms, and
it _does_ rain in Germany, rendering a British torrential downpour a
Scotch mist by comparison, the rain water, unable to escape, gathered in
this depression, forming a respectable pond, with the booth or stores
standing, a dejected island, in the middle.

If the storm were unduly heavy this pond assumed imposing dimensions.
One day I decided to measure it, so arming myself with a foot-rule I
waded deliberately through its length and width with my crude measuring
device to find that it was 133-1/2 feet long by 25 feet wide, and ranged
from 6 inches to 2-1/2 feet in depth. While engaged in this occupation I
was surprised by an officer, who, catching sight of my rule, sharply
demanded what I was doing? I told him frankly, and there was a lively
breeze between us.

[*large gap]

Naturally one will ask how it was that such a pond could form in the
heart of the camp. To t