jewellery line, which were
suitably engraved. Button decorations was one line I took up and these
sold like wildfire. There was plenty of money in the camp, some of the
prisoners being extremely wealthy, and this explains why my trade
flourished so amazingly. Indeed, the results exceeded even my most
sanguine anticipations.

One branch of my fertility nearly landed me into serious trouble. I
fashioned souvenirs out of German coins. I erased the Imperial head and
in its place engraved a suitable inscription. When the defacement of the
money was discovered there was a fearful uproar, but as usual I
contrived to escape the terrible punishment which was threatened.

Naturally one will wonder how it was I secured my supplies, seeing that
purchases outside the camp were forbidden except through the officially
approved channels. While it is inadvisable for me to relate how I did
secure my varied stocks I may state that I never experienced any
disappointment or even a hitch in this connection. Time after time I was
taxed by military individuals, eager to secure incriminating evidence,
but although they cajoled, coaxed and threatened I could not be induced
to betray my secret. Indeed, at last, I point-blank refused to furnish
any information upon this matter whatever, and with this adamantine
decision they were forced to remain content. Doubtless they had their
suspicions but it was impossible to bring anything home to me and so I
was left in peace.

From cheap jewellery I advanced to more costly articles. I purchased a
job lot of silver wrist watches from a Jew who had gone "broke," and
these I cleared out within a very short time. I always paid spot cash
and that was an overwhelming factor in my favour. Indeed, my trading
operations became so striking that my name and business proceeded far
beyond the confines of the camp. Within a few weeks of opening my shop I
was receiving calls from men in the camp who were acting as
representatives for some of the foremost Jewish wholesale houses in
Germany, and they were almost fighting among themselves to secure my
patronage. My biggest individual purchasing deal was a single lot of
jewellery for which I paid nearly 1,000 marks--L50! From this, bearing
in mind the difficulties which I had to overcome in securing delivery,
it is possible to gain some idea of the brisk trade I was doing.

Everything and anything capable of being converted into a souvenir by
the dexterous use of the e