and watch him; yet they did.

Then, inadvertently, he learned that the august personage with whom he
had had such a long conversation on the night of his capture had given
special orders concerning him, as it was his intention to speak with
him again.

In view, however, of the significant words of the officer who had told
him that some change would take place on the following morning, he
imagined that this determination had been abandoned.

Bob's opportunity of escape seemed to him afterwards almost like a
miracle. One night, as chance would have it, only one of the guards
was on duty, and he determined to take advantage of the circumstance.
If he were to escape, a bold, almost mad, endeavour must be made.
Failure would mean death; but, with all the enthusiasm of youth, he
decided to risk it.

The guard was a man about his own height and build, and, under ordinary
circumstances, would be his match in physical strength.

Of course a hand-to-hand struggle was out of the question; a cry from
the German soldier would mean arousing hundreds of others, and then
Bob's fate would be sealed. But if----and his brain almost reeled at
the madness of the plan which had been so suddenly born in his mind.

Seizing his opportunity, and taking full advantage of the fact that he
had been allowed the use of his limbs, he suddenly struck his guard a
heavy blow, which, for the time, stunned him; then, seizing the man's
rifle, he struck him a blow on the head which left him senseless.
Quick as lightning, he pulled the man's clothes from off his prostrate
body, and a minute later he was himself, to all appearances, a German
soldier.

As he reflected afterwards, the thing happened so quickly and under
such strange circumstances, that it seemed to him impossible.

To overpower a German guard in the midst of thousands of German
soldiers, and then to appear among the others in a German uniform,
seemed absolutely impossible; yet he did it.

It was for him, now, to find his way through the German lines without
revealing his identity. One thing was in his favour--that was a fact
which he had kept rigorously secret--he spoke German almost like a
German.

I will not weary the reader with Bob's experiences during the next few
hours. In the letter he wrote to me about them, he gave but few
details. Nevertheless, he told me enough to make me realise that for
hours he was within an ace of detection and death.

All around him shot and s