mitory, flinging off his coat as he
ran with leaping, stealthy strides. Feet were tramping up the stairs
behind him. He dived into his blankets and drew them up under his
chin, just as he had dived hurriedly into bed a score of times at
school when an intrusive master had come upon a midnight "spread"; but
with his heart pounding with fear as it had never pounded at school.
What did they suspect? Had they found out anything?

The guard tramped noisily into the room, under a big Feldwebel, or
sergeant-major. He flashed his lantern down the long room, and
uttered a sharp word of command that brought the sleepers to their
feet, blinking and but half awake. Then he called the roll, pausing
when he came to Jim.

"You sleep in a curious dress. Where is your shirt?"

"Drying," said Jim curtly. "I washed it--I've only one."

"Enough for an English swine-hound," said the German contemptuously.
He passed on to the next man, and Jim sighed with relief.

Presently the guard clanked out, and the prisoners returned to their
straw mattresses.

"That was near enough," whispered Baylis, who was next to Jim.

"A good deal too near," Jim answered. "However, it ought to be fairly
certain that they won't spring another surprise-party on us to-morrow.
And a miss is as good as a mile." He turned over, and in a moment was
sleeping like a baby.

The next day dragged cruelly.

To the eight conspirators it seemed as long as the weary stretch of
months since they had come to the camp. For a long while they had
avoided each other as far as possible in public, knowing that even two
men who talked much together were liable to be suspected of plotting;
on this last day they became afraid even to look at each other, and
wandered about, each endeavouring to put as great a distance as
possible between himself and the other seven. It became rather like a
curious game of hide-and-seek, and by evening they were thoroughly
"jumpy," with their nerves all on edge.

They had no preparations to make. Scarcely any of their few
possessions could be taken with them; they would find outside--if ever
they got there--food and clothing. They had managed to make rough
knives that were fairly serviceable weapons; beyond these, and a few
small personal belongings they took nothing except the clothes they
wore--and they wore as little as possible, and those the oldest and
shabbiest things to be found. So there was nothing to do, all that
last day