le under such
conditions. We nibbled our tiny rations and struck out as soon as
darkness came. Our plan was to go straight across country, but Brumley
could not navigate the rough going of the fields; although on the
level roads he made out fairly well. So we chanced it on the latter.

Brumley was struggling along manfully but his legs caused him great
suffering. At about two o'clock in the morning we lay to in the shadow
of a clump of trees at the roadside, thinking to ease him a bit. He
flung himself down. Simmons massaged Brumley's legs whilst I watched.

We had just said: "Come on," and they were rising to their feet, when
another figure stepped off the road and in amongst our trees. It was
so dark where we stood that he probably would not have seen us had not
Brumley at that very moment been rising to his feet. He appeared as
much surprised as we were and started back as though in amazement. And
then without more ado, he turned and fled the way we had come whilst
we made what haste we could in the opposite direction, all equally
alarmed.

Who he was or what he wanted, we could only surmise. If he was not
also an escaped prisoner then he must have been badly wanted by the
authorities to have been travelling in such a fashion at such an hour;
and above all, to have been so alarmed by this chance meeting with
fugitives. In any event we wished him luck and promptly forgot all
about him.

Later on in the night our road led us directly into a village. We
hesitated as to what we should do. Brumley was for pushing through.
The alternative was to go round and through the fields, lose valuable
time and play out Brumley's precious legs. It was past midnight, so we
decided on the village route, and started on.

We passed through without being molested, but just as we were leaving
the other side some civilians saw us and shouted "Halt!" and other
words meaning "to shoot." We paid no attention. Espying a wood in the
distance, we struck out for it. Brumley was in misery and threw up the
sponge. We stopped to argue with him, at the same time dragging him
along, and while doing so saw two more civilians rushing up and
shouting as they came. Lights began to spring up all over the village.
Brumley stopped dead and refused to go farther. We had previously
agreed that if anything should happen to any one of us the others were
to push on, every man for himself. No good could be gained by fighting
when we were so hopelessly outnumb