ipe out of
my eyes. He lumbered off and shortly returned with a counterpart of
himself. He talked rapidly to his companion and waved his pipe. We
made out the words "Duitsch," "Engelsch," and enough of others to know
that he was telling our tale as he imagined it.

Our fears coming uppermost, we gave voice to them: "Intern?"

"No intern. Engelsch." The other took up the cry: "Engelsch goot!
Frient." However our suspicions would not down.

The first man pointed out to the canal where a barge lay and made us
understand that it was his. He wanted us to work our passage on it
down the canal with him. They invited us by signs to go on board the
barge for breakfast, an invitation which we joyfully accepted. We
rowed out to the barge and sat down in the tiny cabin. The meal was
plain. On the centre of the table was a loaf of brown bread, quite
good enough it was true, but so reminiscent of the perennial black
ration of the Germans that my gorge rose at the sight. Out of the
corner of my eye I saw a white loaf on the shelf, the first in fifteen
months. I caught Simmons eyeing it. We exchanged guilty looks but were
ashamed to ask for it. They offered us the brown loaf and delicious
coffee. I thought perhaps that if we exhausted the brown loaf the
other might be forthcoming. I kicked Simmons on the shins and fell to
on it, and, as opportunity offered, thrust pieces in the pockets of my
tunic until, to our relief, they brought out the white bread, which we
devoured to the last crumb. It was very good.

We filled our pipes in high contentment and went ashore, where a
procession of enthusiastic villagers waited to escort us to the
village. Men, women and children, wooden shoes and all, there were
four hundred of them. The men all shook hands and pressed money on us.
The women cried and one white-haired old lady kissed us both. The
quaint little roly-poly children ran at our sides, a half dozen of
them struggling to hold our fingers in their chubby fists.

The procession started off, the burgomaster leading, the two sailors
and ourselves coming next. Some one behind dragged out a mouth organ
and struck up Tipperary, and men, women and children all joined in. It
was glorious. We sang, too, in English, and they in their tongue. The
result was so ridiculous a medley that I smiled myself; but it made no
difference. The spirit was there; we were happy.

Arriving at the village the burgomaster took us to his home and sat us
down to