account we had against him, but you also rendered his
fellow-Huns a signal service."

I thought of the comments I had heard on Clubfoot among the customers at
Haase's, and I felt that Red Tabs had hit the right nail on the head
again.

"By the way?" said Red Tabs, as I rose to go, "would you care to see
Clubfoot's epitaph? I kept it for you." He handed me a German
newspaper--the _Berliner Tageblatt_, I think it was--with a paragraph
marked in red pencil. I read:

"We regret to report the sudden death from apoplexy of Dr. Adolf
Grundt, an inspector of secondary schools. The deceased was closely
connected for many years with a number of charitable institutions
enjoying the patronage of the Emperor. His Majesty frequently consulted
Dr. Grundt regarding the distribution of the sums allocated annually
from the Privy purse for benevolent objects."

"Pretty fair specimen of Prussian cynicism?" laughed Red Tabs. But I
held my head ... the game was too deep for me.

* * * * *

Every week a hamper of good things is dispatched to 3143 Sapper Ebenezer
Maggs, British Prisoner of War, Gefangenen-Lager, Friedrichsfeld bei
Wesel. I have been in communication with his people, and since his
flight from the camp they have not had a line from him. They will let me
know at once if they hear, but I am restless and anxious about him.

I dare not write lest I compromise him: I dare not make official enquiry
as to his safety for the same reason. If he survived those shots in the
dark, he is certainly undergoing punishment, and in that case he would
be deprived of the privilege of writing or receiving letters....

But the weeks slip by and no message comes to me from Chewton Mendip.
Almost daily I wonder if the gallant lad survived that night to return
to the misery of the starvation camp, or whether, out of the darkness of
the forest, his brave soul soared free, achieving its final release from
the sufferings of this world.... Poor Sapper Maggs!

Francis and Monica are honeymooning on the Riviera. Gerry, I am sure,
would have refused to attend the wedding, only he wasn't asked. Francis
is getting a billet on the Intelligence out in France when his leave is
up.

I have got my step, antedated back to the day I went into Germany.
Francis has been told that something is coming to him and me in the New
Year's Honours.

I don't worry much. I am going back to the front on Christmas Eve.

THE END