h
had to be covered on the inside. Attached to each end of the bed were
two strong shackles, evidently intended to fasten the occupant down if
necessary. We afterwards learnt that this was the garrison prison, it
being considerably worse than the civil one. It does not seem
surprising that they are able to maintain their iron discipline, if
they resort to these methods. I think the reader will agree that this
is hardly a fit place to lodge officers who, as yet, were only
awaiting their trial. Several times I faintly heard the whirring of
aeroplanes outside, but only managed to see one by pulling myself up
to the window. We relieved the monotony a little by whistling to each
other in the Morse code what we thought of the Huns for putting us
there. The thickness of the walls, however, soon put a stop to this.
During the night I was awakened by several thuds, followed by a crash,
which came from somewhere overhead. This puzzled me at the time, but
the next day I found the noise had been caused by one of our party
rat-hunting with the aid of a boot which had landed on a tin basin
instead of the rat.

The next morning the man with a voice like a nutmeg grater released us
from our cells, and after a few preliminaries we were marched off
across the square to a large building, which we entered about ten
o'clock. Then ensued a long but interesting wait, during which we
watched all sorts and conditions of Huns passing up and down the main
staircase. Amongst them we saw several colonels, a general and a very
smart monocled major, whose helmet was rather the shape of a
fireman's, showing that he was in some crack cavalry regiment--dragoons,
I think. They mostly wore pale blue-grey overcoats, and their buttons,
sword-hilts and golden eagles on their helmets glittered exquisitely.
The general appearance was smart enough, but everything seemed a
trifle overdone, giving one the impression that they had just stepped
out of a bandbox. Had a British officer been standing beside these
Germans, wearing his sword, the contrast would have been a strange
one, for while looking just as smart the uniform would have had the
appearance of being infinitely more serviceable. There passed quite a
number of Hun privates with downcast eyes, having just received their
long sentences. An interpreter having nothing to do, tried hard to
prove to us that the U-boats would very soon bring England to her
knees, but gave up the attempt on receiving an invitat