They—­had—­not—­broken me!

CHAPTER XVIII

PARNEWINKEL CAMP

The key turned at last!

Entering, the guard, with face as impassive as ever, motioned to me to sweep out.  I wondered if I could have mistaken the number of days, or if... we were going to get longer than the two weeks.

He did not enlighten me!  I was taken out to wash, and filled my brown pitcher at the tap—­just as usual.  Then came the moment of tense anxiety....  Would he lock me in?

He gave me the usual allowance of bread, which I put in my pocket, as a man who was going on a journey and wants to be on his way, without waiting to eat.

Then he motioned to me to come out, and I knew we were free!  Ted was at the door of his cell, and we followed the guard downstairs without speaking.

In the room below our things were given back to us.  I dared not examine my cap to see if my maps had been touched, but I could not keep from turning it around as if to be sure it was mine.  Certainly it looked all right.  Our two little parcels, still unopened, were returned to us, and the guard from Vehnemoor who had come for us had brought one of the prisoners with him to carry our stuff that had been left there, blankets, wash-basin, clogs, etc.

[Illustration:  Map which Private Simmons got from the Canadian Artist at Giessen, and which was sewed inside the Pasteboard of his Cap / His successful journey from Selsingen to Holland is indicated by the dotted line ............ / The unsuccessful attempt is shown ---------- from Oldenburg]

From the prisoner we got the news of the camp.

“How are the folks at home?” we asked him.

“Ninety of the worst ones—­since you two fellows and Bromley left—­were taken to another camp, and when they were moving them McKinnon and another fellow beat it—­but we’re afraid they were caught.”

“Why?” we asked him.

“They catch them all; nobody gets out of Germany alive.”

“You talk like a guard!” Ted said.

“Well,” said the boy (I am sorry I forget his name), “look here.  Who do you know that has got away?  You didn’t; Bromley didn’t; the two Frenchmen who went the night before you went didn’t.  Do you hear of any who did?”

“Keep your ear to the ground and you will!” said Ted.

“They’ll shoot you the next time,” he said earnestly.  “If I were you, I wouldn’t try it.”

Then the guard came, and we could say no more.

Again we were taken to the station and put on the train.  Our hands were not tied this time; we were just ordinary prisoners now—­we had done ours.  Besides, I suppose they knew we shouldn’t run far—­that had been taken out of us by the “cells.”

But our good spirits came back when the train started.  We went east towards Rotenburg, through the same sort of low, marshy country we had travelled before, with scrubby trees and plenty of heather moor.