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[Page 42]
their knowing it, and in the end would clap and cheer as loud as any. Of course, as soon as a really good pun came out the boys would fairly bring the house down, while Fritz would glower and stare, because he had not noticed the special joke or any other cause for enthusiasm.
Early the following morning we were ordered to get ready for our trip, so we packed out belongings, secreted our invaluable treasures, compasses and chartes, amongst them. We had to submit to another search before we were allowed out, having to empty our pockets, bags and parcels, but in spite of their search, we got through it all safely, then breathing a sigh of relief, passed through the barbed wire gates on the way to the station, under a real "wag'' of a Sentry. The walk this time was only two miles which we did in good time. Another Sentry in charge of a Russian came along with us, we had to keep slowing up as the poor Ruski had only clogs to wear, and seemed more fit for a convalescent Hospital than a working Commando. He was very depressed and quiet and almost fell over himself with gratitude when we gave him a few of our precious biscuits. He left the train in the Mining Centre telling us he would soon be down amongst the coal again. when Two civilians joined the train, accompanied by a blood- hound.
We were by this time beginning to feel hungry, so opened our bags and took out some biscuits and potted meats, at the smell of which the dog got off his back and did his best to get a bit. It was rather an embarrassing position for the Germans, for it took all their time to keep him quiet, but the joke of it all was, that I expect they would have liked some of the food themselves. Of course, as it prolonged their agony, we lingered over our light repast as long as possible. They with their dog, left us at the next big station, and our sentry had several good "Blighty" smokes from us and so was in a very affable frame of mind. On getting close up to him to have a chat, he noticed the stripes on my trousers were only tacked on, and put his finger in and pulled it off a little. He told me I could go into the lavatory and stitch them on securely which I lost no time in doing, and took the hint to get into a properly marked pair as soon as I hit the Commando, at once secreting my good pair for next escape. My mates were not quite so cautious and did not change, with the result that the Sentry in charge had a good look at them, detecting the flaw, at once took them away and had a stripe sewn in. We arrived at last at our old barracks at Dusseldorf-Rattle.
On going down into the yard where the Corporal had stood so close to us during our first escape, my mates and I [indecipherable] could not help bursting out in shouts of laughter, for the place we had previously crawled through was wired up in all manner of ways, so, that even a bee would have a hard job to get through, but on each side there were places even [indecipherable] "Bunny" could have squeezed through. Our next cause for merriment was the lightening Conductor that had served us in such good stead before for it was bound round and round and round again with barbed wire, until it almost looked like a ladder. The window through which we had slipped out, was again closed down, so that a second attempt