There was a man named Edwards, who was captured May 8th, a Princess Pat, who once at Giessen showed me his compass and suggested that we go together next time.  He was at Vehnemoor, too, and Bromley and I, in talking it over, decided to ask Edwards and his friend to join us.  Then the four of us got together and held many conferences.  Edwards had a watch and a compass; I had maps, and Edwards bought another one.  We talked over many plans, and to Edwards belongs the honor of suggesting the plan which we did try.

The difficulties in the way of escaping were many.  The camp-ground was about three hundred feet long and seventy-five feet wide, surrounded by a barbed-wire fence about ten feet high.  The fence had been built by putting strong, high posts in the ground and stretching the wire on with a wire-stretcher, so that it could not be sprung either up or down.  The bottom wires were very close together.  Inside of this was an ordinary barbed-wire fence with four or five strands, through which we were forbidden to go.

Outside the camp at the northwest corner was the hut where the guards lived when not on duty, and beside this hut was the kennel where the watch-dog was kept.  He was a big dog, with a head like a husky!  The camp was lighted by great arc-lights about sixty feet apart.  German soldiers were stationed outside and all around the camp, and were always on the alert.

We planned to go on Friday night, but an unforeseen event made that impossible.  A very dull German soldier had taken out about a dozen Frenchmen to work on the moor.  Two of them had slipped away some time during the afternoon, and he did not notice he was short until he got in.  Then great excitement prevailed, and German soldiers were sent out in pursuit.  We watched them going out, dozens of them, and decided this was a poor time to go abroad.  The moon was nearly full and the clouds which had filled the sky all day, were beginning to break, all of which was against us.

On Saturday, just as we feared, an extra guard of about twenty-five men was sent in from Oldenburg, and as the guard changed every two hours, and this was about 5.30 o’clock in the evening when they came, we reasoned that the double guard would go on at seven.  After the guard had been doubled, there would be but little chance for us.

It was now or never!

CHAPTER XIV

Off for Holland!

The eastern fence was the one we had marked as our point of departure, and, Saturday being wash-day, there was nothing suspicious in the fact that we had hung our clothes there to dry.  They had to be hung somewhere.

The boys were expecting parcels that night, for a canal-boat had come up from Oldenburg, and every one was out in the yard.  Several of the boys were in our confidence, and we had asked them to stroll up and down leisurely between the hut and the east fence.