saloon and cursed me afterwards.  “I a German soldier,” he said, “not your steward!” I told him that if he had any reason to complain of what I had said or done he should report me to his Captain, and that if he had not done so by six that evening I should report him for insolence.  Needless to say, he said nothing to the Captain, so I reported him.  The Captain at once thanked me for doing so, called him up at once, and gave him a good wigging.  I had no more trouble with him afterwards.

On January 14th I approached the Captain and asked him if the Germans on the Wolf, when they got to Germany, would have any means of finding out whether we on the Igotz Mendi had safely arrived in Spain.  He replied that they would.  I then asked him whether, if we were all lost on the Igotz Mendi on her return voyage to Spain, the German Government would inform the British Government of our fate.  He replied that would certainly be done.  I further asked him whether we might send letters to the Wolf to have them posted in Germany in the event of our not arriving in Spain.  Most of us had to settle up our affairs in some way, in case we might be lost at sea, and wished to write farewell letters to our home people.  Some of us, it will be remembered, had already taken some steps in this direction before we were sent on to the Wolf, as we thought it possible the Wolf might become engaged with a hostile cruiser.  We ourselves had to write a farewell letter, among others, to our daughter, born in Siam, from whom we had been separated except for short periods of furlough spent in England, for twelve years.  It seemed very hard that after this long separation, and just when we were looking forward to a joyful and fairly speedy reunion, we should perhaps never see her again.

The Captain said we might write these letters, which would not be posted if the Igotz Mendi with us on board got back safely to Spain.  “But,” he added, “we have changed our plans, and now intend that you should be landed in Norway.  It will be safer for you all, and you will not have to risk meeting our submarines in the Atlantic again.  When we arrive in Norwegian waters the German prize crew will be taken off the ship after the Wolf has got home, the ship will be handed over to the Spaniards, and you will all be landed in Norway, from where you can easily make your way to England.”  Here was quite a new plan—­how much truth there was in this declaration will be seen hereafter.  From now onwards definite promises began to be made to us concerning the end of our captivity:  “In a month you will be free,” “The next full moon will be the last you will see at sea,” etc., etc.