a few minutes before nine o’clock.  We were compelled to stay within doors for some twenty minutes or so.  This I decided to be the opportune occasion to unload my stock.  I enjoined every vendor, when I handed him his stock overnight, to be on the alert in the morning, and as the clock struck nine to pass swiftly from man to man with his flags.  The favour was a distinct novelty and I was positive they would sell like hot cakes.

The scheme proved a howling success.  Within five minutes after the appointed hour every man had been cleared out.  The flags were triumphantly pinned to the lapels of the coats.  When the prisoners re-emerged from the barracks the guards were astounded by the brilliant display of Union Jacks.  The array was so imposing that the authorities even realised the futility of stopping each prisoner in turn to rob him of his prize.  In this manner I got rid of several hundreds of the little trophies in one swoop.

As may be imagined there was an enquiry to ascertain how these flags had been introduced into the camp.  The prisoners were interrogated, but no prisoner appeared to know anything about the matter.  He invariably retorted that he had purchased it from “some fellow or other” and had stuck it in his button-hole.  Never for a moment did the authorities suspect that I had anything to do with the transaction.  It was out of my ostensible line, so that I escaped suspicion.  The chortling which took place at the complete discomfiture of the authorities and the manner in which they had been outwitted is recalled vividly to this day.  It was one of many incidents which served to vary the monotony of camp life.

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On August Bank Holiday, 1915, the authorities considerately permitted us to have a day’s junketting.  We were to be at liberty to do exactly as we pleased.  Indeed, we were urged to enjoy ourselves thoroughly and we did not require a second urging.  The football ground was converted into a fair.  No restrictions whatever were imposed upon us.  The authorities themselves were so enthused with this concession to us as to give us several days’ notice of their intentions to enable us to make any preparations we considered fit, while we were not faced with any obstacles in the rigging up of side-shows, gambling halls and what not.

The concession was particularly attractive to me, as I recalled that it was upon the previous August Bank Holiday I had been arrested on the charge of espionage and consigned to Wesel Prison.  The rivalry amongst us was astonishing, while there were many wonderful manifestations of fertility and ingenuity.  One prisoner spent 1,000 marks—­L50—­in rigging up his booth, which was somewhat reminiscent of an Aunt Sally at home.  My two friends, K——­ and F——­, contrived a golfing game which proved a huge financial success.  I myself rigged up a billiard table on which was played a very unorthodox game of billiards, and which, because of its departure from conventionality, created a sensation.  It was really a revival of a game or wheeze which I had learned many years before.