"I was sitting on the wing of that aeroplane, thinking of the missus and kids, when all of a sudden I was knocked head over tip from behind. When I came to myself, there was I strapped in the aeroplane, going through the sky like an express train. We came down in the village over yonder, and they lugged me to a colonel, and he asked me a heap of questions, and of course I wouldn’t answer, and then they hauled me to a room, took away my belt and bay’net and boots, and locked me in. Here’s the end of my milingtary career, thinks I, and only a lance-corporal! "They gave me some black bread, like gingerbread without the ginger, and some slops they called coffee; I called it dishwater. I wondered how long I’d last on fare like that. But just before morning I was woke by a touch on my face, thought it was a mouse, slapped my hand up, and heard a little voice say ’Oh!’ If I could only speak French like you! It was the woman of the house. She let me out and took me down to the cellar, and said something which I took to mean she’d give me the tip when to get away, but it might have been something else for all I know. Anyway, she didn’t come back." "A very unsafe place, I should think, with Germans," said Kenneth. "There you’re wrong. For why? ’Cos there was no wine there. The cellar was empty. Hadn’t been used for an age, I should think. It was almost pitch dark; just a little air through some holes at the top of the wall. Well, there I was. The woman had given me some pang and fromarge, and a so of o--rummy lingo the French, ain’t it?--and for I don’t know how long I waited, thinking she’d come back and tell me the coast was clear. But she didn’t, and knowing the Germans were all over the village I didn’t dare to stir of my own accord. Besides, when you’re expecting something, you don’t trouble for a time. I was so sure the woman would come when she could.