We were much worried while drawing water by a large herd4 of cows. They must have been very thirsty, as they crowded [165]round us and whenever we moved towards them would gallop5 off for a few yards and then return.
We were afraid lest this behaviour on their part had been seen and would cause comment or even worse among any farm people who might be within view of the shed.
While lying hidden in the wood the sound of axes being used near us came to our ears. This was not very disturbing though, and we managed to pass a peaceful evening talking in the sunlight; quite a restful feeling stole over one; life for the moment was not the strenuous6 thing it had been for so many days.
The songs of birds and the buzzing of insects combined to lend a peaceful atmosphere to the surroundings. A deer appeared from the interior of the wood and quietly went about its feeding as if we did not exist. If only one could have known that the future was to be favourable7, and that success [166]was to crown our effort, it would have been even extremely enjoyable in that wood.
But misgivings8 and forebodings of evil were natural to us, and robbed us of the full amount of pleasure we might otherwise have enjoyed in such a pleasant entourage.
In the evening clouds began to drift up and eventually a slight drizzle9 began to descend10, but not sufficiently11 copious12 to make us miserable13.
At 10 p.m. we began our night's march, and worked forward to the western edge of the wood; from here we were able to look out over a wide stretch of pasture and cornland.
In the distance a railway line crossed the field of vision. A beautiful wild sunset cast a golden light on the country-side. A road ran close by the wood and we waited till the light should die in the sky before crossing it.
At last we were well away, and reached the railway we had previously14 seen, which we crossed a moment before two trains rumbled15 [167]past. One of these was a heavily laden16 munition17 train, the other much lighter18. After leaving the railway we took to a lane which eventually brought us out into the main road. Just before debouching on to this, Fox and I both heard a bicycle coming along the road, and we dived into the long grass at the side of the road. Blank, however, did not hear it and blundered straight into the cyclist, a woman, before he could stop.
Fortunately his "Guten Abend" was sufficiently German to pass, and the cyclist continued her way after answering him with the same words. We caught him up some ten minutes later, and then cut across country. A farm loomed19 up in front of us and we bore to one side of it, but not before the ubiquitous dog made the night hideous20 with its barking, so we passed on with as little noise as possible.
Soon after this a stream barred our way. A rapid search for a bridge did not bring one to light, so there was nothing for it but [168]to get wet. However, Fox had a plan whereby two of us might be saved a wetting. He being the heaviest was to strip and stand in the middle of the stream while we crossed over, using his shoulders as a stepping-stone. When he got into the stream he found the bottom very muddy and the water came up to his chest.
I was to try the 'stunt21' first. All the food bags, etc., were carried across, and then Fox stood ready to do his part. Stepping well out from the bank and placing one foot on his shoulder I reached down until I could catch hold of his hands and waited for his signal. At the word, I sprang, he simultaneously22 throwing me, and before I had time to realise anything, I found myself rolling over and over on the other side. The timing23 had been perfect and I had landed completely dry.
Blank was also got across successfully, and then the two of us pulled Fox out. But not without an effort, as one of his feet [169]had got well embedded24 in the mud. He told us then that a large stone had prevented the other from getting similarly stuck.
Rapid marching was the order after this episode, and we covered a great distance in an extraordinarily25 short space of time.
We had omitted to fill our water-bottles at the last stream, and this burst of speed soon made us painfully aware of it. Finally we found some appalling26 water in a ditch at the road side, but only by digging a hole in the mud, could sufficient be got to fill a water-bottle. This water was naturally very muddy and full of those little beetle27 things that rush about the surface of stagnant28 pools—'water-boatmen'—I think they are called. I know I felt them running about the inside of my mouth when I drank.
Wednesday, 27th June. We were now approaching the Hunte river. This river is not very large, but is sufficiently formidable to require swimming if no bridge or boat is used. Therefore, finding on a map that [170]a bridge crossed it at a certain spot miles from anywhere of importance, or anywhere at all for that matter, we had decided29 that it would in all probability be unguarded.
It was clear now that we were getting near this bridge. A dense30 mist overhung the valley through which the river ran, and made it easier for us to approach. I, having the best coloured costume and the lightest footwear, went a few yards ahead of the others to reconnoitre the bridge.
Cautiously approaching it, I was delighted to find that no guards were posted there, and we got across without difficulty. A few miles further on, our westerly line would bring us to a small country town, which must be nameless.
The country in this district was covered with corn, and knowing that a detour31 through these corn-fields to avoid the town would mean an hour or more of delay, we decided to run the risk and walk through the streets of the town itself.
[171]All went well at first. The town seemed absolutely deserted, and we crept along in the shadows where practicable, choosing the dusty gutters32 and grassy33 patches at the side of the road in order to make as little noise as possible. We reached a kind of square towards the centre of the town, when Blank stumbled over a cobble-stone, a not unusual thing for him to do, which called forth34 various cryptic35 whispers from Fox; at that moment, out of a dark shadow on the right of the road, a great dog slowly emerged.
With hackles bristling36 and teeth bared he approached us, emitting savage37 growls39. The only thing to be done was to walk straight past him making no noise. This we did, passing within two yards of the beast. It seemed to scare him for he stopped and when we had got well past began barking furiously.
Then it was that we discovered that the place was stiff with dogs. The din3 made by [172]their combined barking was absolutely awe-inspiring. Every dark corner seemed to contain a dog.
Shapes flitted about near us, and one got the impression that they were collecting for a combined attack. It was no use going quietly now, so we put on speed and rushed through the place. Nobody came out into the streets, however, but the blinds over a lighted window were pulled aside, disclosing a face which peered out into the darkness at us.
After ten minutes of apprehension40 we gained the outskirts41 of the town, where the last of our doggy foes42 stood to meet us right in the centre of the road.
He was a large bristly animal and had a particularly nasty note in his growl38.
We adopted the same procedure with him, and after waiting till we were almost on top of him he turned tail and fled.
We were clear of that town now, but vowed43 never again to run such a risk.
[173]My experience of German dogs at night, by no means slight, causes me to think that they bark so much and so often, generally at nothing, that their owners take absolutely no notice of them. It is a case of "Wolf! Wolf!" in real life.
Of course, the tired-out state of an over-worked and insufficiently44 fed population must make rising in the small hours of the night, to see what the dog is barking about, even less popular than is usually the case. Anyway we profited.
Leaving the vicinity of the town at the same great speed for fear of pursuit, we soon placed several miles between the scene of this, our latest fright, and the wooded country we now struck.
It had become light by now, so we had to search for a hiding-place at once. This we found in a hollow filled with undergrowth, an offshoot of a wood surrounded by corn and potato fields.
We were very tired, but quite pleased [174]with our progress, as we must have done well over twenty miles from the time we began our march at 10 p.m. A day of sun and warmth made the drying of clothes, socks, and boots an easy matter.
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1
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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8
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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drizzle
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| v.下毛毛雨；n.毛毛雨，蒙蒙细雨 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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copious
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| adj.丰富的，大量的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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munition
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| n.军火；军需品；v.给某部门提供军火 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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stunt
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| n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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timing
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| n.时间安排，时间选择 | |
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embedded
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| a.扎牢的 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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beetle
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| n.甲虫，近视眼的人 | |
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stagnant
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| adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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gutters
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| （路边）排水沟( gutter的名词复数 )； 阴沟； （屋顶的）天沟； 贫贱的境地 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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cryptic
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| adj.秘密的，神秘的，含义模糊的 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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38
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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39
growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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40
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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41
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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42
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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43
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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insufficiently
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| adv.不够地，不能胜任地 | |
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