The "camp" occupied six detached houses, divided into two groups of three houses each, the one on the western, the other near the south-western limits of the town. With a single exception each house stood in its own grounds, which comprised something under an acre of garden apiece. These were in most cases planted with fruit trees, and in all cases surrounded by high stone walls. The first comers had by April 1918 converted these previously1 unkempt areas into flourishing vegetable gardens. For our safe[56] custody2 there were on the average two sentries3 over each house; these had their sentry4-boxes in the garden or at the entrance to the enclosure wall. There was also a post on the four-hundred-yard length of road which connected the two groups of houses.
As had been our impression on arrival, the town of Yozgad could by no manner of means be called picturesque5. It is squalidly built on the steep slopes of a narrow valley, surrounded on all sides by bare and rugged7 hills. The larger houses, it is true, have a few fruit trees in their gardens, and tall poplars line the river bank; the country around, however, is destitute8 of trees except for a small pine wood on the high ridge9 south of the town. The camp was both higher and less accessible than any other in Turkey; for Yozgad stands some 4500 feet above sea-level, and in the heart of the rugged mountain system of Anatolia, seven days' march from the nearest railway station.
The town itself is said to have had a population before the war of some 20,000 souls. At the time of our arrival it could hardly have contained one-fifth of that number; for, shortly before the formation of the camp in July 1916, most of the Armenians had been massacred; and they had formed a large proportion of the inhabitants. Their shops had been pillaged10, and whenever there was a shortage of firewood the Turks merely proceeded[57] to pull down another of the Armenian houses, which, as usual throughout Anatolia, were largely constructed of wood. The crash of falling timber as a building was demolished11 was a sound so common as to pass almost unnoticed by the prisoners. Of Turkish brutality12, however, we had an even more constant reminder13 than the sound and sight of ruined buildings; for every day there were to be seen numbers of Armenian children dying as they lay in the narrow streets, starved, emaciated14, and clad in rags. For us to provide relief on the large scale required was impossible, owing both to the difficulties of obtaining money and the necessity of screening our philanthropy from the commandant and other Turkish authorities. To the credit of the Turkish soldier be it said, however, that he at any rate did not prevent us from helping15 these poor miserable16 creatures; and it was thanks to connivance17 on the part of our sentries and escorts that we were able towards the end of our time to give away money and bread daily in the streets.
The White Paper published in November 1918 on the subject of the Treatment of British Prisoners of War in Turkey describes the commandant of the camp at Yozgad as a "Turk of the old school—polite, honest, and silent." Silent, or, we would rather say, taciturn, Kiazim Bey undoubtedly18 was, for it needed many applications before an[58] inquiry19 or request received an answer at all. Polite, too, for when he did vouchsafe20 to reply he would promise almost anything; but is it not known to those who have dealt with a Turk, albeit21 one of the old school, that in his estimation a promise costs nothing and involves no obligation of fulfilment? It is merely his method of temporarily soothing22 your feelings, and is not this of the essence of politeness? As to his honesty, if he did not loot our parcels or steal our money, he was not averse23 from accepting a regular commission from every shopkeeper who wished to supply his wares24 to the camp. Even our sentries had to bribe25 him before they were allowed on leave. Ten Turkish pounds, or an equivalent in kind, passed hands before a fortnight's leave was granted.
The following story can be vouched26 for. One of our guard, when desiring a holiday, turned up at the commandant's office, but he was out. His son, however, a boy of fourteen, was there, and to him the simple soldier gave his money to be handed on to Kiazim Bey. Such an opportunity did not often occur; so the boy spent the rest of that day gorging27 costly28 sweetmeats in the bazaar29. After several days the soldier made further inquiries30 about his leave, and the truth was out. The story ends with a good beating for the boy and no leave for the soldier. Another of our guards used to[59] mend boots for us, but finally gave it up, declaring openly that the commission demanded by his commandant made it no longer worth his while.
By the time of the arrival of the party from Changri, a number of so-called privileges had been granted by this polite, honest, and silent old Turk—although, it must be admitted, rather in the spirit of the unjust judge worried incessantly31 by the importunate32 widow. The most useful of these concessions33 was the permission to go out coursing on two days a week. The "Yozgad Hunt Club" boasted a pack of no less than three couple of "hounds." These were of a local breed, and had the shape of small and rather moth-eaten greyhounds, mostly, however, with black, or tan and white, markings. Nevertheless, they were clean and affectionate, and, thanks to the master and whips, became wonderfully good coursers. Seldom did they fail to account for at least one hare or fox between the hours of 4 and 9 A.M. each Monday and Thursday in the spring and summer of 1918.
One exception we remember was the day when the master appeared for the first time in a pink coat of local style and dye, and then we drew blank. The field themselves were dazed, so the hounds had to be excused. Some of the happiest recollections of our captivity34 are of those glorious early mornings in the country, far away[60] from the ugly town which was our prison. Here for a few brief hours it was almost possible to forget that we were prisoners of war, until reminded that this was Turkey by the monotonous35 drawl of one of our greatest exponents36 of the Ottoman tongue. Wafted37 on the soft morning breeze as we wended our way back to bath and breakfast, would come at intervals38 of half a minute some such sounds as those which follow: Er ... er ... posta ... bou ... bou ... bourda ... er ... er ... aie ... der.... Such fluency39 almost suggested that Turkish was a simple language, instead of one of the most difficult in the world, second only, it is said, to Chinese.
Although attempts were made to play football, no suitable ground existed in or near Yozgad, and four-a-side hockey became the form of recreation which for the majority in the camp provided the best means of combining pleasure and hard exercise. Hockey was available at any time of day, as the ground was within the precincts of the camp, being in fact the lowest of a series of terraces in one of the gardens belonging to our houses. It was a bare plot, with a hard but dusty surface, and surrounded on three sides by stone walls: the area available for play was, perhaps, the length of a cricket pitch and about ten yards across, so that there was not room for more than a total of eight players.
The equipment consisted of a soft leather ball, and for each combatant a stick made from selected pieces of firewood, shaped according to fancy, subject to the finished article being passed through a 1½-inch ring. The resultant game was always fast and often furious, its only drawback as a means of training for would-be escapers being the not inconsiderable risk of losing an eye, finger, or portions of an ankle or knee. The excitement created by such matches as the old camp, Yozgad, versus40 the newcomers from Changri, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th teams, reached at times a pitch rarely attained41 in the most hotly-contested house-match at an English public school.
For those debarred for any reason from this strenuous42 form of exercise there were walks each evening, except on hunting days and Wednesdays. On the latter days there were, during the summer months, weekly picnics in the neighbouring pine woods, to which about 50 per cent of the camp would go.
During daylight intercommunication was allowed between the two groups of houses: nominally43 an escort was necessary to accompany such visitors along the intervening road, but in practice this rule was a dead letter.
So hard-won, however, had been these few privileges, that the prospect44 of any one attempting to escape and thereby45 causing[62] their suspension was looked upon by the majority of the original camp almost with horror. And this was not altogether without reason, for some of them had gone seriously into the question of escape, and had come to the conclusion that, from so hopelessly inaccessible46 a spot, all attempts, at least without outside assistance, were doomed47 to failure. Those of us who had come from Changri, however, were not likely to give up our long-cherished hopes without a struggle, but in the meantime kept our nefarious48 intentions to ourselves, except for half a dozen Yozgad officers whom we knew for certain to be keen to escape. The arrival of Cochrane had more than countered the additional difficulties involved by our move from Changri to Yozgad. While at Kara-Hissar, he had arranged a scheme with the powers that be in England by which a friendly boat should remain off a certain point on the coast of the Mediterranean49 for a definite number of days at the end of August 1918.
Cochrane now placed this scheme at the disposal of the Changri division. There was some reluctance50 to give up old plans, but in the end four parties decided51 to take advantage of "Rendezvous52 X," as Cochrane's meeting-place was called—suffice to say that it was on the Adalian coast nearly due south of Kara-Hissar. Of these four parties ours was one. Our route to the island of Samos—our[63] original scheme—would now be some 450 miles. Actually this was only 50 miles farther than to Rendezvous X, for the only feasible route to the latter was viâ Kara-Hissar, owing to the desert and mountains which would have to be crossed on a more direct route. Cochrane's scheme, however, promised an almost certain ending to the march to any one who reached the coast; whereas, even if we reached the western shore of Asia Minor53, we should still have the problem of getting across to the island, and that from a coast which must inevitably54 be very carefully guarded.
Our six therefore decided to give up the old plan, and soon after were joined by Cochrane himself and Captain F. R. Ellis, D.C.L.I. This was a tremendous advantage to us, as Cochrane not only had the experience so hardly gained by his previous attempt, but had actually seen some of the country over which we should have to march if we succeeded in passing Kara-Hissar. It was of course impossible for him to do guide to all four parties, as large numbers marching together would be immediately tracked; so he gave what suggestions he could, and the other three parties were to make their way to the rendezvous independently.
Our party therefore numbered eight, all of whom have now been introduced to our readers. We were the largest, and may claim to have been the most representative party, including as we did one naval55 officer, one[64] gunner, one sapper, one British Infantry56, two Indian Army, and two Territorial57 officers. The other three parties making for Rendezvous X numbered in all nine officers and Gunner Prosser. Besides these there were two parties having other schemes. The first, consisting almost entirely58 of Yozgad officers, intended marching for the Black Sea and crossing to Russia, the full facts of whose chaotic59 state were not known to us at the time. There were six officers in this party. Lastly, a party of two more officers determined60 to set out eastward61, and hoped to make their way into Persia.[8] There had been three or four other officers beside these who had seriously contemplated62 escape while at Changri, but who were now forced to change their mind through sickness or temporary disablements, such as crocked knees, &c.
[65]
The 26 starters—25 officers and 1 man—were scattered63 over five out of the six houses comprising the camp. It was necessary, therefore, for those in each house—in no case all of them members of the same party—to devise their own particular means of getting out of the camp precincts, and then for a committee composed of a representative from each party to co-ordinate their respective schemes as far as possible.
The first thing was to settle on a definite date for the attempt. As the majority were to make for Rendezvous X, to fit in with Cochrane's prearranged scheme, the date had to be later in the year than had been our idea while at Changri. It was decided that the night chosen should be the one towards the end of July most suitable as regards the moon. To enable the members of the various parties to join up at some convenient local rendezvous, and then put as great a distance as possible between themselves and Yozgad before the following dawn, the ideal was for the moon to rise an hour or so after we had all left our houses. Great credit is due to Captain T. R. Wells for correctly computing64 the times of rising and setting of that irregular planet. The only material available was a Nautical65 Almanac some four years old.
From his predictions, the 30th July was eventually fixed66 upon as the best night. The moon would rise about 10.30 P.M., and 9.15 was fixed upon as a suitable time for all to leave their houses—if they could. This meant all would have been present at the evening roll-call, which took place during dinner at[66] about 7.45 P.M.; and their absence, if no alarm occurred, would not be discovered until the check taken at dawn next day.
The advent67 of Cochrane to our party led to a reconsideration of the whole question of the food and kit69 we should carry on our momentous70 journey. His previous experience and that of Keeling's party was that 35 lb. was about as much as one could expect to carry across country consistently with making reasonable progress. In the end, however, we found that there were so many essentials that we should have each to take about 43 lb., exclusive of the weight of packs, haversacks, &c., to carry them. The following list gives some idea of our final equipment. Each member of the party was to take the following:—
Food—
Sixty-eight biscuits, made by "Escapers Ltd.," five to the lb.
Six soft biscuits, four to the lb.
Sultanas, 4 lb.
Cheese, ½ lb.
Fresh meat (for the first two days only), ½ lb.
Rice, 2 lb.
Cocoa or Ovaltine, 1 lb.
Soup tablets (Oxo), 12 cubes.
Chocolate, 1 lb.
Tea, ¼ lb.
Salt, about 1/8 lb.
Clothing—
Spare pair of boots, or several pairs of native sandals.
Spare shirt.
[67]
Towel.
Several pairs of socks.
Felt mufti hat or service-dress cap.
Vermin-proof belt.
Spare bootlaces.
Handkerchiefs (mostly in the form of bags round the food).
Miscellaneous—
One large and one small bandage.
Matches, two or more boxes, one being in a water-tight case.
Cigarettes or tobacco, according to taste.
Soap, one piece.
String.
Mug and spoon.
Wool for repairs to socks.
Spare razor-blades.
Compass.
Clasp-knife.
Whistle.
Tooth-brush.
Comb.
Notebook and pencil.
In addition, the following were to be distributed in more or less equal weights among the party as a whole:—
1 pair of field-glasses.
6 skeins of ¾-inch rope.
1 housewife.
3 chargals (canvas bags for water).
Map, original and copies; and enlargements from a small map.
Cardboard protractors.
[68]
"Sun compass."
Book of star charts.
Extra tea in the form of tablets.
1 very small adze (a carpenter's tool used in the East).
2 pocket Gillette shaving sets.
4 candles, } for giving red-light signals at
red cloth } Rendezvous X.
2 pairs of scissors.
2 iron rings, for use in the event of having to tow our kit across an unfordable river.
1 sausage of solid meat extract.
1 bottle of "Kola" compound.
1 lb. tapioca.
Small reel of fine steel wire.
One ½-pint bottle of brandy.
Fishing tackle.
The actual clothes to be worn on starting were left to individual fancy. It was a question first of what one possessed76; secondly77, of what one anticipated would suit the temperatures we should meet, and best resist the wear and tear which our clothing would have to withstand. Some decided on Indian khaki drill, others on home service serge uniform; others again on a mixture of the two. One had a rainproof coat cut down and converted to a tunic78, which in practice was found to answer well.
"Shorts," we knew, would be very comfortable, but unfortunately they are a peculiarly British style of garment; so they were vetoed, at any rate for wear by day. One or two, however, rendered their trousers convertible[69] to "shorts," for use during darkness, by slitting79 each leg along one seam to a point above the knee, adding buttons and cutting button-holes at the correct places to enable them to be turned up and fastened, so as to leave the knees free. Most of us, however, preferred not to risk the loss of any protection against cold such as this plan involved, and eventually started off wearing trousers tied below the knee with a piece of cord, in true navvy fashion.
It was realised that we could not hope to pass for Turks by day, so no elaborate disguise was attempted. At night, however, a Turk's silhouette80 does not much differ, except for his headgear, from that of a European—for a Turk is not a European, even though he is allowed a bit of European soil. We accordingly decided to wear fezes, so that any one passing us at night would mistake us for Turks and ask no questions. For the daytime we would hold to our original Changri scheme of pretending to be a German survey party, and for this purpose would carry either Homburg hats or British field-service caps.
As to the best means of taking along all this kit, opinions were most diverse. The weary experiments which had been commenced whilst at Changri were continued with renewed zest81 at Yozgad, until by a system of trial and error each had worked his own particular idea into a more or less practical form. Our difficulties were enhanced by the necessity of concealing82 our experimental models from the[70] eyes not only of brother Turk, but also of brother officers, so that all our tests were carried out in the somewhat confined space of the room cupboards. While so situated83 there was the risk of finding oneself shut in for half an hour if an officer not in the know came into the room to describe the events of the latest fox-hunt. Eventually the equipment of our party varied84 from a simple but enormous rucksack, with water-bottle slung85 separately, to a rather complicated arrangement by which the pack was balanced to some extent by biscuit-pouches, haversack, and water-bottle attached to the belt.
In all cases the total load carried, with water-bottles filled but chargals empty, amounted to close upon 50 lb.; of this 25¼ lb. were food, 5 lb. water-bottle, and 12 lb. accessories and spare clothing; and the remainder the weight of the equipment itself—in one case as much as 8 lb.
A few notes as to the above food and equipment may be of interest. The soft biscuits were obtained at the last moment from an officer who had intended to decamp but was prevented from so doing by a game leg. They took the place of 1½ lb. of a kind of sun-dried meat known locally as "pastomar," similar to "biltong," but seasoned with garlic. This we had bought two or three weeks previous to the date of departure, for it was not always obtainable in the bazaar. Hence it was necessary to take it while the chance offered,[71] in spite of the unpleasantness of having to keep such evil-smelling stuff in a living-room. Its taste to any one but the garlic-loving Oriental is as disagreeable as its scent86, so that it was not altogether without relief that we found at the last moment that most of the pastomar was already breeding maggots, and we replaced it with the odd six biscuits apiece.
Having read during our captivity a good deal about Arctic exploration, we had also experimented with the local pemmican, but found it would not withstand the heat. The cheeses were from home parcels, and to save weight were taken out of their tins on the last day. The same was also done with the cocoa and Ovaltine, which were then carried in bags made from handkerchiefs.
Two of the party also carried an extra pound of chocolate and some Oxo tablets, on the understanding that they were to be thrown away if the loads proved too heavy, for most of us felt that the last straw was already nearly reached.
Spare clothing was left for individuals to decide for themselves, and some carried a little thin underclothing and a "woolley" in addition to the spare shirt and socks.
The medicines comprised quinine, aspirin87, cascara sagrada, Dover's powders, and iodine88, these being supplied to us by our own doctors. Also some arrowroot and Ovaltine in case any one had to diet himself. We had in addition,[72] while at Changri, managed to obtain from the local chemist about fifteen opium pills per head. Most of us further carried either boric powder or ointment89 for the feet. The vermin-proof belts were to be more useful as a safeguard against chill than against vermin, as in the end we on no occasion slept inside a Turkish dwelling90.
With one exception, all the compasses were of the poorest description, being of the more or less toy variety with a mirror on the back. Changri, however, produced one of superior pattern, which we purchased without arousing suspicion, and attempted to make more efficient with the luminous91 paint off the face of an old watch, but without very lasting92 success.
It is not easy to make a bag of canvas which will hold water, but by dint93 of fine stitching and a special kind of beeswax, our naval leader succeeded in producing three chargals which did yeoman service.
The map on which we were to rely was a French one, forty years old, and on a scale of about twenty-four miles to the inch. An officer had bought it for five pounds from a Greek dentist at Kastamoni. As it happened it was not bought primarily for escape purposes, but we persuaded him to sell it to us on his leaving Changri for Geddos. In this the hill features were very indistinctly shown by vague hachuring, and even a big river such as the Kizil Irmak was in several places[73] shown dotted, signifying not that this dried up during parts of the year, but that no one had surveyed it. An up-to-date but very small map had been received from home by means of a series of six "bananas," each containing a tiny section; but, owing to our change of plan, this showed little of our proposed route.
The "sun compass" needs some explanation. This was an invention of Captain A. B. Matthews, D.S.O., R.E., who had been a prisoner of war at Yozgad since the fall of Kut-el-Amara. Wishing to make a rough survey of the immediately surrounding country for the use of the Hunt Club, and finding that local magnetic attraction made a compass altogether unreliable, he bethought him of a simple means of utilising the sun, which in the wonderful climate of Asia Minor is rarely obscured throughout the spring, summer, or autumn. The "sun compass" consists merely of a thin wooden disc of say 5 inches diameter, with the outer edge divided into 360 degrees, and with a hole at the centre through which can be inserted a piece of stiff straight wire. A table of the sun's bearing at any hour on any day completes the instrument. In actual use the disc is held horizontally, with the graduations upwards94, and the wire kept vertical95 and protruding96 above the disc. Then, by turning the latter till the shadow of the wire falls on the sun's bearing plus 180 degrees, you[74] have the disc set to read off true bearings in any direction.
Captain Matthews was also responsible for the star charts. By means of two maps of the heavens obtained from a book on travel, published by the Royal Geographical97 Society, he devised from first principles a "bus" consisting of three concentric cardboard discs. By means of these it was possible, almost mechanically, to read off the bearings of the brighter stars in the main constellations98 for any hour and any night of the year. It was thus possible to obtain a series of charts showing on which star one should march for any required bearing, and at any particular time. We prepared them for all hours of the nights from the 1st August to the 15th September 1918. This chart-book was of value as a check on a magnetic compass by night, but assumed an elementary knowledge of at least those constellations which would be of use for the particular purpose in view.
Although it was expected that if we wished to evade99 recapture we should have to avoid replenishing our supplies at any villages, it was necessary to take money in case we were compelled to do so as a last resource. For this purpose a certain amount of gold and silver was essential: otherwise it was quite possible that, in payment for anything in an out-of-the-way district, the paper money would be received at its true value, namely, nothing at all. A certain amount of[75] paper money was, however, advisable in view of the conditions we might expect if we were recaptured, as paper money was less likely to be taken away from us than gold and silver. It was decided then to start if possible with at least £2 each in gold, £30 in paper, and two medjidies (worth four shillings each) in silver. This we succeeded in collecting, thanks to being able to cash a few cheques locally: for both the gold and the silver, however, it was necessary to pay five times their face value in paper. We bought silver coins, a few at a time, from various sentries. These men thoroughly100 understood our desire for them when we hinted at a pretty girl in England who would look very handsome with a necklace of medjidies round her neck.
While at Changri our party had succeeded in obtaining from other officers two pukka helio-mirrors, which had escaped destruction on the fall of Kut-el-Amara. With these we had fitted up a duplex heliograph, complete with signalling key and adjusting screws. Whereas, however, for the Samos scheme it would have been invaluable101, for Rendezvous X its use was more problematical; and in view of the way in which essentials had gradually mounted up, it was in the end rather reluctantly decided that the helio must go by the board, as it weighed about three pounds.
Another decision now made was that in our party we should not use violence in[76] order to make our escape, unless it should be necessary on the coast itself to avoid throwing away a really good chance. It was recognised that if bloodshed occurred, the Turks would be quite capable of killing102 off the whole of our party, and possibly others, if recaptured. For this reason no attempt was made to procure103 firearms, though this would probably have been no more difficult than obtaining the fezes, compasses, and field-glasses.
During the four months we were at Yozgad, Grunt104, being one of the best Turkish scholars in the camp, started a class for any who chose to learn Turkish. About five times a week, therefore, all the original six of our escape-party and a few others used to meet in Grunt's room for an hour's instruction. In the case of would-be escapers, the main attraction of these lessons was this: if any of us were recaptured, as some were practically certain to be, it would be possible to make oneself understood to some slight extent, and thereby perhaps alleviate105 the unpleasantness of prison life by being able to let our jailers know our wants. Since, also, to judge by the experience of those who had been recaptured, we should, if equally unfortunate, spend several months in the close company of some of the worst criminals in Turkey, it would be a pity not to take the opportunity of picking up a really good conversational106 knowledge of the language under[77] exceptionally favourable107 circumstances. For this a grounding in grammar would be invaluable. Nothing else but these considerations would have induced the majority of us to attempt so difficult a task as learning even the rudiments108 of the Ottoman tongue.
As the time grew near for the great adventure, the last stage of our training was entered upon. Every opportunity was taken of going out hunting, although the field was limited to a total of thirty. Keenness in hockey died off, as many of us were afraid of sustaining some injury which might incapacitate us on the actual day. Running and hard walking round the garden became a regular institution in some houses; and several cupboards, if suddenly opened at almost any hour of the day and at many in the night, would have disclosed a member of an escape-party loaded up in the most extraordinary manner, and performing gymnastic exercises for the strengthening of leg and shoulder muscles. In view of the inevitable109 hard marching, towards the end several of the party even went so far as to soak the feet several times a day in a strong solution of alum, in the hope of hardening the feet and avoiding blisters110.
At the same time efforts were made to build up the stamina111 necessary for a 400-mile march by eating the most nourishing foods obtainable, irrespective of the fact that the price of any food seemed to go up as the[78] cube of its body-building value. To give one instance, sugar at this time cost a sovereign the pound.
It was almost inevitable that, with so many preparations in progress, the secret of our intentions should leak out in the camp; and once suspicions were aroused many of our actions would go to confirm them. Thus it came about that a few days before the 30th July, the whole of the camp at Yozgad knew pretty well that attempts to escape were on foot; the shopping lists for the Changri division were alone enough to have set people talking. Everybody wanted bootlaces, straps112, hobnails, rope, &c., in prodigious113 quantities. Unfortunately the Turks also appeared to have got wind of it. For the last week of July, sentries were visited and awakened114 with unheard-of frequency. Even the commandant himself occasionally visited the different houses after dark. In the case of one house, an extra sentry was suddenly posted in the garden.
However, our preparations went quietly on; our "hosts" might have nothing really definite to go upon, and the more keen the sentries were now, the more weary they would be by the time the real day arrived. We therefore continued to make holes in walls, loosen iron bars, dig unnecessary irrigation channels in the garden, &c., &c., all as aids to egress115 from one house or another on the final night.
[79]
In the particular house of our original six, (Cochrane and Ellis lived in another), we had come to the conclusion that our best chance was to prepare a hole through the outer wall of the kitchen belonging to our mess. This kitchen, it is necessary to explain, was built along the high enclosure wall of the garden, and was separated from the house itself by a narrow alley6-way, over which one of the sentries stood guard. Next to the kitchen in the same outhouse was a little room with one small window opening on to the alley, the entrance being viâ the kitchen itself. This second room was used as a fowl-house, and it was here that we made up our minds to prepare a hole three-quarters of the way through the outer wall. How exactly those escaping from our house were to get across into the kitchen and finish off the hole on the final night was a problem of which the solution was only settled in detail at the last moment, and we will therefore leave our readers in a similar state of suspense116. The essential was that all should be present at the evening roll-call, and yet the hole must be completed and everybody be across at precisely117 9.15 P.M.
So uncertain were we of the means of effecting this that we had a second alternative in case the first scheme could not be carried out. This involved getting over the wall by ladders.
A day or two before the 30th July, representatives[80] of the various parties met once again in solemn conclave118 to ensure that the various plans should not clash, and a few general instructions were issued to parties with a view to obtaining as long a start as possible. Every one was to be represented in bed on the night by a dummy119; boots were to be padded, likewise the ends of khud-sticks (these were a sine qua non of our equipment for night-marching); water-bottles were not to be filled because they gurgled; every man's equipment was to be finally tried on to make certain that it would not make any noise.
Lastly, a lamp-signal was arranged between houses in case any party should be caught just prior to leaving their house, for instance while completing a hole. If that signal were given, it would no longer be necessary for the other parties to wait until 9.15 before they started; on the contrary, they were advised to start away at once before the alarm reached the sentries in the other houses.
The 30th July arrived, but with it an unexpected complication. Vague news had just come through that an exchange ship was being sent out from England to fetch some of the worst cases of sick and wounded from among the British prisoners in Turkey. The boat, said the rumour120, was due to arrive at some port at about the end of August, and the question therefore arose at the eleventh hour whether, if we set off now, it might not give the Turks the pretext121 that our Government[81] had informed us of the visit of this vessel122, and that we were making off in the hopes of getting aboard her secretly. The argument was of course, on the face of it, ridiculous, but then so is the Turk, and it would be a terrible responsibility for us if by our escape we destroyed the hopes of these poor sick and wounded men. A vote was therefore taken as to whether we would postpone123 the date, with the result that the motion was carried by a small majority.
This was a terrible disappointment, for it meant, we thought, another month of indecision. Moreover, there would be no hope of finding a boat still awaiting us at Rendezvous X, and it would be too late in the year for much chance of our finding crops to eat or hide in. It was the moon, however, which in the end decided that the postponement124 could not be for so long. On working out its time of rising, it was found that if we waited till the end of August the moon would only rise late enough to let us leave our houses at 9.15, when within four days of its disappearance125. In this way we should be handicapped by having the maximum of dark, or practically dark, nights for our journey. The whole question was therefore revised in this new light, and it was decided that we must either start before the new moon came or else give up all hope of leaving in this year at all. The night 7th-8th August was then chosen. This would be a Wednesday, and the following[82] morning a hunt-day, when the check taken at dawn was confused by the movements of thirty officers dressing126 in haste for the day's sport.
The week's grace was spent in perfecting all our arrangements. One refinement127 was to collect our own and other people's hair when cut by an officer barber, and paste it on to the outside of a cloth bag stuffed with rubbish or towels made up to about the size of a man's head. These were to be the heads of our dummies128. Meanwhile we were more careful with our shopping orders, and were relieved to find suspicions in the camp dying down.
On the morning of the 31st July an officer, who was supposed to know nothing of the escape, had been called by his orderly and told, "They ain't gone after all, sir!"
FOOTNOTE:
[8]The following is a list of the officers who attempted to escape, but were unhappily all recaptured, mostly within a few days of starting, but in the case of one party not until they had been at large for eighteen days and covered over 200 miles: Major C. H. Stockley, 66th Punjabis; Captains C. Manners, 104th Rifles; A. B. Matthews, D.S.O., R.E.; E. W. Burdett and C. A. Raynor, 48th Pioneers; T. R. Wells, R.A.F.; R. O. Chamier, 110th Mahrattas; H. H. Rich, 120th Infantry; E. T. M. Patmore, Hants Regiment129, T.F.; Lieutenants130 Tudway, R.N.; J. H. Brabazon, Connaught Rangers131; A. V. Barlow, R.A.F.; H. D. Stearns, I.A.R., 117th Mahrattas; A. Macfadyen, I.A.R., 110th Mahrattas; F. S. Sheridan, I.A.R., Gurkhas; J. Dooley, I.A.R., M.T.; M. L. C. Smith, I.A.R., 7th Rajputs.
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1
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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pillaged
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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demolished
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| v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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reminder
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| n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示 | |
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14
emaciated
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| adj.衰弱的，消瘦的 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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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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connivance
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| n.纵容；默许 | |
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18
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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19
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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20
vouchsafe
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| v.惠予，准许 | |
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21
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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22
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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23
averse
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| adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的 | |
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24
wares
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| n. 货物, 商品 | |
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bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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26
vouched
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| v.保证( vouch的过去式和过去分词 )；担保；确定；确定地说 | |
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27
gorging
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| v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的现在分词 )；作呕 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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bazaar
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| n.集市，商店集中区 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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31
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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32
importunate
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| adj.强求的；纠缠不休的 | |
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33
concessions
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| n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权 | |
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34
captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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35
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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exponents
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| n.倡导者( exponent的名词复数 )；说明者；指数；能手 | |
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37
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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39
fluency
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| n.流畅，雄辩，善辩 | |
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40
versus
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| prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下 | |
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41
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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42
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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43
nominally
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| 在名义上，表面地； 应名儿 | |
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44
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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45
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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46
inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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47
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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48
nefarious
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| adj.恶毒的，极坏的 | |
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49
Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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50
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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51
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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52
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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53
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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54
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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55
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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56
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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57
territorial
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| adj.领土的，领地的 | |
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58
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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59
chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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60
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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61
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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62
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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63
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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64
computing
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| n.计算 | |
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65
nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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66
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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67
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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68
ration
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| n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应 | |
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69
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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70
momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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71
tabloid
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| adj.轰动性的，庸俗的；n.小报，文摘 | |
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72
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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73
outfits
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| n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 ) | |
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74
aluminium
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| n.铝 (=aluminum) | |
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75
opium
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| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
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76
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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77
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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78
tunic
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| n.束腰外衣 | |
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79
slitting
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| n.纵裂（缝）v.切开，撕开( slit的现在分词 )；在…上开狭长口子 | |
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80
silhouette
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| n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓 | |
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81
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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82
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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83
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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84
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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85
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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86
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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87
aspirin
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| n.阿司匹林 | |
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88
iodine
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| n.碘，碘酒 | |
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89
ointment
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| n.药膏，油膏，软膏 | |
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90
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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91
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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92
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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93
dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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94
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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95
vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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96
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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97
geographical
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| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
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98
constellations
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| n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人） | |
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99
evade
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| vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避 | |
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100
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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101
invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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102
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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103
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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104
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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105
alleviate
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| v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等) | |
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conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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107
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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108
rudiments
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| n.基础知识，入门 | |
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109
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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110
blisters
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| n.水疱( blister的名词复数 )；水肿；气泡 | |
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111
stamina
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| n.体力；精力；耐力 | |
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112
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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113
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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114
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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115
egress
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| n.出去；出口 | |
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116
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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117
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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118
conclave
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| n.秘密会议，红衣主教团 | |
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119
dummy
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| n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头 | |
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120
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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121
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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122
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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123
postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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124
postponement
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| n.推迟 | |
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125
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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126
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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127
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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128
dummies
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| n.仿制品( dummy的名词复数 )；橡皮奶头；笨蛋；假传球 | |
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129
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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130
lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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131
rangers
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| 护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员 | |
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