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to remain on guard over his captive.
Then he returned to the corner of the trench where the remains of his
own company were. He told them how he had fallen into the German
trench and what had happened up to the moment the German officer
came into the proceedings.
"This is the man," he said, nodding his head towards the officer, "and I
wad just like to tell you carefully and exactly what happened between
him an' me. Ye'll understaun' better if a' show ye as weel as tell ye.
Weel, now, he made twa men tie ma' hands behind ma' back first--if
ony o' ye will lend me a first field dressing I'll show ye how they did
it."
A field dressing was promptly forthcoming, and Macalister bound the
German's hands behind his back, overcoming a slight attempt at
resistance by a warning word and an accompanying sharp twist on his
arms.
"It's maybe no just as tight as mine was," said Macalister when he had
finished, and stood the prisoner back against the wall. "But it'll dae.
Then he made twa men stand wi' fixed bayonets against ma' breast, and
when I hinted what was true, that he was no gentleman, he said I was to
kneel and beg his pardon. And now you," he said, nodding to the
prisoner, "will go down on your marrow-bones and beg mine."
"That is sufficient of this fooling," said the officer, with an attempt at
bravado. "It's your turn, I'll admit; but I will pay you well--"
Macalister interrupted him-"Ye'll maybe think it's a bit mair than
fooling ere I'm done wi' ye," he said. "But speakin' o' pay... and thank
ye for reminding me. Ower there they riped ma pooches, an' took
a'thing I had."

He stepped over to the prisoner, went expeditiously through his pockets,
removed the contents, and transferred them to his own.
"I'm no saying but what I've got mair than I lost," he admitted to the
others, who stood round gravely watching and thoroughly enjoying the
proceedings. "But then they took all I had, an' I'm only taking all he
has."
He pulled a couple of sandbags off the parapet and seated himself on
them.
"To go on wi' this begging pardon business," he said, "If a couple o' ye
will just stand ower him wi' your fixed bayonets.... Thank ye. I
wouldna' kneel," he continued, "so one o' them put his weight on my
shoulders----" He looked at one of the guards, who, entering promptly
into the spirit of the play, put his massive weight on the German's
shoulders, and looked to Macalister for further instructions.
"Then," said Macalister, "the ither guard gave me a swipe across the
back o' the knees."
The "swipe" followed quickly and neatly, and the German went down
with a jerk.
"That's it exactly," said Macalister, with a pleasantly reminiscent smile.
The German's temper broke, and he spat forth a torrent of abuse in
mixed English and German.
Macalister listened a moment. "I said nothing; so I think he shouldna'
be allowed to say anything," he remarked judicially. His comment met
with emphatic approval from his listeners.
"I think I could gag him," said one of his guards; "or if ye preferred it I
could just throttle his windpipe a wee bit, just enough to stop his tongue
and no to hurt him much."
With an effort the German regained his control. "There is no need," he
said sullenly; "I shall be silent."

"Weel," resumed Macalister, "there was a bit o' chaff back and forrit
between us, and next thing he did was to slap me across the face wi' his
hand. Do ye think," he appealed to his audience, "it would brak' his jaw
if I gave him a bit lick across it?"
He advanced a huge hand for inspection, and listened to the free advice
given to try it, and the earnest assurances that it did not matter much if
the jaw did break.
"Ye'll feenish him off presently onyway, I suppose?" said one, and
winked at Macalister.
"Just bide a wee," answered Macalister, "I'm coming to that. I think
maybe I'll no brak his jaw, for fair's fair, and I want to give as near as I
can to what I got."
He leant forward and dealt a mild but tingling slap on the German's
cheek.
"I think," he went on, "the next thing I got was a slash wi' a bit switch
he pulled out from the trench wall. We've no sticks like it here, so I
maun just do the best I can instead."
He leant forward and fastened a huge hand on the prisoner's coat-collar,
jerked him to him, and, despite his frantic struggles and raging tongue,
placed him face down across his knees and