Page:The Invasion of 1910.djvu/143

 men in uniform—soldiers, evidently. I had often been in Germany, and recognised the squat pickel-haubes and general get-up of the rapidly approaching horsemen at a glance.

"'I didn't know the Yeomanry were out!' was what my friend said.

"'Yeomanry be hanged! They're Germans, or I'm a Dutchman!' I answered; 'and what the dickens can they be doing here?'

"They were upon us almost as I spoke, pulling up their horses with a great spattering up of grass and mud, quite ruining one of our best greens. All three of them pointed big, ugly repeating pistols at us, and the leader, a conceited-looking ass in staff uniform, required us to 'surrender' in quite a pompous manner, but in very good English.

"'Do we look so very dangerous, Herr Lieutenant?' inquired I in German.

"He dropped a little of his frills when he heard me speak in his native language, asked which of us was the Mayor, and condescended to explain that I was required in Maldon by the officer at present in command of His Imperial Majesty the Kaiser's forces occupying that place.

"I was absolutely staggered.

"When I left my house a couple of hours back I had just as much expectation of finding the Chinese there on my return as the Germans. I looked at my captor in complete bewilderment. Could he be some fellow trying to take a rise out of me by masquerading as a German officer? But no, I recognised at once that he was the genuine article. Everything about him, from the badly-cut riding-boots to the sprouting moustache curled up in feeble imitation of the Emperor's characteristic adornment, bore witness to his identity. If anything were wanting, it was supplied by his aggressive manner.

"I suggested that he might point his pistol some other way. I added that if he wanted to try his skill