[5]. The séance that follows is incidentally an example of a conversation with a person still alive, or, in the technical language of the séance room, “still on this side.”
[6]. Yok is the Turkish equivalent of “Na-poo” in Tommy’s French.
[7]. Yessack: Forbidden.
[8]. The conjuror was Lieutenant C. W. Hill, R.A.F., who ultimately became my partner for escape and whose better acquaintance the reader will make later on.
[9]. From now onwards O’Farrell, Matthews, and Price did not attend any of our séances, as communication was not allowed between the Schoolhouse and the Hospital House after dark. The séances that led up to trapping the Interpreter were conducted by Nightingale, Bishop, Hill, and myself, with Edmonds and Mundey as recorders, and numerous casual visitors.
[10]. It is true that the feat was eventually accomplished, and eight men led by Cochrane reached Cyprus in September 1918. The narrative of their adventures has been published, and is a splendid story of pluck and almost superhuman endurance, of wise and heroic leadership. But these qualities, which the party possessed in measure full to overflowing, would have availed them little had they not met with the stupendous luck that their courage deserved. It detracts not one whit from the splendour of their achievement that their effort was favoured by the Goddess of Fortune. And the reflection may bring some comfort to the eighteen others who started the same night—only to be recaptured—and to those wiseacres who remained behind.
[11]. Events prove we were perfectly correct in our anticipation of what the Turks would do in the event of an escape.
(1) After the attempted escape of Cochrane, Price, and Stoker from Afion Kara Hissar in 1916, the whole camp was confined for six weeks without exercise, in a church. (2) The escape of Bishop, Keeling, Tipton, and Sweet from Kastamouni in 1917 was followed by a very severe “strafing” of the whole camp.
(3) The big escape of twenty-six officers from Yozgad in August 1918 was followed by a camp “strafe.”
(4) The following Turkish Order, which was put up on our notice-board in Yozgad in October 1917 speaks for itself. I quote it verbatim: