"You make fine music! Ach! Up at the D.O.A.G. very near here we Unteroffitzieren spend the evening, all very fond of singing, yet without music at all. Will you not come and play with us?"
"I only know French and English tunes!" lied Fred.
"Ach! I do not believe it! Kommen Sie! There is beer at the
D.O.A.G.—champagne—brandy—whisky—rum—?"
"I'm going, then, for one!" announced Brown, getting up immediately.
"Cigars—cigarettes—tobacco," the sergeant-major continued. "There is no closing time." He saw that the line of argument was not tempting, and changed his tactics. "Listen! You gentlemen have not too many friends in Muanza! I speak in friendship. I invite you on behalf of myself and other Unteroffitzieren to spend gemuthlich evening with us. That can do you no harm! In the course of friendly conversation much can be learned that official lips would not tell!
"Kommen Sie nun!"
"Let's go!" I said. "My leg hurts like hell. If I stay here I can't sleep. Anything to keep from thinking about it! Besides, some one must go and look after Brown!"
"Who'll watch those Greeks?" Fred demanded. "They'd as soon steal as eat!"
"We'd better all stay here together," said Will, "and take turns keeping watch till morning." He said it with a straight face, but I did not think he was in earnest.
"Ach!" exclaimed Schubert. "That is all ganz einfach! You shall have askaris!"