“Same here,” I said; “I had some fine swimming when I was on my permission. Can you guess what time we shall reach that river?”
“By the way they are hurrying us, I should say it would be late in the day; but I really know nothing about it; it’s only a surmise.”
“I have a plan,” I said, “I know something about pontoon bridges made of boats. I wonder if we could make them believe that neither of us can swim?” Then I told him of my scheme.
Nothing more was said for a long time, as we marched along the road, I still hobbling on my improvised crutch and my comrade pretending to help me occasionally.
Quite late in the day we came to a narrow but apparently deep stream where the guard halted. Gordon told me later that they discussed with the non-commissioned officer, whether or not it wouldn’t be best to try to find a ford, as it would save a mile or more of travel.
Then they made motions to us, to know if we could swim, to which we both replied by shaking our heads and pretending to be frightened.
So again we began our march by a road that led along the stream. I pretended to be very tired, and occasionally jostled against the guard that was marching near me. He cried out angrily and pushed me with his rifle. When I jostled against him again, he threatened me with the butt of it. I was getting on bad terms with him; for he did not have the sweetest of tempers. I am afraid my face showed him that it would be more than agreeable to me if I could kick him; for he grew more and more disagreeable.
It was nearly dark and clouds darkened the sky, when we came to a pontoon boat bridge.
“I am awfully afraid of water,” I said to Gordon with a wink. “It would be just my confounded luck to fall overboard here and drown. It don’t look safe.”
As our group reached the bridge, I pretended to grow very timid about trusting myself on it. The guard near me was tired and ugly. I started and jostled against him, and he struck me with the butt of his rifle, which I returned with an angry look and gesture; for that is a language that any one can understand.