“The German was surprised but he pulled himself together.

“ ‘I do not fear you,’ said he, ‘and I beg you as an honourable man to drop your joke at once and I do not fear you.’

“ ‘That’s a lie,’ said I, ‘you do!’

“Why, he did not dare to move his head away, he just sat there.

“ ‘No,’ said he, ‘you that will never dare.’

“ ‘Why don’t I dare?’ said I.

“ ‘Because,’ said he, ‘that is you strictly forbidden and for that they will you strictly punish.’

“The devil only knows what that fool of a German was after. If he hadn’t egged me on he’d have been living to this day. It all came from our disputing.

“ ‘So I daren’t, you think?’