LIGHTS OUT 343 



side of his bunk, on which he kept a large assortment 

 of things, had fallen down, and filled the bunk with rifles, 

 ammunition, gramophone-discs, tool-boxes, sweetmeat- 

 boxes, pipes, tins of tobacco, ash-trays, boxes of matches, 

 etc., and there was no room left for the man himself. 

 He had to get out again, and his defeat was doubly 

 hard. With shame he acknowledged Stubberud as 

 the victor; " but," he added, " you shan't be first another 

 time." One by one the others turned in; books were 

 produced here and there a pipe as well and in this 

 way the last hour was passed. At eleven o'clock 

 precisely the lamps were put out, and the day was at 

 an end. 



Soon after, my host goes to the door, and I follow 

 him out. I had told him I had to leave again this 

 evening, and he is going to see me off. " I'll take you 

 as far as the depot," he says; " the rest of the way you 

 can manage by yourself." The weather has improved 

 considerably, but it is dark horribly dark. " So that 

 we may find the way more easily," he says, " I'll take 

 my trio. If they don't see the way, they'll smell it 

 out." Having let loose the three dogs, who evidently 

 wonder what the meaning of it may be, he puts a lantern 

 on a stack of timber to show him the way back, I 

 suppose and we go off. The dogs are evidently 

 accustomed to go this way, for they set off at once 

 in the direction of the depot. 



Yes," says my companion, " it's not to be wondered 



