Greenmantle - John Buchan

convalescent room, where people were sitting who had been in hospital. It was a
big place, a little warmer than the rest of the building, but still abominably fuggy.
There were about half a dozen men in the room, reading and playing games.
They looked at us with lack-lustre eyes for a moment, and then returned to their
occupations. Being convalescents I suppose they were not expected to get up and
salute.
All but one, who was playing Patience at a little table by which we passed. I
was feeling very bad about the thing, for I hated to see these good fellows locked
away in this infernal German hole when they might have been giving the Boche
his deserts at the front. The commandant went first with Peter, who had
developed a great interest in prisons. Then came our lieutenant with one of the
doctors; then a couple of warders; and then the second doctor and myself. I was
absent-minded at the moment and was last in the queue.
The Patience-player suddenly looked up and I saw his face. I'm hanged if it
wasn't Dolly Riddell, who was our brigade machine-gun officer at Loos. I had
heard that the Germans had got him when they blew up a mine at the Quarries.
I had to act pretty quick, for his mouth was agape, and I saw he was going to
speak. The doctor was a yard ahead of me.
I stumbled and spilt his cards on the floor. Then I kneeled to pick them up
and gripped his knee. His head bent to help me and I spoke low in his ear.
'I'm Hannay all right. For God's sake don't wink an eye. I'm here on a secret
job.'
The doctor had turned to see what was the matter. I got a few more words in.
'Cheer up, old man. We're winning hands down.'
Then I began to talk excited Dutch and finished the collection of the cards.
Dolly was playing his part well, smiling as if he was amused by the antics of a
monkey. The others were coming back, the deputy-commandant with an angry
light in his dull eye. 'Speaking to the prisoners is forbidden,' he shouted.
I looked blankly at him till the lieutenant translated.
'What kind of fellow is he?' said Dolly in English to the doctor. 'He spoils my
game and then jabbers High-Dutch at me.'