this occasion told us she had sunk the American sailing vessel _John H.
Kirby_ from America to East London with a cargo of four hundred
motor-cars on board, when two days from her destination, the officers
and crew being taken on board the _Wolf_. Many people in South Africa
would have to dispense with their motor joy-rides at Christmas in
consequence.

The evening of December 7th was the last occasion we saw the _Wolf_ for
many days. The two ships now shaped a course for the Brazilian Island of
Trinidad, where it was understood the _Wolf_ would coal from her prize,
and with her spend the Christmas holidays.




CHAPTER VII

CHRISTMAS ON THE "IGOTZ MENDI"


It must not be supposed that the life of the prisoners on the _Igotz
Mendi_ in any way approximated to that of passengers on an ordinary
passenger ship. To begin with, there were no ship's servants to wait on
us with the exception of the Spanish steward, a youth who "waited" at
table and excelled in breaking ship's crockery. Often he poured the
coffee over us, or into our pockets, instead of into our cups, and on
one occasion, during a heavier roll than usual, he fell down in the
middle of the saloon while carrying a tureen full of soup. It went
flying over the saloon and some of its occupants, so our soup ration was
short that day.