I said I wanted to go home.

They did not understand me.

They took me into the guard-house and searched me, but they found no sedition on me.

They found a small piece of soap (we carry soap with us, now,) and I made them a present of it, seeing that they regarded it as a curiosity.

I continued to say Hotel d'Europe, and they continued to shake their heads, until at last a young soldier nodding in the corner roused up and said something.