tent. His food he stored in a makeshift larder in the ditch, always ensuring that it was adequately wrapped in a sack. The rest of his equipment, apart from his fishing rod, was left in his rucksack and satchel which were hidden separately under a thick bush. By this means he hoped that, if discovered, they would not lose everything.
Unless it was impossible he had resolved to take Wolfi with him on each trip. On this, his fifth day since separating from his parents he was determined to find another secure hideout. Following the line of his snares he checked each one and with each was disappointed. As he approached the shores of Wannsee he thought back to the evening when they had hidden in the trees awaiting the Captain.
âStop thinking about it,â Peter chastised himself. âWe have work to do.â
After a while he came across a thicker copse of trees with low-hanging branches. As he crawled on his hands and knees he discovered it was dry underneath the thickest branches. As he anticipated he soon came to a spot where they were much higher above his head, so high that he could stand comfortably. In all the area under the trees was almost three metres in diameter. Beyond the trees and barely visible when standing was a clearing, three or four metres across. He used the small axe to cut a tunnel through the undergrowth, lowering the height as he went. When finished only a small gap remained at the edge of the copse, about the height of Wolfi.
In the middle of the copse Peter made a mud wall from the pine needles and earth, supported with wooden stakes. Over the top he spread an interwoven layer of fir tree branches. He left a small entrance for a door. Once complete he was able to sit in his shelter but not stand upright. Stepping back to admire his labour he was pleased with his efforts. He would be sheltered from the very worst weather and no-one would stumble across this site accidentally. With his old tent and other equipment, the new den was well-protected from the elements.
âNo-one will ever find us here Wolfi,â Peter boasted.
The young boy was now so confident in navigating through the woods that he moved everything to this one camp in the darkness. The real danger lay in crossing the footpaths. When in the trees he saw no-one, mainly because of the inhospitable weather.
By minimising their movements and carefully rationing their food, they survived in this way for the next few months. As expected, the oil for the burner ran out. Peter built a type of oven using large rocks. At night he would burn wood underneath when there was nobody about. The warm food would produce tantalising smells. His greatest fear was that the flames would act as a beacon or that the fire might ignite the dried pine needles all around him. By half burying the oven in the ground and creating air holes he hoped to reduce the danger. During the day they would largely sleep, only attending to necessary tasks requiring full light. They would eat lightly and at night consume their one hot meal of the day. His traps were largely unsuccessful, nonetheless their infrequent haul of just a few rabbits was enough to feed them for three or four days at a time. With the added protection of the trees and the warmth from Wolfi, Peter found this new camp really quite comfortable. Only the frequent thoughts of his parents interrupted the tranquility. Each morning they would venture out of the copse simply to alleviate the boredom of trees all around. For the moment life was a mixture of routine with the odd adventure, but at least they were together.
* * *
One morning, towards the middle of December, Peter looked in his homemade larder. He knew there was nothing inside, yet he still looked. They had not caught anything for over a week and the previous day they had finished the last of their tins. The only remaining supplies were of salt, vinegar and some flour. It was time to go hunting again. For a brief moment he had
Unless it was impossible he had resolved to take Wolfi with him on each trip. On this, his fifth day since separating from his parents he was determined to find another secure hideout. Following the line of his snares he checked each one and with each was disappointed. As he approached the shores of Wannsee he thought back to the evening when they had hidden in the trees awaiting the Captain.
âStop thinking about it,â Peter chastised himself. âWe have work to do.â
After a while he came across a thicker copse of trees with low-hanging branches. As he crawled on his hands and knees he discovered it was dry underneath the thickest branches. As he anticipated he soon came to a spot where they were much higher above his head, so high that he could stand comfortably. In all the area under the trees was almost three metres in diameter. Beyond the trees and barely visible when standing was a clearing, three or four metres across. He used the small axe to cut a tunnel through the undergrowth, lowering the height as he went. When finished only a small gap remained at the edge of the copse, about the height of Wolfi.
In the middle of the copse Peter made a mud wall from the pine needles and earth, supported with wooden stakes. Over the top he spread an interwoven layer of fir tree branches. He left a small entrance for a door. Once complete he was able to sit in his shelter but not stand upright. Stepping back to admire his labour he was pleased with his efforts. He would be sheltered from the very worst weather and no-one would stumble across this site accidentally. With his old tent and other equipment, the new den was well-protected from the elements.
âNo-one will ever find us here Wolfi,â Peter boasted.
The young boy was now so confident in navigating through the woods that he moved everything to this one camp in the darkness. The real danger lay in crossing the footpaths. When in the trees he saw no-one, mainly because of the inhospitable weather.
By minimising their movements and carefully rationing their food, they survived in this way for the next few months. As expected, the oil for the burner ran out. Peter built a type of oven using large rocks. At night he would burn wood underneath when there was nobody about. The warm food would produce tantalising smells. His greatest fear was that the flames would act as a beacon or that the fire might ignite the dried pine needles all around him. By half burying the oven in the ground and creating air holes he hoped to reduce the danger. During the day they would largely sleep, only attending to necessary tasks requiring full light. They would eat lightly and at night consume their one hot meal of the day. His traps were largely unsuccessful, nonetheless their infrequent haul of just a few rabbits was enough to feed them for three or four days at a time. With the added protection of the trees and the warmth from Wolfi, Peter found this new camp really quite comfortable. Only the frequent thoughts of his parents interrupted the tranquility. Each morning they would venture out of the copse simply to alleviate the boredom of trees all around. For the moment life was a mixture of routine with the odd adventure, but at least they were together.
* * *
One morning, towards the middle of December, Peter looked in his homemade larder. He knew there was nothing inside, yet he still looked. They had not caught anything for over a week and the previous day they had finished the last of their tins. The only remaining supplies were of salt, vinegar and some flour. It was time to go hunting again. For a brief moment he had
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