Show tiff r DUN UN I By B LIEUTENANT i PAT OBRIEN O'BRIEN I If ill Im I'm Aim O OBrien O'Brien CHAPTER a i J Experiences In Holland But I was not quite out of ot the woods I now knew that I was In Holland but just where I had no idea I walked for tor about thirty minutes and came to toa i. i a path leading to the right and I had hadr n e eI r I I I II I II I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I I II I I I II s- s 41 I II I i I f i II NW I Q Heard Heard the German Guard Coming proceeded along It but a few tew hundred yards when I saw In front of me a exactly like the on one I had crossed This Is funny tunny I said to myself I didn't know the Dutch had a fence too I advanced to the tho fence and examined It closely and Judge of rn my astonishment when I saw beyond It ft a 1 nine foot foot fence apparently hold n live wires exactly like the one had nearly been the death of me mel I I had very little time to conjecture what It ft all meant for just then I heard a guard coming He lie was walkIng walkIng walking walk walk- ing so fast that I was sure flure it was a Dutch sentry as the Huns nuns walk much I was so bewildered however that I decided to take no chances and as the road was fairly good I 1 wandered do down sn it and away from that mysterious ous fence About half halt a mile down I 1 could see fee the light of a n sentry station station station sta sta- tion and I thought I 1 would go there end tell my story to the sentries realizing realizing real real- izing that as I was unarmed It was perfectly safe for me to announce to the Dutch authorities I 1 could be interned only It If I i. entered Holland Bolland under arms arras As I approached the sentry box I noticed three men in gray uniforms the regulation Dutch color I was on the verge of shouting to them when the thought struck me that there was Just a chance chanco I might be mistaken I as ns the German uniforms were th the same color and I had suffered too many privations and too many narrow escapes to lose all at this time limo by Jumping at nt conclusions I had Just turned off ort tho the road to go goback goback goback back Into some bushes when out of ot the tho darkness I heard that dread German German German Ger Ger- man command Halt Haiti I Halt BaIt Haiti I 1 He lie didn't need to holler twice I heard and heeded the first time Then u QI I heard beard an another other man come running up and there was considerable talking b but t whether they were Germans or Hollanders I was still uncertain Ho He evidently thought someone someone was on theother the theother theother other side of ot the fence Finally i heard hea one of ot them laugh and saw him walk back to the sentry station statton where the guard was billeted and I crowl crawled cd a little nearer to try to tomake tomake tomake make out Just what it meant I had begun to think it was all aU a night night- mare marc Between myself and the light In tho the I sentry station I then noticed the stooping figure of a n man bending over I as ns if it to conceal himself f and on his head was the tho spiked helmet of a German German German Ger Ger- man soldier J 1 JI I knew then what another narrow escape I had had hud for tor I am quite sure sura- he would have shot me without ceremony ceremony ceremony cere cere- mony If it I had hind foolishly made mado myself known I would have bave been burled at I I once and no one cue would have haye been any even though technically speaking speaking speak speak- ing I 1 Iwas was on neutral l territory and Immune immune Im- Im im- im mune from capture or attack This new shot shock only served to bewilder bewilder bewilder be be- wilder me more I was completely complete lost There seemed to be frontier behind behind behind be be- hind me and ond frontier in front of ot me Evidently however what had happened happened happened hap hap- was that I 1 had lost my sense sens of direction and had wandered in th the arc of ot a circle returning to the same sam ten fence that I 1 had been so long in getting getting get get- ting through This solution of the mystery came to me suddenly and I a at once searched the landscape for tor something something something some some- thing In the way of a landmark to 1111 guide de me For once my faithful friend the North Star had failed meThe me The sky was pitch black and there wasn't a star in la the heavens In the distance at about what appeared ap geared to be about three miles away but which turned out outto to b be six I could discern the lights of a village and I knew It must be a Dutch village as lights are not allowed In Belgium In that indiscriminate way My course was now clear I would make a beeline for that village Before I r had gone very far I found myself Inn in ina ina a n marsh or swamp and I turned back backa a little hoping to find a better path Finding none I retraced my steps and kept straight ahead determined to reach that village at all costs and to swerve neither to the right or left until I got there I I One moment I would be In water up to my knees and the next I would sink sinkIn sinkIn sinkin in mud clear up to my waist I 1 paid no attention to my condition It was merely merel a repetition of ot what I had gone through many times before but this time Ume I 1 had hind a definite goal and once I reached it t I knew my troubles would be over It took me perhaps three hours to reach firm ground The path I struck led to within half halt a mile mUe of the village I 1 shall shaH never forget that path it was almost as welcome to my feet as the opposite bank of ot the Meuse had seemed The first habitation I came to was a n little workshop with a bright light shining outside It must have been after atter midnight but the people inside were apparently just quitting work There were three men and two boys boy i engaged in making wooden shoes It wasn't necessary for me to explain explain explain ex ex- ex- ex plain to them that I was a n refugee even if It I had been able to speak their language I was caked with mud up to my shoulders and I suppose my face must have recorded some of the experiences experiences experiences ex ex- I 1 had gone through that memorable night I want the thc British consul I told them Apparently they didn't understand but one one of ot them volunteered to conduct conduct conduct con con- I duct me to the village They seemed to be only too anxious to do all nH they I could for tor me evidently they realized I I was a British soldier It was very late Inte when my companion companion compan compan- ion finally escorted me into the tho village vil vil- village lage but he aroused some people he knew from tram their beds and they dressed and came down to feed me The family consisted of ot an old lady and her husband and a son who was a soldier in the Dutch army The cold shivers ran down my back while he sat beside me because every now and again I caught cHught a glimpse of ot his gray uniform anti and it resembled very much that of tilt the soldiers Ron Srn S TT I nf of ho Ihl n aroused by tin r t fit fit- f n I rt It mi nit to see ee what It was all nIl about and came in and watched while I ate the meal those good Dutch people prepared for me Ordinarily I suppose I would have been embarrassed with so many people people peo pee pie staring at me while I ate as though I were some strange animal that has hns Just been captured but Just then I was too famished to notice or care very much what other people did There will always be a warm place In my heart for the Dutch people I had heard lots of persons say that they were not inclined to help refugees refugees refu refu- gees ut my experience did not bear these ports out They certainly did more for me than I ever expected I had a little German money left lett but as the value of ot German Gennan money Is s sonly only about half balt In Holland I didn't have enough to pay the fare to RoW Rot which was my mJ next objective It Jt was due to the generosity of at these people that I was able to reach the British consul as quickly as I did Some day I hope to return to Holland and repay every single soul who played the part of the good Samaritan Samari Samari- tan to me With the money moncy that these people gave me I was able to get a n third third- class ticket to Rotterdam and I was glad that I didn't have to travel first- first class for I would have looked as much out of ot J place laco in a first-class first carriage I as fiS a Hun would appear In heaven That night I slept in the house of my Dutch friends where they fixed me up most comfortably In the mornIng morning morning morn morn- ing they gave me breakfast and then escorted me to the station While I was waiting at the station a crowd gathered round me and soon Jt It seemed as if It tho the whole town had turned out to get a look at me It was WOT very ery embarrassing particularly as I could give them no Information r regarding regarding re re- garding the cause of at my condition al although al al- though of course they all knew that I was a refugee from Belgium As the train pulled out of the station station sta sta- tion the crowd gave a n loud cheer and the tears almost came to my eyes as J. J contrasted In my mind the conduct of this crowd and the one that had bad gathered at the station In Ghent when I had departed a prisoner en en for tor the reprisal camp I breathed a sigh of ot relief as I thought of that r re reprisal reprisal re- re camp and how bow fortunate I had really been despite all my sufferings to have escaped It Now at any rate I was a n free tree man and I would soon be beI I pending home bome the Joyful news that T I tad had made good my ray escape At Al two Dutch officers go got into the compartment with me The They looked ed at me with ery very much disfavor or not Knowing of course that I 1 was n a British officer M My clothes were still pretty much in the condition the they were when I l' l crossed I-crossed crossed the border u although nl- nl though I 1 bod been able t to serape scrape 01 on off some of the mud I 1 had collected th the night before I had not shaved no nor trimmed my beard for many days an and I 1 must have haye presented a son son- sorry appearance I could hardly blame blam till them for edging away from me The trip from to h Hotter Hotter- olter- olter lam passed without special Incident At various stations passengers elS would g get t in the compartment and observing ing jag my unusual appearance would endeavor to start a n conversation with mo me None of at them spoke English however and they hud had to use their thoi own imagination as to my identity When I arrived at ut DI I 1 asked a policeman who stood In front of the station where I could find tin the British consul but I could not make him understand 1 I next applied to a taxicab driver English consul consul British British consul consul- American consul French consul French con l I 1 I Isaid Isaid said hoping that If he didn't understand understand understand under under- stand one he might recognize another an an- other He lIe eyed me with suspicion and motioned motioned mo mo- ine mp to get tet In and drove off oct I Idad had dad no idea where he was taking me but after a quarter of an hours hour's ride he brought up In front of the British consul N Never before was I so glad to see the Union Juck Jack I II II iI I beckoned to the chauffeur to go wIth me up to the office once as ns I had no money with which to pay him anc and when he got to the consulate I told them that If they would pay the taxi fare I 1 would tell them who 1 I Iwas was vas and how I happened to be there They knew at once that I was an escaped prisoner and they readily paid the chauffeur ur and Invited me to toive give ive some account of m myself They treated me most cordially andere and WEre WE're ere Inte Intensely interested in the Ule brief account I gave them of at my hues tures ures Word was sent to the consul general and he immediately sent for ne me When I went In he shook hands with me greeting me very heartily md and offering me a chair He lie theft sat down screwed a n monocle mon mon- ocle clA on un his ids e eye eje e and viewed me from top op to toe I 1 could see that only good kept him from laughing at athi lit hi spectacle I 1 pre presented I could see seele he le wanted to laugh in the worst way waT Go ahead and laugh I 1 I said sald You cant can't offend me the way I feel teel this blessed lessed day 1 I and he needed no second Invitation Incidentally It gave me a 11 chance to laugh at him for tor I was about as much amused as he was After he had laughed himself about sick he got up and slapped me on the back and Invited me to tell him my story Lieutenant he said when I had concluded you can have anything you want I think your experience entitles entitIes you to It Well consul I replied I would like ike a 11 bath a n shave a haircut and some civilized clothes about as ass badly as a man mun ever needed them I suppose but iut before that I would like to get a cable off ore to America to my mother telling her that I am safe and on my way to England I 1 IThe IThe The consul gave me the necessary Information and I had the satisfaction of knowing before I left the office that the he cable with its good tidings was wason wason on its way to America Then he sent for one of ot the naval meil men who had been Interned there since the beginning of the war and who ho was able to sp speak ak Dutch and told old him to take good care of ot me After I had been bathed and shaved and had hud a haircut I bought some new clothes and had something ng to eat and andI I felt like a new man As I walked through the streets of Rotterdam breathing tho the air all of ot freedom freedom free tree dom again and realizing that there was no longer any danger of ot being captured and taken back to prison It t was a wonderful wonder nl sensation I dont don't believe there will wID ever be a n country that will appear In my eyes quite as good as Holland did then I Imd had md to be somewhat careful however because Holland was full tull of ot German spies and I knew they would be keen keea keeno to o learn all they possibly could about my escape and my adventures so that the he authorities In Belgium could mete lout out punishment nt to everyone wh who was wasn In n any respect to blame for I f It As I was wasn In n Rot only one OW diy day th they didn't have havo very vory much opportunity to learn earn anything from tram me mc The naval officer who accompanied me ne und mid acted as Interpreter for me Introduced me mo to ma many y other soldiers mil LOll sailors bailors who had e escaped from Belgium Bel- Bel t l- l glum gium when the Germans took Antwerp Ant- Ant verp and a as they hail had arrived Id in 1101 land und to in uniform and r under r arms the laws vs a of ot neutrality compelled their Internment Internment In- In and they the had been there ever since me The life Ufe of a n man who Is Interned in n a neutral county I learned is anything anything any any- thing hing but satisfactory He lIe gets one oue month n a year ear to visit his home If It he 11 lives hives In- In England that Is 18 s not so o bad md but 1 if he be happens to live farther away awny the time he has to spend with hIs ils folks Is very Cry short as the months month's len leave cave does not take mice into consideration the he time consumed Jn in traveling to and front frum roin Holland The rho possibility of ot escape escape from froID Roland Rol no I. I land and Is alwa always s 's there but the British authorities have bave an agreement with the he Dutch government to send refugees refu reu- goes gees buck Immediately In this respect re- re therefore the position of ot a man who ho is IR Interned is worse than that of Gt f a n prisoner who If It he does docs succeed in n tasking his escape Is with open arts In his native mid hand Apart from this restraint howver how- how ver internment with n nil 11 It Its draw drow- wI w- w i f a I 4 ih lii n yes a U |