The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-04-30
4 VISIT TO AN ARMY
TOTiCinal.1


ycrsity, or. rather, l had finished my
course and was making pedestrian
tours over the continent of Europe.
One morning after the battle of GRAY
elotte | walked into The German lines,
hoping to find among the officers some
of my former fellow students, but il
any of them, were there l did not meet
them. wac taken to Lieutenant Colo
mel Schiff. who was what in the United
States army we call the provost mar
shat to whom / presented my creden
tials. | WAS travelling on an old pass
pert that had not been rised endorsed
by the proper authority for some time;
but, being an American, with no inter
est wha tevcr in the contest then wagiDg
between France and Germany l Gid
not consider II necessary to be very
careful.
Colonel Schiff took my passport, as
surfing me that an examination was
mere matter Of form, though an imper-
alive duty with him. An officer in lis
company at the time scanned my face,
looked my figure over from head to foot
then said something to Colonel Schilf
in a language not Germam that l did
not understand. felt sure it referred
to me, but if it dill the colonel gave no
indication of it. After the officer left
us the colonel invited me to be his guest
during my stay in the camp.
Il presume" he said to me, that you
wish to see something of the army
am going to sit several different
corps today and will be happy to have
you accompany me-
| assured him that | should be very
thankful Tor the opportunity, and after
furnishing me with a horse, accompa-
MED by q small escort, we sailed forth.
The colonel had his duties to performs
and often LETT Us to visit different head
quarters, paying no attention to me eX-
cept when disengaged, but l noticed
young officer OF the party continually
watching me. If got out my glass to
view distant object, he craned his
neck to see what | was looking at; If |
took especial interest in a redOubt, he
seemed equally interested in the fact;
if | asked for information, he spurred
his horse close enough to me to hear all
that was said
When we returned from the tour,
was dined By the colonel and when
retired was given tent with an army
cot in it in which to sleep. ] was awak-
ened in the night by the guard chang
ing sentries, and after the relief had
passed away, hearing some one walk
ing back and forth, | arose and looked
out There was sentry pacing before
my tent.
WELL" / said. surprised, these Ger
mans are not inclined to let people get
away in the night. But / suppose it is
army custom with regard to civilians
The next morning after breakfast
thanked the colonel for his hospitality
and told him that ] thought | would
take my departure.
where do you go from here" he
asked.
Il shall go to Paris, then take a
steamer for New York"
knew nothing about military mat
ters or | should not have thus boldly
declared that after inspecting the Ger
man army / was going straight to the
capital of France. The colonel looked
at me strangely. Then faint shadow
of incredulity passed over his face.
Better stay with us another day." he
said. 81 have invited a number Of Off
GERS to dine with you
Somehow l felt that the invitation
was akin to an order At any rate, /
did not feel quite safe in declining. I
spent the day at the colonel's head
quarters and noticed that whenever I
walked beyond the chain Of sentinels
those between whom l passed kept
critical eye upon me, and once when l
went some distance an officer came
running after me, politely informing
me that no one was allowed TO leave
the camp without the colonel's pass.
At dinner / was introduced to some
fine fellows and enjoyed their society
so well that | forgot the espionage to
which had been subjected During the
dinner the colonel was called away,
| and when he returned his manner to-
ward me changed entirely. He was less
deferential and less constrained. In
deed, for the first time his bearing to-
ward me was natural
eff you care to rise early" he said to
me before l retired, II will show you
an interesting army ceremony. Then, If
you choose you may proceed with your
tour"
81 shall be delighted to join you for
the ceremony, and 1 really must pro-
coed as soon as it is over" replied.
Notwithstanding the change in the
colonel's bearing toward me felt un-
inn Il OF