Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-11-15


give me my chance. With a bottle Of
wine In each hand figured could put
up q good fight In the dark. especially
as ! was becoming more and more ac-
customed to II and could begin to dis
tihguish things here and there, where
as when they entered the pitchy dark.
ness Of the cellar, they would be as
blind as bats in the sun.
Perhaps II was twenty minutes be-
fore ! heard what sounded like my
death-knell to me; the soldiers were
coming down the cellar stepsi ]
clutched a wine bottle In each hand
and waited with bated s-eath.
Tramp Trampi TrahspI In q mo-
ment they would be in the cellar
proper. could almost hear my heart
beating. The mice scurried across the
floor By the scores, heightened no
doubt by the vibration and noise made
by the descending soldiers. Some Of
the creatures ran across me where
stood between two wine cases, but
was too much interested in bigger
game to pay any attention to mice.
Trafnpi Trampl "Haltp Again
an order was given in German, and al.
though did not understand 1t I am
willing to bless every word OF It, be-
cause It resulted In the soldiers turn
ing right about face. marching up the
stairs again. through the hall and out
OF the front door and awayl
could hardly believe my ears. 1t
seemed almost too good to be true that
they could have given up the search
just rs they were about to come upon
their quarry, but unless my ears de-
ceived me that was what they had
done.
The possibility that the whole thing
might be German ruse did not escape
me. and l remained In the cellar for
nearly an hour after they had appar-
emily departed before ventured to
move. listening intently In the mean
while for the slightest sound which
would reveaFthe presence OF a sentry
upstairs.
Not hearing a sound / began to feel
that they had indeed given up the hunt,
for I did not believe that a German
officer would be so considerate of his
men as to try to trap me rather than
carry the cellar by force II they had
the slightest Idea that 1 was there.
took OF my shoes and crept softly
and slowly to the cellar steps and then
step by step, placing my weight down
gradually SO as to prevent the steps
from creaking. I climbed to the top.
The sight that met my eyes as l
glanced into the kitchen told me the
whole story. The water faucets had
been ripped from the sinks, the water
pipes haveing been torn of. and
gas fixtures, cooking utensils and
everything else which contained even
the smallest proportion Of the metals
the Germans 50 badly needed had been
taken from the kitchen. I walked I'D.
stairs now with more confidence, feel
Ing tolerably assured that the soldiers
hadn't been after me ct all, but had
been merely collecting metal and
an elaborate dwelling house like the
one in which I was concealed to yicld.
Later I heard that the Germans have
taken practically every ounce Of brass,
copper and wool they could lay their
hands on in Belgium. Even the brass
out Of pianos has been ruthlessly re-
moved, the serious damage done to
valuable property by the removal OF
only an Insignificant proportion of
metal never being taken into consid-
Grafton. ] learned, too, that all dogs
over fourteen inches high had beer
seized by the Germans. This furnished
lots Of speculation among the Belgians
as to what use the Germans were put
ting the animals to, the general i'm.
preston apparently being that they
were being used for foodl
This, however. seemed much less
likely to me than that they were being |
employed as dispatch dogs In the
trenches, the same as we use them Oh
our side Of the line. They might nos.
sibly kill the dogs and use their skins |
for leather and their carcasses for tai |
low, but I feel quite sure that the |
Huns are by no means so short of food |
that they have to eat dogs yet awhile.
Indeed, l want to repeat here what
Ihave mentioned before; If anyone has
the idea that this war can be won by
starving the Huns, he hasn't the slight
est idea how well provided the Ger.
mans are in that respect. They have
considered their food needs in connec.
tion with their resources for several
years to come and they have gone at
II In such methodical, systematic
way, taking into consideration every
possible contingency, that provided
there is not an absolute crop failure,
there isn't the slightest doubt In my |
mind that they can last for years. and |
the worst Of 1t is they are very cock.
sure about 1t themselves.