New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-09-27

count Of Zimmerman (of the Cubs)
being benched for solne spat with the
umpire, and it afforded me just rs
much interest three years after it had
hnppcned-perhaps ~more-than some
current item of worldwide interest
had at that time.
ruminaged the house many times
from cellar to garnet in my search for
something to eat, but the harvest of
three years of war had made any sue
cess along that line impossible. was
like the mar out in the ocean in ii boat
and thirsty with water everywhere but
not Il drop to drink,
| was tempted while in the city to
60 To church n Sunday. but my better
judgment told me it would be q useless
risk. OF course, Omeon would surely
say something to me and | didn't
know how many Germans would be
there or what might happen, so | gave
W that idea.
During all the time | was concealed
in this house saw but one automobile
and that was Il German staff officers.
That same afternoon | had one of the
flights of my young life.
| had been gazing out of the keyhole
as usual when | heard coming down
the street the measured tread of Ger
man soldiers. 1t didn't sound like very
many, but there was no doubt in my
mind that German soldiers We're
~, sal, "a, .J..,, a.. ,t.,. ,,, 49,,
stairs and peeked through the window
and sure enough !; squad of German in
fantry was coming down the street
accompanied by Il military motor
truck. | hadn't the slightest idea that
they were coming after me-, but still
tie possibilities of the situation gave
me NOR" or less alarm, and | con>id-
cred how | could make my escape il
by chance | was the man they were
after. The idea of hiding in the wine
cellar appealed to me as the most
practical there must have been
plenty of places among the wine kegs
and cases where Il man could conceal
himself, but, as II matter of fact, | did
believe that any such contingency
would arise.
The marching soldiers came nearer,
| could hear them at the next house.
In Il moment | would see them pass
the k~cyloIe through which l was look
in@.
Halt"
At the word of command shouted by
a junior officer the squad came to at
tention right in front of the house!
waited no longer. Running down the
stairs | flew into the wine cellar and
although it was almost pitch dark
the only light coming from a grating
which led to the ~backyard-I soon
found "A satisfactory hiding place in
the extreme real Of the cellar. had
had the presence of mind to leave the
door of the wine cellar ajar, figuring |
that if the soldiers found a closed door |
they would be more apt to search for
a fugitive behind it than If the door
were open.
My decision to get away from that
front door had been made and carried
out nOne too soon, for | had only just
located myself between two big wine
eases when | heard the tramp of SOL
diers' feet marching up the front stoOp.
Il crash at the front door, Il few hasty
words Of command which did not I'M
derstnnd, and then. the noise of sour
rying feet from Don to room and such
a banging and hammering and smash
ing and crashing that l could not make
out what was going on.
If Huyliger had revealed my hiding
place to the Huns, as l was now con-
fident he had, | felt that there was lit
tie prospect of their overlooking me.
They would search the house from top
to bottom and, If necessary. raze it to
the search. TO escape from the house
through the backyard through the iron
grating. which | had no doubt I could
force, seemed to be the logical thing
To- do, but the chances were that the
Huns lad thrown IL Gordon around the
block before the squad was sent
to the house. The Germans do these
things in an efficient manner always.
They take nothing for granted.
MY one chance seemed to be to stand
pat in The hope that the officer in
might possibly come to the con-
that he had arrived at the
house too late-that the bird had
tiuwn.
My position in that wine cellar was
anything but a comfortable one Rats
and mice were scurrying across the
and the smashing and crashing
on overhead was anything but
Evidently those soldiers
imagined that | ought to be hiding In
he walls, for it sounded as though
hey were tearing off the wainscotting.
HE picture mOlding and. in fact.
everything that they could tear or pull
part.
Before very long they would finish
heir search upstairs and would come
Town to the basement. What they
would do when they discovered the
wine l had no idea. Perhaps they
would let themselves loose on it and
give me my chance. With a bottle of
vine i'm each hand | figured | could put
Ip a good fight in the dark, especially
rs | was becoming more and more ac-
.ustomed to it and could begin to dis
inguish things here and there. where
is when they entered the pitchy dark
less of the cellar, they would be as
blind as bats i'm the sun.
Perhaps it was twenty minutes be-
ore | heard what sounded like my
to me-; the soldiers were
down the cellar steps!