Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-01

WHICH was quite treat
The house they lived in consisted of
just two rooms-the kitchen and q
bedroom. The kitchen was perhaps
fourteen feet square, eight feet of
one side being taken up by an enor-
nous fireplace. What was in the bed
room 1 had no way of telling, as
did not dare to be too inquisitive.
/ made the old couple understand
that 1 would like to stay in their house
all night, but the old man shook his
head. 1 babe them good-by and dis
appeared into the woods, leaving them
to speculate as TO the strange for
eigner they had entertained
From the great density of the popu-
latiOn in this section through which 1
was now passing I realized that 1
must be in the outskirts of the big
city which the Belgian had mentioned
and where l was to procure a pass
port.
Village after village intercepted me,
and although 1 tried to skirt them
wherever possible 1 realized that l
would never make much progress If
/ continued that course. To gain a
mile would sometimes have to make
a detOur of two or three. 1 decided
that 1 would try my luck in going
straight through the next village /
came to.
As l approached it, l passed num-
bers of peasants who were ambling
along the road. / was afraid to mingle
with them because it was impossible
for one to talk to them and it was
dangerous to arouse suspicion even
among the Belgians. For all l knew,
one of them might be treacherous
enough to deliver me to the Germans
in return for the reward he might be
sure of receiving.
About o'clock that evening I
came to point where ahead of me on
the right was Belgian police station
i knew it from its red lights-and
on the other side of the street were
two German soldiers in uniform
leaning against a bicycle.
Here was a problem which called
for instant decision; if turned back
be instantly aroused and if 1 crossed
the road so as not to pass so closely
TO them they might be equally sus-
piciOus. l decided to march bravely
by the Huns, bluff my way through
and trust TO Providence. If anybody
imagineS, however, that 1 was at all 1
comfortable as I approached these [
soldiers, he must think 1 am a much
Drawer man than 1 claim TO be. My
heart beat so loud 1 was afraid they
would hear it. Every step 1 took
brought me so much nearer TO what
might prove to be the end Of all my /
hopes. 1t was a nerve-racking ordeal. /
l was now within a few feet Of
them. Another step and
They didn't turn a hair! I passed
right by them-heard what they were
saying, although, of course, I didn't
it, and went right on. /
can't say / didn't walk a little faster
as 1 left them behind, but 1 tried to
maintain an even gait so as not to
give them any idea of the inward ex-
lltatiOn was experiencing. No words
can explain, however, how relieved l
really felt-to know that / had sue
passed through the first of
4 series of similar tests which 1 real
zed were in store for Mccullough
did not know then how soon 1 was
20 be confronted with the second.
AS it was, however, the incident
gave me a world of confidence. II
demonstrated to me that there was
nothing in my appearance at any rate
% attract the attention of the German
soldiers. Apparently 1 looked like
Belgian peasant, and if could only
work things so that 1 would never
lave to answer questions and thus
i've away my nationality, l figured l
would be tolerably safe.
As l marched along 1 felt so happy
couldn't help humming an air of one
# the new patriotic songs that we
lsed to sing at the airdrome back in
ypres.
In this happy frame of mind l COW
red the next three miles in about an
our and then came to another little
illage. My usual course would have
zen to go around it-through fields,
ack yards, woods or whatever else
~ in my way-but 1 had gained so
luch time by going through the last
illage instead of detouring around
t and my appearance seemed to be so
nsuspicious that decided to try the
anne stunt again.
1 stopped humming and kept very
luch on the alert, but apart from
hat, 1 walked boldly through the
lain street without any feeling of
larm.
l had proceeded perhaps a mile
long the main street when 1 noticed
head of me three German soldiers
landing at the curb.
Again my heart started to beat fast,
must confess, but 1 was not nearly
D scared as / had been an hour or
D before.
l walked ahead, determined to fol-
NV my Dreyious procedure in every