davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-15
CHAPTER XVI.
| Leave for the Frontier,

To get out Of the city, it would b,
necessary to pass two guards. This
| had learned in the course of my walk.
at night, having frequently Travelled
to the city limits with the idea OF
finding out just what conditions
would have to meet when the time
came for me to leave.
A German soldiers uniform, how
ever, no longer worried me as 1t had
at first. l had mingled with the Huns
so much in the city that 1 began to
feel that was really Belgian, and !
assumed the indifference that they
seemed to feel.
1 decided, therefore, to walk out of
the city in the daytime, when the SEN
tries would be less apt to be on the
watch. 1t worked fine. I was not
held up a moment, the sentries evil
IDENTIFY taking me for a Belgian peas
ant on his way to work.
Travelling faster than 1 had ever
done before since my escape, 1 was
soon out In the open country, and the
first Belgian 1 came to l approached
for food. He gave me half of his
lunch and we sat down on the side of
the road to eat it. OF course, he tried
to talk to me, but used the old ruse
of pretending 1 was deaf and dumb
and he was quite convinced that it was
so. He made various efforts to talk
to me in pantomime, but 1 could not
make out what he was getting at, and
1 think he must have concluded that
was not only half starved, deaf and
dumb, but "looney" in the bargain.
When night came l looked around
for a place to rest. l had decided to
travel In the daytime as well as night,
because / understood that 1t was only
O few miles from the frontier, and
was naturally anxious to get there at
the earliest possible moment, although
/ realized that there would encounter
the most hazardous part of my whole
adventure. To get through the heavily
guarded barbed wire and electrically
charged barrier was a problem that l
hated to think of even, although the
hours 1 spent endeavoring to devise
some way Of outwitting the Huns
were many.
1t had occurred to me, for instance,
that it would not be such a difficult
matter to vault over the electric fence,
which was only nine feet high. In col
ege, knew ten-foot vault is consid-
cred high-school boys accomplish
nent, but there were two great diff
1culties in the way Of this solution.
n the first place 1t would be no easy
Uoutanssd nAxs week
Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-15

on them. don't believe I saw single
he had lost his beet friend-and he
probably had.
AT the same time there is a big diff.
lerence-certainly difference of sew
eral years-between wishing the war
was over and giving up, and / don't
believe the German rank and file any
more than their leaders have the slight.
est idea at this time Of giving up at
all.
But to return to my experience
while concealed in the house. After
the visit of the soldiers, which left
the house in a wretched condition, 1
decided that would continue my jour-
ney towards the frontier, particularly
as l had gotten all l could out of Huy-
niger, or rather he had gotten all he
was going to get out of me.
During my concealment in the house
had made various sorties into the
city at night, and 1 was beginning to
feel more comfortable even when Ger
man soldiers were about. Through
the keyhOle l had studied very
closely the gait of the Belgians, the
sloVenly droOp that characterized most
OF them, and their general appearance,
and L felt that in my own dirty and I'M
shaVen condition l must have looked
as much like the average poor Belgian
as man could. The only thing that
was against me was my height. l was
several inches taller than even the
tallest Belgians. 1 had often thought
that red hair would have gone good
with my name, but now, of course, 1
was mighty glad that 1 was not so
endowed, for red-haired Belgians are
about as rare as German charity.
There are many, no doubt, who will
wonder why l did not get more help
than | did at this time 1t is easily
answered. When a man is in hourly /
fear of his life and the country is full !
of spies, as Belgium certainly was, he !
Is not going to help just anyone that /
comes along seeking aid. One of the |
Germans most successful ways of trap |
ping the Belgians has been to pose as
an English or French prisoner who has
appeal to them for aid, impli-
cate as many as possible, and then
urn the whole German police force
Dose on them. AS / look back on
hose days l think it remarkable that
received as much help as l did, but
when people are starving under the
conditions now forced upon those IN
ortunate people, it is a great ten pta-
ion to surrender these escaped pris-
'ners to German authorities and re-
GIVE the handsome rewards offered
or them-or for alien spies, as l was
lassed at that time.
The passport which 1 had described
ne as a Spanish sailor, but l was
cry dubious about it's value. If
ould have spoken Spanish fiuently it
night have been worth something to
le, but the few words l knew of the
lnguage would not have carried me
cry far if l had been confronted with
Spanish interpreter. 1 decided to
Sc the passport only as a last resort,
referring to act the part of a deaf
nd dumb Belgian peasant as far as
would carry me.
Before finally left the house I had
remarkable experience which I shall
as long as 1 live.
Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-15
SYNOPSIS.

CHAPTER I-Introductory. Pat o'Brien
tells OF his purpose in writing the Story
/ OF hls adventures.
| CHAPTER II-Tells of his enlistment in
! the Royal Flying corps, his training in
canada and his transfer to France for ac-
tive duty
| CHAPTER II-Describes fights in which
ne Drought down two German airplanes
ana ms nnal fight in which he was
| brought down wounded within the Ger
| war.
CHAPTER IV-Discovers that German
hospital staff barbarOusly neglected the
1ataly wounded and devoted their ener-
gles TO restoring those who might be
returned to the firing lines Witnesses
death in fight OF his best chum. Lieut.
Paul Rainey.
CHAPTER Vile is taken to the Of
hcers' prison camp at Courtrai. There he
began planning his escape. By great sac
rttce he manages to save ana hide away
two daily rations of bread.
CHAPTER Vile conhscates a man of
Germany and just half an hour later s
put on a train bound for a prison camp
in Germany. He leaps through a widow
whlle the train is travelling at a rate OF 30
miles an hour.
CHAPTER VII-For nine days he
crawls through Germany, hiding during
the day, travelling at night. guided BY tne
stars and subsisting on raw vegetables
He covers 10 miles before reaching Lux
emburg.
CHAPTER VIII-For nine days more he
struggles on in a weakened condition
through Luxembourg in the direc lion OF
Belgium.
CHAPTER K-He endures terrible
hardships, swiIns rivers while delirious
from hunger, living like a hunted animal
and on the eighteenth day after jumping
from the train ne crosses into Belgium.
CHAPTER x-when well on his way
through Belgium he is befriended one
night by a Flemish peasant who feeds
him and directs him to a man in a Bel
port
CHAPTER XI-By mIngling with Bel
gian peasants he manages to elude Ger
man soldiers ana reaches the Belgian city
where he finds the home OF the man FROM
whom he expects help
CHAPTER XII-Huyliger FORCES pass
port for O'Brien and promises 10 assist
him in getting into Holland Later Huy-
niger and his associates. demand an ex-
orbltant sum for their services and
OBrlen breaks with them.
CHAPTER xIII-He spends five Gays
and nights in an unoccupied house with
out food except for the scraps he picks up
In night forays.
the adventures to come in his attempt to
get into Holland he ventures O night
into moving picture theater palronized
by German soldiers.
CHAPTER XV-Some observations in
Belgian city.
CHAPTER XVI-He leaves the city In
the daytime and after some hair-raising
adventures reaches the frontier of Hol-
land.
CHAPTER XVII-He passes the cleo,
trically charged wire barrier that sepa-
rates Belgium from Holland by digging
under the wire. Seventy-two days after
he had leaped from the train he breathes
the air of freedom.
CHAPTER XVIII-Assisted by the Brit
ish consul at Rotterdam he finally reaches
King.
CHAPTER XIX-He Is presented to the
king who listens with deep interest to the
story of his adventures.
CHAPTER XX-Arrives safely in his
home town of Momence, Ill
Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-15

| came In, but no one. except those who
sat ut my own table. would notice me
I'm 'Ss they deliberately turned around
TO look.
The place began to fill up rapidly.
Every second person who came in the
place seemed to me to be q German
soldier but when they were seated at.
the tables and / got chance later on
to make rough count, l found that
In all there were not more than hun
dred soldiers In the place and there
must have been several hundred civil.
ians.
The first people to sit at my table
were Belgian and his wife. The Bel
CLAN sat next to me and his wife next
to him / was hoping that other civil
ians would occupy the remaining two
seats at my table, because l did not
relish the idea of having to sit through
the show with German soldiers within
few feet of me- That would certainly
have spoiled my pleasure for the even
ing.
Every uniform that came In the door
gave me cause to worry until / was
sure 1t was not coming in my direction.
don't suppose there was single sol
der who came in the door whom l
didn't follow to his seat-with my
eyes.
Just before they lowered the lights. !
two German officers entered. They /
stood at the door for moment look !
ing the place over. Then they made a
Decline in my direction and 1 must |
confess my heart started to beat a
Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-15
II Seemed Better to Parrot the Belgian.


little faster. I hoped that they would
find another seat before they came to
my vicinity, but they were getting
nearer and nearer and realized with
sickening sensation that they were
headed directly for the two seats at
my table, and that was indeed the
case.
These two seats were in front of the
table facing the stage and except when
the officers would be eating or drink
rneir backs were toward me, and
there was considerable consolation in
that. From my seat / could have
reached right over and touched one of
them on his bald head. 1t would have
been more than a touch, am afraid,
If I could have gotten away with it
safely.
As the officers seated themselves,
a waiter came to US with a printed
bill-of-fare and program. Fortunately,
he waited on the others first and l
listened intently to their orders. The
officers ordered some light wine, but
my Belgian neighbor ordered 'Bock"
for himself and his wife, which was
what 1 had decided to order anyway,
as that was the only thing could say.
Heaven knows 1 would far rather have
ordered something TO eat, and 1 was
afraid to take a chance at the pronun-
citation of the dishes it set forth.
There were a number of drinks listed
which 1 might safely enough have or
dered. For instance, noticed Lemon
Squash, 1.50," "Ginger Beer, l."
Sparkling Dry Ginger Ale, L."
"Appolinaris, L." and "Schweppes
Soda, 0.S0," but it occurred to me that
the mere fact that 1 selected some
thing that was listed in English might
attract attention to me and something
in my pronunciation might give fur
Their cause for suspicion.
It seemed better to parrot the Bel
gian and order Book" and that was
what I decided to do.
One item on the bill of fare tanta-
lied me considerably. Although it was
listed among the 'Prizzen der /
dranken," which 1 took to mean |
'Prices of drinks" it sounded very
much to me like something to eat,
and Heaven knows 1 would rather
nave had one honest mouthful of |
food than all the drinks in the world.
The item 1 refer to was 'Dubbel Ger.
stein de Flesch (Aiichaux)." A double
portion Of anything would have been
mighty welcome to me, but / would
lave been content with single "ger-
stem" If I had only had the courage
o ask for 1t.
To keep myself as composed as pos
ible 1 devoted q lot of attention to
hat bill-of-fare, and l think by the
ime the waiter came around l almost
new 1t by heart. One drink that al.
most made me laugh aloud was listed
s "Lemonades gazeuses," but 1 might
8 well have introduced myself to the
herman officers by my right name and
ank as attempt to pronounce 1t.
When the waiter came to me, there.
ore, / said "Bock" as casually as /
ould, and 1 felt somewhat relieved
nat / had gotten through that part of
BE ordeal so easily.
While the waiter was away / had g
nance to examine the bill-of-fare and
observed that glass of beer cost 50 I
Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-15

confines. The smallest change l had
| was two-mark paper bill.
Apparently the German officers were
similarly fixed and when they offered
1 their bill to the waiter, he handed 1t
/ back to them with u remark which 1
took to mean that he couldn't maze
! change.
Right there was in a quandary. To
offer him my bill after he had just
told the officers he didn't have change
would have seemed strange, and yet
couldn't explain to him that 1 was In
the same boat and he would have to
come to me again later. The only
thing to do, therefore, was to offer
him the bill as though 1 hadn't heard
or noticed what had happened with
the Germans, and 1 did so. He said
the same thing TO me as he had said
to the officers, perhaps little more
sharply, and gave me back the bill.
Later on, he returned to the table with
a handful of change and we closed the
transaction. l gave him % confines
as tip had never yet been to a
PteNS IL ACCcSSdly " Tain
to do that.
During my first half hour in that
theatre, to say / was on pins and
needles is to express my feelings
mildly. The truth of the matter is
was never so uneasy in my life. Every
minute seemed like an hour, and a
dozen times was on the point of get
ting up and leaving. There were al
together too many soldiers in the place |
to suit me, and when the German Of
fcers seated themselves right az my |
table l thought that was about all / |
could stand. As it was, however, the |
lights went out shortly afterwards and |
in the dark 1 felt considerably easier.
After the first picture, when the
lights went up again, l had regained
my compOsure considerably and took
advantage of the opportunity to study
the various types of people in the
place.
From my seat 1 had a splendid
chance to see them all. At one table
there was a German medical corps Of
ficer with three Red Cross nurses.
That was the only time 1 had ever
seen a German nurse, for when was
in the hospital I had seen only men
Orderlies. Nurses didn't work so near
the first line trenches.
The German soldiers at the different
.ables were very quiet and orderly.
They drank book beer and conversed
among themselves, but there was no
lilarity or rough-housing Of any kind. I
As I sat there, within arms reach
If those German officers and realized
What they would have given to know
What chance they had to capture an
escaped British officer, 1 could hardly !
lelp smiling to myself, but when I
bought of the big risk I was taking, {
more or less unnecessarily, I began to s
Wonder whether I had not acted fool
SHY in undertaking it.
Nevertheless, the evening passed off
and when the show was '
ver I mixed with the crowd and dis
ppeared, feeling very proud Of myself
nd with a good deal more confidence l
han had enjoyed at the start. S
had passed a night which will live 5
4 my life as long as 1 live. The bill
f fare and program and a throw
way" bill advertising the name of ;
ne attraction which was to be pre-
ented the following week which was d
anded to me as 1 came out, 1 still u
ave and they are among the most l."
alued souvenirs of my adventure.
Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-15

win me as a souvenir. therefore would
nave Deen out of the question.
as went along the street one night
lady standing on the corner stopped
me ana spoke to me. My first impulse,
vi course, was to answer her. explain
ing that l could not understand, but I
stopped myself In time, pointed TO nv
ears and mouth and shook my head
lhulcating that l was deaf and dumb,
ana she nodded Understandings and
walked on. Incidents of that kind were
NOT unusual, and l was always In fear
that the time would come when some
ihqulsitive and suspicious German
would encounter me and not he So
easily satisfied.
There are many things that 1 saw in
this city which, for various reasons If
is impossible for me to relate until
after the war is over. Some of them.
think, will create more surprise than
the incidents l am free to reveal now.
1t used to amuse me as I went along
the streets of this town, looking in
the shop windows with German SOL
dlers at my side looking at the same
Things, to think how close l was 70
them and they had no way of knowing
L was quite convinced that If | were
discovered my fate would have been
death because 1 not only had the
forged passport on me, but 1 had been
SO many days behind the German lines
AFTER L had escaped that they couldn't
safely let me live with the informant
ton I possessed.
One night 1 walked boldly across q
park. heard footsteps behind me and
turning round saw two German SOL
diers. slowed up a trifle to let them
get ahead of me. 1t was rather dark
and L got a chance to see what a won
derful uniform the German military
have picked out. The SOL |
diers had not gone more than a few
1eet ahead of me when they disap- |
peared IN the darkness like one of |
those melting pictures on the moving
picture screen.
AS L wandered through the streets 1
frequently glanced in the cafe win
dow as passed. German officers
were usually dining there, but they
dldnt conduct themselves with any
thing Ike the light-heartedness which
the allied officers in |
London and Paris. 1 was rather sur
Drlsed at this because in this part of
Belgium they were much freer than
hey would have been in Berlin.
where, l understand, food is compar-
ltively scarce and the restrictions
ire very strict.
As have said, my own condition in
his city was in some respects worse
han it had been when L was making
ny way through the open country.
While l had place to sleep and my
lothes were no longer constantly
oaking, my opportunities for getting
God were considerably less than they
lad been. Nearly all the time 1 was
laf famished, and 1 decided that 1
would get out of there at once, since
was entirely through with Huyliger.
Ny physical condition was greatly
While the lack of food
bowed itself on me, 1 had regained
ONE OF my strength, my wounds
'ere healed, and my ankle was
tronger, and although my knees were
till considerably enlarged, 1 felt that
was in better shape than had been
any time since my leap from the
ain, and 1 was ready to go through
hatever was in store for me.
Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-15

CHAPTER I-Introductory. Pat O'Brien
OF hiE adventures.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-06-21
ANTELOPE
CITIZEN SUCCUMBS
III. G. Courtney Passes Away After
Short Illness.

H. G. Courtney, prominent citizen of
Antelope died at his home in that
city last Tuesday, after short i'll
ness, being a victim of Bright's dis
ease, at the ripe old age of "a years.
Funeral services were held from
the family residence, Thursday morn
ing, June 20, Rev. Father Hennes-
sey of Plentywood officiating. Inter
ment was made at the Catholic
cemetery at Antelope, he being laid
to rest by the side of his son, Tom,
who lost his life performing his duty
as the first sheriff of Sheridan county
The deceased came to Montana and
to his home at Antelope from Litch-
field, Mimi, where was prominent
and respected citizen, some eight
years ago. During his residence in
this county he had made many friends
and was very highly respected.
The funeral was attended by many
friends from the surrounding towns
and villages.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-06-21
BRING PAN CARS
OVERLAND FROM THE
ST. CLOUD FACTORY

A. J. Beverung and F. II. Castro,
few days ago, went to Cloud, Mimi
where two beautiful Pan cars We're
delivered to them, which had been
sold through the Plentywood agency,
the Plentywood Auto & Machine
shop. These gentlemen drove the
cars overland to Plentywood for two
purposes: first to see how they woul.i
stand up under the trip and second,
for patriotic reasons, save sending
over the railroads.
The above firm has the agency for
the Pan car for Sheridan and Rich
land counties, both for the car and
for Pan Motor stock, which Mr.. o.
e. Johnson, salesman, from Fargo,
N. D., is selling in their territory.
The above gentlemen report that
the crops along the way could not
look better.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-06-21
LOCAL NEWS

Dwight Lohn of Froid was in
Plentywood Thursday.
"A. F. Mclean of near Dooley,
was a Plentywood caller this week.
Mr.. and Mrs. Harry Pads of
Dooley were in Plentywood Wednes-
day.
August Reiter and Fred Engel
of Froid were in Plentywood Thurs
day.
j. C. Wigmore, the Medicine
Lake townsite owner, was coun-
ty seat caller this week.
Harry D. Loucks, former county
commissioner, from Redstone, was
in the county seat this week.
Mr.. Lee of Radville, Sasa., Can,
is visiting with his daughter, Mrs.
George Koenig, at the Leland hotel.
r. L. Cookson, one of the lead
ing farmers of the Froid territory, is
attending court as juror this week.
! Charles Council of Mondak and
Russell Mann of Welliver are serving
as bailiffs in the district court for
the present term.
FOR SALES fall pigs at $40
each-also about 80 bushels cleaned
fax at $500 per bushel. D. J. Olson,
three miles east of Plentywood. PIT
| Andrew Holm, John Litzenhou-
ser, Dave Pomarleau and Al MORN,
all of Medicine Lake, autoed to this
city Tuesday and attended to i'm
po1tant business matters.
| -Gorden New of Whitehall was in
Plentywood this we~.z. Mr.. New has
/ been attending law school at Chicago
for the past three years and will re-
turn to finish his course next winter.
For Sale-Five castings and in
ner tubes; castings, 37x4 and 37x41a,
one casing practically new. Write
or phone Westphal Bros, Outlook
Montana-price $75. TIFF
Jens Jensen and Peter M. Peter
son, two enterprising young farmers
from near Burdette p. o., on the
reservation, were in Plentywood this
week. These young men have over
1900 acres of crop sown.
James c. Mcguire, the genial
/ landlord of the Home hotel at Balm
vile, and justice of the peace at the
junction City, is a county seat Wis
itor this week, being called as a wit
ness in the case of the State versus
Charles Evans.
AT the Plentywood Auto & Ma
chine shop, all hands are at work
repairing the county road building
machine, in order to get it ready fol
use on the roads between Plenty
wood and Antelope, where the coun-
ty will expend some money. Woli;
will start as soon as the machine is
ready.
-Ole Moe, a we'll known young
farrcer of Archer and one of the
stockholders of the Moe Bros. Co.
operation, corporation, who wa.
called into the National army last
fall, is nov with the American ex.
Evolutionary forces, Somewhere-in-
France. Mr.. Moe is now Corporal
Moe. and writes to friends and rela-
tives that he likes army life very
we'll and is on the job of canning
the. .aiser" until the job is COM
pleted.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-06-21
DAGMAR RED CROSS
SALE A "HUMMER"

The Red Cross sale held in
the prosperous and progress
i've, as well as extremely pat
riotic community of Dagmar,
last Friday, was one of the
most successful sales held for
that benevolent purpose in
Montana this spring, consider
ing the number of people and
the prices of articles sold and
the net results. Over $500 was
taken in. The kaiser's goat"
was sold for $50, being pur-
chased by A. TIL. Larsen and
Lars Linn.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-06-21
BIG AUCTION s

- BIG AUCTION 81
at C. F. Ankerman's, 4 d
west of Plentywood: ID D!
II head milk cows and
hogs; farm machinery anO
hold goods, too numer'p
ton.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-06-21

The food trust is not a taxing
body, but it takes it's bit three times
every day from every man, woman
and child in the United States.