New Mexico state record., 1918-09-20
CHAPTER XII.
The Forced Passport.

Iuf obvious reasons, cannon ut-
scribe the man to whom applied for
the passport nor the house in which
he lived. While in view of what sub
sequently happened, | would not be
very much concerned if he got into
trouble for having dealt with me, |
realize that the hardships he had en-
durcd in common with the other in
habitants of that conquered city may
possibly have distorted his idea of
right and Justice, and shall not de-
liberately bring further disaster on
him by revealing his identity.
This man--wc will call him Huy-
Tiger because that is as unlike his
name as ii Is mine-waS very kind To
me on that memorable night when |
aroused him from his sleep and in Il
few words Of explanation told him OF
my plight
He invited me inside, prepared some
food for me and, putting on dress
Ing gown, came and sat by me while |
ate, liste ling with the greatest inter
est to the short account of my adven-
lures.
He could speak English tiuently, and
he interrupted me several times to ex-
press his sympathy for the sufferings
j had endured.
"O'Brien." he said, after | had con-
|luded my story, 81 am going to help
you. 1t may take several days-per-
hupS aS long rs two wecks-but event
ually we will provide the means to en-
able you to get to Holland"
| thanked him n thousand times and
told him that | didn't know how |
could possibly repay him,
Don't think of that" he replied;
''the satisfaction of knowing that |
have aided in placing one III re victim
of the Huns beyond their power to
harm will more than repay me for all
the NSk l shall run in helping you.
You'd better turn in now. O'Brien, and
in the morning I'll tell you what plan
TO do"
As | removed my clothes and noticed
that my knees were still swollen to
twice their normal size, that my left
ankle was black and blue from the
wrench had given it when | jumped
from the train and that my ribs showed
through my skin. | realized what lot
] had been through. AS n matter Of
fact, I could not have weighed more
than one hundred and fifty pounds at
that time, whereas had tipped the
scales at one hundred and ninety when
was with my squadron in France.
lost no time in getting into bed
and still less in getting to sleep.
don't know what | dreamed of that
night, but | had plenty of time to go
through the experiences of my whole
life, for when | was aroused by a
knock on the door and Huyliger EN-
tered in response to my invitation to
enter, he told me that it was nearly
nOon l had slept for almost twelve
hours.
cannot say that the thought did
not run through my head that per-
haps after all | was living in fools
paradise. and that when lIuyliger re-
appeared it would be with couple of
German soldiers behind him, but | dis
missed such misgivings summnrily, re-
alizing that | was doing Huyliger an
Injustice to let such things enter my
head even for an instant. | had no
right to doubt his sincerity and it
would do me no good to entertain such
suspicious If he was going to prove
trcacherOuS to me. | was pOwerlcSS
any way to cope with him.
In few moments my host reap
pcared with tray containing my
breakfast. don't suppose shall ever
forget that meal. 1t consisted Of Il
cup of coffee--real coffee, not the kind
I had had at COurtrai-Several slices of
bread some hot potatoes and Il dish
of scrambled eggs.
Every mouthful of that meal tasted
like angel-food to me and Huyliger
sat On the edge of the bed and watched
me enjoying il, at the same time out
lining the plans he had made for my
escape.
In brief, tn" scheme was to conceal
me in Il convent until conditions were
ripe for IN" To make my way 10 the
l." rt.-. H. the meanwhile was to be
dressed in .he Garb of Il priest, and
" hen the liue came for me 10 leave
the city was 10 pretend that | was Il
Spanish sailor, because could speak Il
i.itle Spanish, which | had picked
up on the coast. To attempt to play
che part of It Belgian would become in
creasingly difficult, he pointed out and
'Sould bring inevitable disaster in the
even; that | was called upon to speak.
Huyliger said | would be given suf
fltient money tn bribp the German
guards at the Dutch frontier. and he
assured me that everything would work
out according to schedule.
Yours is not the first case OBrien,
we have handled successfully" he de-
ciared. "Only three weeks ago ! heard
from an English merchant who had
escaped from u German detention camp
and came to me for assistance and
whom l had been able to get through
the lines. His message telling me Of
his safe arrival in Rotterdam came to
the in an indirect way, of course. but
the fact that the plans we had made
carried through without mishap makes
me feel that we ought to be able to do
as much for you"
told Huyliger was ready to follow
his instructions and would do any
thing he suggested.
Il want to rejOin my squadron as
soon as l possibly can," l told him,
"but / realize that it will take GER
tin length Of time for you to make the
necessary arrangements, and 1 will be