The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-10-24


prices or drinks" 1t sounded very
much to me like something to eat.
and Heaven knows would rather
have had one tonest mouthful OF
food than all the drinks in the world.
The item refer to was ssDubbel Ger
stein de Flesch tBiichanx)- y A double
portion Of anything would have been
mighty welcome to mss but I would
have been confetti with = single ger
sten" II had only had the courage
to ask for 1t.
To keep myself as eoyup06ed as pos
sible I devoted lot Of attention to
| that biil-of-fare. and fhlak BY tile
time the waiter came around almost
knew It by heart One drink that al
most made lie laugh aloud was listed
as -Lemonades gazeuses," but 1 might
| as well have introduced myself to the
German officers by my right name and
rank as attempt to pronounce it.
When the walter came TO me, there
fore. said Book" as casunlly as L
could, and I felt somewhat relieved
that had gotten through that part of
the ordeal so easily.
While the waiter was away i had e
chance to examine the bili-of-fare and
7 observed that a glass of beer cost so
cenumes. Tne smallest cnange 1 mao
was a two-mark paper bill.
Apparently the German officers were
similarly fixed and when they offered
their bill to the waiter, he handed II
back to them with a remark which
took to mean that he couldn't make
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 Inter. The only
thing 10 do, therefore. was to offer
him the bill as though I 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 Z little moro
sharply, and gave me back the bill.
Later on. he returned to the table with
a handful Of change and we closed the
transaction. gave him Is centimes
as a tip-I had never yet been to .
place where It was necessary to talk
to do that.
During my first half hour in that
theatre. to say i was on pins and
needles is to express my feelings
mildly. The truth of the matter is
was never SO uneasy in my Me. Every
minute seemed like an hour. and q
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
hcers seated themselves right at my
table thought that was about all
could stand. As 1t was. however. the
lights went out shortly afterwards and
IN the dark felt considerably easier.
After the FIRST picture. Ehen the
lights went up again, had regained
my composure considerably and took
advantage of the opportunity to study
the various types of people IN the
place.
From my seat I had q 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 had ever
seen German nurse, for when was
in the hospital I had seen only men
orderlies. Nurses didn't work 80 near
the first line trenches.
The German soldiers at the different
tables were very quiet and orderly.
They drank book beer and conversed
among themselves. but there WIS no
hilarity or rough-hOusing of any kind.
As sat there, within arms reach
Of those German officers and realized
what they would have given to know
what a chance they had to capture an
escaped British officer, could hardly
help smiling to myself, but when !
thought Of the big risk was taking.
mere or less unnecessarily. began to
wonder whether had not acted fool
ishiy in undertaking 1t.
Nevertheless. the evening passed on
uneventfully and when the show was
over I mixed with the crowd and dis
appeared. feeling very proud Of myself
and with a good deal more confidence
Than I had enjoyed at the start.
had passed night which ~ill 1--we,
In my life as long as live. The hill
Of fare and program and throw
away" bill advertising the name Of
the attraction which WINS to be pre-
sented the following week which was
handed to me ns / came out. still
have and they are among tire most
valued souvenirs Of my adventure.