The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-09-20

10 us the passport we gave you UeiOro
we can give you the real one" said
Huyliger's brother.
81 haven't the slightest objection" l
replied 'if the new passport is all you
claim for it. Win you let me see it?'
There was considerable hesitation on
the part of Huyliger's brother and the
other chap at this.
"Why. l don't think that's necessary
at all, Mr.. O'Bren," said the former.
You give us the old passport aud we
| Will be very glad TO give you the new
one for it. Isn't that fair enough?"
ut may be fair enough, my friends
l retorted, seeing that 1t was useless to
| conceal further the fact that | was
fully aware of their whole plan and
why had been brought to this house.
1T may be fair enough. my friends"
said, "but you will get the passport
that have here" batting my side and
indicating my inside breast pocket
"only off my dead bodyr
l suppose the three of them could
have made short work of me then and
there if they had wanted to go the
limit, and no one would ever have
been the wiser, but had gone through
SO much and l was feeling so mean to-
, wards the whole world just at that
. moment that | was determined to sell
my life as dearly as possible.
, Il have that passport here" l re-
piled, land am going to keep 1t. IL
you gentlemen think you can take II
from me you are welcome to try!"
To tell the truth, ! was spelling for
fight and l half wished they would
start something. The man who had
lived in the house had evidently been
a collector OF ancient pottery, for the
walls were lined with great pieces Of
earthenware which had every earmark
OF possessing great value. They car.
tainly possessed great weight. l fig
\ ured that If the worst came to the
worst that pottery would come in
mighty handy. A single blow with one
Of those big vases would put a man
! out as neatly as possible and as there
\ was lots Of pottery and only three men.
Il believed l had an excellent chance IT
\ holding my OWN in the combat which
II had invited.
3 had already picked out in my mind
, what / was going to use, and got up.
stood with my back to the wall and
. told them that If they ever figured on
getting the passport then would be
L their best chance
!. Apparently they realized that
} meant business and they Immediately
began to expostulate at the attitude /
, was taking.
One of the men spoke excellent
English In fact, he told me that he
r. 10. nd 40
could lie in the others as well as l
knew he did in my own tongue, he was
not only an accomplished linguist, but
a most versatile liar into the bargain.
MY dear fellow" said the linguist
'it is not that we want to deprive you OF
~ the passport. Good heavens If it will
nd aid you in getting out of the country
,er l wish you could have six just like 1t
an But for our own protection, you owe
RI it to us to proceed on your journey
as best you can without it because as
III long as you have 1t In your possession
al you jeopardize our lives, too. Don't
you think 1t is fairer that you should
% risk your own safety rather than place
the lives of three innocent men in
mo- danger?"
nd / retorted, "and l am glad you realize
7 your danger. Keep it in mind, for in
To- case any Of you should happen to feel
of inclined to notify the German authori-
So ties that / am in this part of the coun-
as try, think it over before you do so.
Remember always that if the Germans
10 get me, they get the passport, too, and
ba If they get the passport your lives
No won't be worth a damn! When / tell
the history of that clever little piece
=, of pasteboard, will implicate all three
Ia, of you and whoever is working with
40 you, and as l am an officer | rather
think my word will be taken before
yours. Good nightr'
The bluff evidently worked, because
~ / was able to get out of the city with
= out moleStation from the Germans.
~, 1 have never seen these men since
On hope l never shall, because I an
10 afraid l might be tempted to do some
rs thing for which might otherwise b,
~ sorry.
w do not mean to imply that all Bel
CLANS are like this. | had evidently
- fallen into the hands of a gang who
- were endeavoring to make capital out
a. of the misfortunes of those who were
:. referred to them for help. In all coun-
-, tries there are bad as well as good,
nc and in country which has suffered so
much as poor Belgium it Is no wonder
III If some of the survivors have lost their
lo' sense of moral perspective
ny know that the average poor peas
ID ant in Belgium would divide his scanty
ratinns with a needy fugitive sooner
tn than wealthy Belgian would dole
De- out morsel from his comparatively
TO well-stocked larder. Perhaps the poor
TO- have less to lose than the rich if their
generosity or charity is discovered by
ic- the Huns.
lot There have heen many ReIoions chat
nd