Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-09-07

mouse ana l used 1t to amuSe myself
for an hour at time shining 1t in thu
eats eyes across the street. At frs
the animal was annoyed by the reflec
ton and would move away, only Il
come back few moments later. BY
and by, however, it seemed to get
used to the glare and wouldn't bulge
no matter how strong the sunlight was
Playing with the cat in this way got
me into the habit of watching her
comings and goings and was indi
rectly the means of my getting food q
day or two later-at time when
was so furnished that / was ready tc
do almost anything to appease my
hunger.
1t was about o'clock In the even.
ing. / was expecting Huyliger at s.
but hadn't the slightest hope that he
would bring me food, as he had told
me that he wouldn't take the risk of
having food in his possession when
calling on me. was standing at the
window in such way that | could
see what was going on in the street
without being observed by those who
passed by, when I noticed my friend,
the cat, coming down the steps of the
opposite house with something In his
mouth. Without considering the risks
ran, l opened the front door, ran
down the steps and across the street,
and pounced on that cat before it could
get away with its supper. for that, as
| had imagined, was what had seen
in its mouth. 1t turned out to be a
piece of stewed rabbit. which confs-
Gated eagerly and took back with me
to the house.
Perhaps l felt little sorry for the
cat, but | certainly had no qualms
about eating the animals dinner. l
was much too hungry to dwell upon
niceties, and piece of stewed rabbit
was certainly too good for cat to eat
when man was starving. | ate and
enjoyed it and the incident suggested
to me a way in which | might possibly
obtain food again when all other ave-
nues failed.
From my place of concealment / fire.
gently saw huge carts being pushed
through the streets gathering potato
Feelings, refuse of cabbage and similar
food remnants, which, in America, are
considered garbage and destroyed. In
Belgium they were using this "gar-
bage" to make their bread out of, and
while the idea may sound revolving to
us, the fact is that the Germans have
brought these things down to such
science that the bread they make this
way is really very good to eat. l know
1t would have been like cake to me
when / was in need of food; indeed /
would have eaten the garbage" di-
rect, let alone the bread.
Although, as / have said, / suffered
greatly from hunger while occupying
this house, there were one or two
things l observed through the keyhole
or from the windows which made me
laugh, and some Of the incidents that
occurred during my voluntary impris-
onment were really funny.
From the keyhole could see, for in
stance, shop window on the other
side Of the street, several houses down
the block. ALI day long German sol
diers would be passing In front of the
house and l noticed that practically
every one of them would stop in front
of this store window and look in. Oc-
casionally soldier on duty bent would
hurry past, but I think nine out of ten
of them were sufficiently interested to
spend at least minute, and some of
them three or four minutes gazing at
whatever was being exhibited in that
window, although noticed that it
failed to attract the Belgians.
/ have considerable streak of Curl
osity in me, and I couldn't help won
dering what it could be in that window
which almost without exception
seemed to interest German soldiers but
failed to hold the Belgians, and after
conjuring my brains for while on the
problem came to the conclusion that
the shop must have been book-shop
and the window contained German
magazines, which, naturally enough,
would be Of the greatest interest to
the Germans but of none to the Bel
gians.
At any rate resolved that as soon as
night came / would go out and in
vestigate the window. When got the
answer 1 laughed SO loud that / was
afraid for the moment / must have at
tracted the attention of the neighbors.
but / couldn't help 1t. The window
was filed with huge quantities Of
sausage! The store was a butcher
shop and one of the principal things
they sold apparently was sausage. The
display they made, although 1t con-
sisted merely of sausages piled in the
window, certainly had plenty of pull
ing" power. 1t "pulled" nine Ger
mans out of ten out of their course and
indirectly pulled" me right across the
street! The idea of those Germans be-
ing so interested In that window dis
play as to stand In front Of the win
dow for two, three or four minutes at |
a time, however. certainly seemed
funny to me, and when got back to
the house I sat at the keyhole again
and found Just as much interest as
before in watching the Germans stop
In their tracks when they reached the
window, even though was now aware
what the attraction was.
One of my chief occupations during