The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-10-24
CHATTER XIV.
A Night of Dissipation.

During the first two days 1 spent
with Huyliger after had first arrived
in the big city, he had told me, among
other things, of a moving picture show
in town which he said / might have
chance to see while there.
1T is free every night in the week
except Saturdays and Sundays" he
said, land once you are inside you
would not be apt to be bothered by
anyone except when they come to take
your order for something to drink
While there is no admission, patrons
are expected to eat or drink while en-
joying the pictures"
4 day or two later. while walking
the streets at night in search for food,
] had passed this place and was very
much tempted to &C in and spend
few hours, particularly as it would
perhaps give me an opportunity to
.,y something to eat. although l WAS
ae 4 loss to know how i was going TO
ask for what wanted.
While trying to make up my mind
whether it was safe for me to go In
walked half a block past the place, and
when / turned back .again. and reached
the entrance with my mind made Up
that ! would take the chance ran full
tilt into "a German officer who was just
coming out.
That settled all my 'hankerings for
moving pictures TINT night "Where
you came from. my friend" 1 6xured
-'tnere must be more ike you'll guess
1t Is good night for walking"
The next day, however, in recalling
the incident of the ,eOfning before. 1t
seemed to me that / had been rather
foolish. What i needed more than
anything else at that time was conf.
dence. Before could get ito the from
1ier would haye to confront German
soldiers many times, because there
were more OF them between this city
and Holland than in any section Of the
country through which j had 80 far
travelled. Safety in these ,conting-
encies would depend largely mpon the
ealmness displayed. 1t wouldn't do
to get all excited at the mere sight Of
a spiked helmet. The Belgians. i had
noticed. while careful to obey the
orders of the Huns, showed no partic-
ular fear of them, and 1t seemed to
me the sooner cultivated the same
feeling of indifference the better /
would be able to carry on the part
was playing.
For this reason made up my mind
then and there that, officers or no of
ncers, would go to that show that
night and sit IL through no matter
what happened. While people may
l~.l~ <Iat l<1 olx b<,-
cause of the unnecessary risk involved
In the adventure. 1t occurred to me
that perhaps after all that theater was
about one OF the safest places could
attend because that was about the last
place Germans would expect to find a
fugitive English officer in eren II they
were searching for me
As soon as evening came, therefore.
/ started out for the theatre. 1 fixed
myself up as well as possible. had
on a fairly decent pair of pants which
Huyliger had given me and 1 used a
clean handkerchief as q collar.
With my hair brushed up and my
beard trimmed as neatly as possible
with a pair of rusty scissors which l
had found in the house. while my ap-
pearance was not exaetly that Of
Beau Brummel, don't think looked
much worse than the average Belgian.
In these days the average Belgian Is
very poorly dressed at hest
can't say I had Eo misefvings ss
made my way to the theatre; GER.
tainly was going these more for dis
cipline than pleasure. but had made
up my mind that / was going there to
see 1t through.
The entrance to the theatre or beer
Barden, for it was as much one as the
Other, was on the side of the building
and was reached by way Of an alley
which ran alongside. Near the door
was ticket-seller's BOOTH but as this
vas one of the free nights there was
no one In the booth.
/ marched slowly down the alley
Initiating as best could the indifrer-
ent gait of the BeIgians, and when l
entered the theater endeavored to act
as though had been there many times
before. A hasty survey of the layout
OF the place was sufficient to enable
me to select my seat. 1t was early and
there were not more than half a dozen
people In the place at that time, SO
that ! had my choice.
There was raised platform, per-
haps two feet. high, an around the
walls of the place except at the end
where the stage was located. On this
platform tables were arranged and
tAere were tables on the floor proper
~ we'll
decided promptly that the snfes!
place for me was as far back ns pos
sfbIe. where I would not be in the line