Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-08-29

L
Deeh embarrassed with so many pee
pie staring at me while 1 ate a
though l were some strange ANNA
that mas just been captured, but jus
then L was too famished to notice OF
care very much what other people did
Ihere will always be a warm place
IN my heart for the Dutch people.
had heard lots of persons say that
they We're not inclined to help refu
gees, ut my experience did not bear
these eports out. They certainly did
more Tor me than 1 ever expected.
mad little German money left,
but as the value of German money is
only about half in Holland, 1 didn't
nave enough TO pay the fare to Rot
terdam' which was my next objective.
IL was due to the generosity of these
people that l was able to reach the
British consul as quickly as I did.
Some day hope to return to Holland
and repay every single soul who
played the part of the good Samari-
tan to me.
With the money that these people
gave me l was able to get a third
class ticket to Rotterdam, and 1 was
glad that l didn't have to travel first
class, for would have looked as much
out or place in q first-class carriage
as Hun would appear in heaven.
That night l slept in the house of
my Dutch friends, where they fixed
me up most comfortably. In the morn
ing they gave me breakfast and then
escorted me TO the station.
While 1 was waiting at the station
crowd gathered round me and soon
1t seemed as if the whole town had
turned out TO get look at me. 1t was
very embarrassing, particularly as I
could give them no information re-
garding the cause of my condition, al
though, of course, they all knew that
1 was a refugee from Belgium.
AS the train pulled out of the sta
ton, the crowd gave loud cheer and
the tears almost came to my eyes as
/ contrasted in my mind the conduct
of this crowd and the one that had
gathered at the station in Client when
l had departed a prisoner en- route
for the reprisal camp. 1 breathed a
sigh of relief as 1 thought of that re-
prisal camp and how fortunate 1 had
really been, despite all my sufferings,
to have escaped it. Now, at any rate,
was free man and would soon be
sending home the joyful news that l
had made good my escaped
AT Einhoffen two Dutch officers got
INTO the compartment with me. They
ooked at me with very much disfavor,
lot knowing, of course, that 1 was a
British officer. My clothes were still
pretty much in the condition they
we're when l crossed the border. al
hough l had been able to scrape off
ome of the mud 1 had collected the ;
light before. 1 had not shaved nor
my beard for many days,
nd l must have presented a sorry
ppearance. 1 could hardly blame
hem for edging away from me.
The trip from Einhoffen to Rotter- /
am passed without special incident. {
t various stations passengers would I
ct in the compartment and, observ-i
lg my unusual appearance, would S
ndeavor to start conversation with '
lie. None of them spoke English, o
owever, and they had TO use their II
wn imagination as to my identity. c
When l arrived at Rotterdam 1 |;
sked policeman who stood in front e
the station where 1 could find the b
ritish consul, but l could not make Ii
m understand. / next applied to a o
xicab driver.
English consolidation consul is
merican consul-French consult" I IL
id, hoping that If he didn't under II
and one he might recognize an 81
her. tc
He eyed me with suspicion and mo-
Dned me to get in and drove off. I III
ID no idea where he was taking me, W
It after quarter of an hours ride he
ought up in front of the British IN
nsul. Never before was so glad he
see the Union Jackl VI
| beckoned to the chauffeur to go W
tn me up to the office, as had no er
,ney with which to pay him, and lii
len he got to the consulate l
d them that II they would pay the DIR
ii fare l would tell them who 1 of
IS and how / happened to be there. We
They knew at once that / was an fig
,aped prisoner and they readily an
ID the chauffeur and invited me to of
e some account of myself. FIR
They treated me most cordially and of
re intensely interested in the brief
count l gave them of my adven- da
es. Word was sent to the consul
leral and he Immediately sent for the
. When l went in he shook hands ms
h me, greeting me very heartily lar
offering me chair.
lie then sat down, screwed mon wa
e on his eye and viewed me from
to toe. could see that only good the
eding kept him from laughing at cor
spectacle / presented. l could see jur