The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-11-16
CHAPTER XII.
The Forged Passport.

tne passport nor the house in whic]
ne lived. While, In view of what sub
sequently happened. would not b.
very much concerned If he got int,
trouble for having dealt with me.
realize that the hardships he had en-
uureu IN common with the other In
habitants of that conquered city ma,
possibly have distorted his idea o.
right and justice, and I shall not de
Hberately bring further disaster or
MIN by revealing his identity.
This man-we will call him Huy
Tiger because that is as unlike his
name as 1t Is mine-was very kind tc
me on that memorable night when ]
aroused him from his sleep and in O
lew words Of explanation told him OF
my plight.
He invited me inside. prepared some
1000 for me and, putting on a dress
ang gown, came and sat by me while ]
ate, listening with the greatest inter-
est to the short account of my adven-
lures.
He could speak English fluently, and
he interrupted me several times to ex-
press his sympathy for the sufferings
I had endured.
"OBrien," he said, after I had con-
Guided my story, II am going to help
you. 1t may take several days-per-
haps as long as two weeks-but event
ually we will provide the means to en-.
able you to get to Holland"
thanked him a thousand times and
told him that I didn't know how
could possibly repay him.
Don't think Of that" he replied:
''the satisfaction Of knowing that 1
have aided In placing one more victim
of the Huns beyond their power to
harm will more than repay me for all
the risk shall run in helping YOU.
You'd better turn in now, O'Brien, and
In the morning I'll tell you what plan
to do" -,s>--, z. -,.<rr,-,-. ..4..,...-.
AS removed my clothes and noticed
that my knees were still swollen to
twice their normal size, that my left
ankle was black and blue from the
wrench had given 1t when I jumped
from the train and that my ribs showed
through my skin, realized what a lot
l had been through. AS a matter Of |
TACT, 1 could not have weighed more
than one hundred and fifty pounds at |
that time, whereas had tipped the |
scales at one hundred and ninety when |
was with my squadron in France.
l lost no time in getting into bed |
and still less in getting to sleep. I |
don't know what I dreamed of that
night, but had plenty of time to 60
through the experiences Of my whole
life, for when I was aroused by q
knock on the door and Huyliger en-.
tered in response to my invitation to
enter, he told me that it was nearly
noon! I had slept for almost twelve
hours.
1 cannot say that the thought did
not run through my head that per-
haps after all was living in a fools
paradise, and that when Huyliger re-
appeared it would be with a couple of
German soldiers behind him, but dis
missed such misgivings summarily, re-
alizing that I was doing Huyliger an
injustice to let such things enter my
head even for an instant. I had no :
right to doubt his sincerity and it
would do me no good to entertain such
suspicious. If he was going to prove
freacherous to me, was powerless
any way to cope with him.
In a few moments my host reap
peared with a tray containing my
breakfast. don't suppose shall ever
forget that meal. 1t consisted of
cup Of coffee-real coffee, not the kind
had had at Courtrai-several slices Of
bread, some hot potatoes and a dish :
Of scrambled eggs.
Every mouthfuf Of that meal tasted /.
like angel-food to me and Huyliger
sat on the edge of the bed and watched
me enjoying 1t, at the same time out
lining the plans he had made for my /.
escape.
In brief, the scheme was to conceal =
me In a convent until conditions were 7
ripe for me to make my way to the b
border. In the meanwhile 1 was to be =
dressed in the garb of a priest, and !.
when the time came for me to leave :
he city was to pretend that I was r
Spanish sailor, because could speak =
little Spanish, which had picked n
lp on the coast. To attempt to play =
he part of a Belgian would become in :,
difficult, he pointed out, and =
would bring inevitable disaster In the
went that was called upon to speak. q
Huyliger said I would be given suf- h
lGent money to bride the German
yards at the Dutch frontier, and he h
ssured me that everything would work e,
ut according to schedule. e,
"Yours is not the first case, O'Brien, tt
ye have handled successfully" he de- m
Jared. "Only three weeks ago heard W
rom an English merchant who had Sc
scaped from German detention camp