Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-11-20


| uniform and Il resembled very much
that Of the German soldiers.
Some Of the neighbors, aroused by
the commotion, got up to see what IL
was all about, and came in and
watched while ate the meal those
good Dutch people prepared for me.
Ordinarily I suppose ] would have
been embarrassed with so many peo-
pie staring at me while / ate as
though I were some strange animal
that has just been captured, but just
then was too famished to notice or
care very much what other people did.
There will always be warm place
in my heart for the Dutch people. !
had heard lots Of persons say that
| they were not inclined to help refu-
gees. but my experience did not bear
these reports out. They certainly did
more for me than ever expected.
I had a little German money left,
| but as the value Of German money is
only about half in Holland, didn't
have enough to pay the fare to Rot
| terdam, which was my next objective.
| It was due to the generosity of these
| people that I 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 was able to get third
class ticket to Rotterdam, and I was
glad that I didn't have to travel first
class, for would have looked as much
out of place in a f1rst-class carriage
as Hun would appear in heaven.
That night I 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 I was waiting at the station
crowd gathered round me and soon
| it seemed as If the whole town had
turned out to get look at me. It was
very embarrassing, particularly as !
/ could give them no information rea
garding the cause of my condition. all
though, of course, they all knew that
/ was refugee from Belgium.
AS the train pulled out of the sta
ton, the crowd gave a 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
I had departed a prisoner en- route
for the reprisal camp. I breathed a
sigh of relief as l thought of that re-
prisal camp and how fortunate had
really been, despite all my sufferings,
| to have escaped 1t. Now, at any rate,
/ was a free man and / would soon be
sending home the joyful news that I
had made good my escape!
| At Einhoffen two Dutch officers got
into the compartment with me. They
looked at me with very much disfavor,
not knowing, of course, that I was 8
| British officer. My clothes were still
pretty much in the condition they
were when crossed the border, al
| though 1 had been able to scrape off
some of the mud 1 had collected the
night before. had not shaved nor
| trimmed my beard for many days,
| anu muSL nave preSeuIeu d 6OIIE
appearance. 1 could hardly blame
| them for edging away from me.
The trip from Einhoffen to Rotter-
dam passed without special incident.
At various stations passengers would
get In the compartment and, observ-
ing my unusual appearance, would
endeavor to start conversation with
me. None of them spoke English.
however, and they had to use their
own imagination as to my identity.
When I arrived at Rotterdam I
| asked a policeman who stood in front
| of the station where could find the
British consul, but I could not make
him understand. ! next applied to
taxicab driver.
English consolidation consul
| American consul-French consult" ]
said, hoping that IL he didn't unders
stand one he might recognize an
| other.
He eyed me with suspicion and mo.
toned me to get In and drove off. I
| had no idea where he was taking me,
| but after quarter Of an hours ride he
brought up in front of the British
consul. Never before was ESQ glad
| to see the Union Jacki
| CTO BE CONTINUED3
L