The Lamar register., 1918-08-07

Huns had thrown a Gordon around the
entire block before the squad was sent
to the house. The Germans do these
things in an efficient manner always.
They take nothing for granted.
My one chance seemed to be to stand
pat In the hope that the officer In
charge might. possibly come to the con
clusion that he had arrived at the
house too late-that the bird had
flown.
My position in that wine cellar was
anything but comfortable one. Rats
and mice We're scurrying across the
floor and the smashing and crushing
going on overhead was anything hut
promising. Evidently those soldiers
Imagined that ! ought to be hiding In
the walls, for 1t sounded as though
they We're tearing off tho wainscotting
the picture molding and. In fact,
everything that they could tear or pull
apart.
Before very long they would finish
their search upstairs and would come
down to the basement. What they
would do when they discovered the
wine l had no idea. Perhaps they
would let themselves loose on II and
give me my chance. With bottle of
wine in each hand figured could put
up good fight In the dark. especially
as / was becoming more and more ac-
customed to II and could begin to dis
tinguish things here and there, where
as when they entered the pitchy dark
. h.. IL ka2 n q
blind as bats In the sun.
Perhaps II was twenty minutes be-
fore ! heard what sounded like my
death-knell TO me; the soldiers were
coming down the cellar steps!
clutched wine bottle In each hand
and waited with bated breath.
Tramp! Tramp Tramp! In mo-
ment they would be in the cellar
proper. l could almost hear my heart
floor by the scores, frightened no
doubt by the vibration and noise made
by the descending soldiers. Some of
the creatures ran across me where
stood between two wine cases. but
was too much interested in bigger
game to pay any attention to mice.
Trampl Tramp! "Haltv' Again
an order was given In German, and al
though l did not understand 1t l am
willing to bless every word OF IT, be-
cause 1t resulted In the soldiers turn.
ing right about face, marching up the
stairs again. through the hall and out
of the front door and awayl
/. could hardly believe my ears. II
seemed almost too good TO be true that
they could have given up the search
just as they were about to come upon
their quarry. but unless my ears de-
ceived me that was what they had
done.
The possibility that the whole thing
might be German ruse did not escape
me. and / remained In the cellar for
nearly an hour after they had nppar-
emily departed before ventured to
move. listening intently In the mean
while for the slightest sound which
would reveal the presence OF sentry
upstairs.
Not hearing Il sound began to feel
that they had indeed given up the hunt.
for l did not believe that German
onCcT Nouiu De 80 cOnsluefhtt OF MS
men as to try 10 trap me rather than
carry the cellar by force If they had
the slightest idea that / was there.
took on my shoes and crept softly
and slowly to the cellar steps and then
step by step. placing my weight down
gradually so as to prevent the steps
from creaking, / climbed to the top.
The sight that met my eyes as l
glanced into the kitchen told me the
whole story. The water faucets had
been ripped from the sinks. the water
pipes haveing been torn of. and
gas fixtures. cooking utensils and
everything else which contained even
the smallest proportion of the metals
the Germans SO badly needed had been
taken from the kitchen. l walked up
stairs now with more confidence. feel
ing tolerably assured that the soldiers
hadn't been after me at all. but had
been merely collecting metal and
other materials which they expected
an elaborate dwelling house like the
one In which was concealed to yield.