Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-01-21

applet could just as easily have
eaten q brick.
When he got no answers out OF me,
he walked away disgustedly.
"You don't have to worry any more,
he declared, as a parting shot. "For
you the war is over"
! was given little broth later in
the day. and as began to collect my
thoughts wondered what had hap
pened to my comrades In the battle
which had resulted so disastrously to
me. AS I began to realize my plight
I worried less about my physical con-
dition than the fact that, as the doc.
tod had pointed out, for me the war
was practically over. had been In 1t
but q short time, and now l would be
q prisoner for the duration of the war
The next day some German flying
officers visited me, and must say they
treated me with great consideration.
They told me of the man l had brought
down. They said he was Bavarian
and a fairly good pilot. They gave me
his hat as a souvenir and compliment
ed me on the fight 1 had put up.
My helmet, which was OF soft
leather, was split from front to back
by a bullet from a machine gun, and
they examined it with great interest.
When they brought me my uniform
found that the star Of my rank which
had been on my right shoulder strap
had been shot off clean. The one on
my left shoulder strap they asked me
for as q souvenir, as also my X. F. Z.
badges, which l. gave them. They al
lowed ME to keep my "wings," which
l wore on my left breast, because they
were aware that that Is the proudest
possession of British flying officer.
1 think am right in saying that the
only chivalry In this war on the Ger
man side of the trenches has been dis
played by the officers of the German
flying corps, which comprises the pick
of Germany. They pointed out to me
that and my comrades were fighting
purely for the love Of 1t, whereas they
were fighting in defense of their coun-
try, but still, they said, they admired
us for our sportsmanship. / had no.
ton to ask them if dropping bombs on
London and killing so many innocent
people was in defense of their country,
but was in no position or condition
to pick a quarrel at that time.
That same day German officer was
brought into the hospital and put In
the bunk next to mine. OF course
casually looked at him, but did not
pay particular attention to him at that
time. He lay there for three or four
hours before I did take real good
look at him. I was positive that he
could not speak English, and naturally
did not say anything to him. Once
when looked over in his direction his
eyes were on me, and to my surprise
he said, very sarcastically, "What the
HI are you looking at" and then
smiled. At this time I was just be-
ginning to say few words, as my
wound had prevented me from talking.
but / said enough to let him know
what I was doing there and how
happened to be there. He evidently
had heard my story from some of the
others, though, because he said 1t was
too bad I had not broken my neck
that he did not have much sympathy
with the flying corps anyway. He
asked me what part Of America 1 came
from, and I told him california"
After few more questions he
learned that I hailed from San Fran
cisco, and then added to my distress
by saying, "How would you like to
have q good, juicy steak right out OF
the Hofbrau?" Naturally told him
it would "hit the spot" but I hardly
thought my mouth was in shape just
then to eat it. I Immediately asked
of course, what he knew about the
Hofbrau, and he replied, II was con-
nected with the place good many
years, and ought to know all about
It."
After that this German officer and
I became rather chummy; that is, as
far as I. could be chummy with an
enemy, and we whiled away good
many long hours talking about the
days we had spent In San Francisco
and frequently in the conversation one
of us would mention some prominent
Californian, or some little incident oc
CURING there, with which we were
both familiar.
He told me when war was declared
he was, of course, intensely patriotic
and thought the only thing for him to
do was to 60 back and aid in the de
fense of his country. He found that
he could not 60 directly from Sar
Francisco, because the water was toe
we'll guarded by the English, so he
boarded a boat for South America
There he obtained forged passport
and In the gulse of a Montevidean tool
passage for New York and from there
to England.
He passed through England without
any difficulty on his forged passport
but concluded not to risk going to Hol
land for fear of exciting too much sus
picion, so went down through the
Strait of Gibraltar to Italy, which was
neutral at that time, up to Austria
and thence to Germany. He said wher
they put In at Gibraltar. after leaving
England, there were two suspects
taken off the ship, men that he was
IRE were neutral subjects, but mucl
4" his relief his own passport and Gre