The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-15

aviators here will stand up and agree that, were they in my cir- cumstance, they'd answer your questions, major, I'll answer any and all of them No one stood. The major ordered Hail taken to c hospital.
 "But his suffering was not over. That slight limp you notice to- day was caused while he was in the German hospital. 4 doctor who had set his legs, set one Of them incorrectly. After the leg had knitted this doctor called one day and, finding that t was improperly set, placed Hall on the operating table and broke the leg over the end of the table without anaesthetics, without warning.
 Hall told me-" Nordhoff coa- tinued, "Tf I ever meet that man, I'll Xiii him."
 Would James Norman Hail keep this threat? Most who know him believe that he might, although c more retiring, modest man than the aviator who brought down more than c score Of Ger. man planes by the official count, would be hard to find. I re- member the last time we were together in Boston when Hall was lip to see his publishers and go through the torture" (for hifn) Of interviews by Boston news. papermeTl.
 Needed Btlmulant
 After putting lip with Q wo- man from the Boston HearId who wanted to know # they played bridge in the South Sea-" Hall and I went out looking for the nearest approximation Of Q Ta- hitian rum punch in Boston. Little luck, although, after gev- eraI. they seemed to be getting a trifle better. Hall said, at that time, the islands as he knew them first, were spoiled, that 1t made no difference now what was written about them. At first, he had written stories designed to keep the tourists away from the peaceful haven he and Nordhoff had chosen for their permanent homes in the South Seas.
 Then Frederick O,Brien,s books had put the Society Islands on top in the list of far places for tourists with time and money. Hall found tourists cluttering Pa- peete on boat days and moved farther into the country.
 Nordhoff and Jones and I moved to the main cafe of the Hotel Tahiti. Nordhoff had remembered that the next day, about to strike with midnight, was his birthday. The tall, gray-eyed former aviator who could take the title of baron" If he wished, decided that we should cele- brate.
 Gangs All Here
 Robert J. Flaherty, motion pic- ture director who made "MOana of the South Seas" "Nanook of the North" later 'Tabu" and Man of Aran," Monte Blue, star of the picture M-G-M was making cur- rently at Tahiti. Hall. Anderson. the villain of the picture, and Steve" Bigelow. also with Hall and Nordhoff. ex-memher of the Escadrille Lafayette, best known of the Allied sky forces. joined us. There was champagne. sing ing of old songs with Steve. of Back Bay, composer of gentle lullabies on occasion, banging the old piano.
 So Hall and Nordhoff have found peace at Tahiti and their writings have brought them great fame. So Hall comes to America when he must. secretly, if possible. shy of all publicity. The saturnine- appearing, slight dark man dis closes none of the fire which is his by training. on newspapers. in tho air, in challenging German guards in wartime to find him as he escaped frosn the prison there.
 The Broad Arrow" is late i- appearing. Possibly, even now. tfzaNm n-so~s Ia 4.a.414mn ~ t&e sss4.