I had a streak of luck. It is forbidden to
civilians, and more particularly to correspondents, to go prowling about
eastern Belgium just now; but I found a friend in a naturalized German-
American, formerly of Chicago, but living now in Germany, though he
still retains his citizenship in the United States.
Like every one else in Aachen, he is doing something for the government,
though I can only guess at the precise nature of his services. At any
rate he had an automobile, a scarce thing to find in private hands in
these times; and, what was more, he had a military pass authorizing him
to go to Liege and to take two passengers along. He invited me to go
with him for a day's ride through the country where the very first blows
were swapped in the western theater of hostilities.
We started off in the middle of a fickle-minded shower, which first blew
puffs of wetness in our faces, like spray on a flawy day at sea, and
then broke off to let the sun shine through for a minute or two. For
two or three kilometers after clearing the town we ran through a
district that smiled with peace and groaned with plenty.
Pages:
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218