CROOK COCXTY JOVRNAL
MKITKMIIKll 1 2. 1IS
Y
OIJMTING
THE tiUN
Bit
LIEUTENANT
PAT O'BRIEN
Vsff rtfM, UU, kr ni Alra OHM
my chum, Paul Raney, and another '
officer detailed to check over niy ef
fects. The list they made and to
which they affixed their signatures,
as I have previously mentioned. Is
bow In my possession and is one of
the most treasured souvenirs of my
adventure.
My trunk was sent to Cox A Co. in
due course, and now that I was In
London I thought I would go and claim
It
When I arrived at the bank I ap
plied to the proper window for my
mail and trunk.
"Who are you J" I was asked rather
sharply.
"Well, I guess no one has any
greater right to rat O'Brien's effects
than I have," I replied, "and I would
be obliged to you if you would look
them up for me."
"That may be all right, my friend,"
replied the clerk, "but according to
our records Lieutenant O'Brien is a
prisoner of war In Germany, and we
can't very well turn over his effects
to anyone else unless either you pre
sent proof that be Is dead and that
you are his lawful representative, or
else deliver to us a properly authenti
ticated order from him to give them
to you."
He was very positive about It all,
but quite polite, and I thought I
would kid him no more.
"Well." I said,' "I can't very well
present proofs to you that Pat O'Brien
is dead, but I will do the best I can to
prove to you that he is alive, and If
you haven't quite forgotten his sig
nature I guess I can write you out
an order that will answer all your re
quirements and enable yon to give me
Pat O'Brien's belongings without run
ning any risks," and I scribbled my
signature on a scrap of paper and
handed it to him.
He looked at me carefully through
the latticed window, then jumped
down from the high chair and came
outside to clasp me by the baud.
"Good heavens, leftenantl" he ex
claimed, as he pumped my hand up
and down, "how did you ever get
wayr and I had to sit right down
and tell him and half a dozen other
people in the bank all about my ex
periences. I had been In England about five
days when I received a telegram
which, at first, occasioned me almost
U much concern as the unexpected
Sight of a German spiked helmet had
caused me In Belgium. It read as
follows:
"Lieut P. A. O'Brien, Royal Flying
Corps, Regent's Palace Hotel, Lon
don: "The king is very glad to hear of
your escape from Germany. If you
are to be in London on Friday next
December 7th, His majesty will re
ceive you at Buckingham palace at
10:30 a. m. Please acknowledge. ,
"CROMER."
Of course, there was only one
thing to do and that was to obey ord
ers. I was an officer in the army and
the king was my commander in chief,
I had to go, and so I sat down and
sent off the following answer:
. "Earl Cromer, Buckingham Palace,
London : '
"I will attend Buckingham palace
as directed, Friday, December 7th, at
10:30.
"LIEUT. PAT O'BRIEN."
In the Interval that elapsed, I must
confess, the ordeal of calling on the
king of England loomed up more
dreadfully every day, and I really
believed I would rather have spent an
other day in the empty house in the
big city in Belgium or, say, two more
days at Courtral, than to go through
what I believed to be in store for me.
Orders were orders, however, and
there was no way of getting out of it
As it turned out, it wasn't half as bad
as I had feared on the contrary, it
was one of the most agreeable expe
riences of my life.
CHAPTER XIX.
I Am Presented to the King.
When the dreaded 7th of December
arrived, I halted a taxicab and in as
matter-of-fact tone of voice as I could
command, directed the chauffeur to
drive me to Buckingham palace, as
though I was paying my regular morn
ing call on the king.
My friends' version of this Incident,
I have since beard, is that I seated
myself in the taxi and leaning through
the window said: "Buckingham pal
ace 1" whereupon the taxi driver got
down, opened the door and exclaimed
threateningly:
"If you don't get out quietly and
chuck your drunken talk, I'll Jolly
quick call a bobby, bli' me, if I
won't 1"
But I can only give my word that
nothing of the kind occurred.
When I arrived at the palace gate,
the sentry on guard asked me who I
was and then let me pass at once
up to the front entrance of the palace.
TJiere I was, met byan elaborately
uniformed and equally elaborately
decorated personage who. Judging by
the long row of medals he wore, must
have seen long and distinguished serv
ice for the king.
I was relieved of my overcoat hat
and stick and conducted up a long
stairway, whore I was turned over to
another functionary, who led me to
the reception room of Earl Cromer,
the king's secretary.
There I was Introduced to another
earl and a duke, whose name I do not
remember. I was becoming so bewil
dered. In fact that it is a wonder that
I remember as much as I do of this
eventful day.
I had beard many times that before
being presented to the king a man is
coached carefully as to Just how he Is
to act and what he is to say and do,
and all this time I was wondering
when this drilling would commence.
I certainly had no Idea that I was to
be ushered Into the august presence
of the king without some preliminary
Instruction.
Earl Cromer and the other noblemen
talked to me for a while and got me
to relate In brief the story of my ex
perience, and they appeared to be
very much Interested. Perhaps they
did it only to give me confidence and
as a sort of rehearsal for the main
performance, which was scheduled to
take place much sooner than I ex
pected. I hdd barely completed my story
when the door opened and an attend
ant entered and announced:
"The king will receive Leftenant
O'Brien I"
If he had announced that the kaiser
was outside with a squad of German
guards to take me buck to Courtral
my heart could not have suuk deeper.
Earl Cromer beckoned me to follow
him and we went Into a large room,
where I supposed I was at lust to re
ceive my coaching, but I observed the
earl bow to a man standing there and
realized that I was standing in the
presence of the king of England.
"Your majesty, Leftenant O'Brien 1"
the earl announced, and then Immedi
ately backed from the room. I be
lieved I would have followed right
behind him, but by that time the
king had me by the hand and was
congratulating me, and he spoke so
very cordially and democratically
that be put me at my ease at once.
He then asked me how I felt and
whether I was in a condition to con
verse, and when I told him I was, be
said he would be very much pleased
to hear my story In detail.
"Were you treated any worse by the
Germans, leftenant?" he asked, "on
account of being an American) I've
heard that the Germans had threat
ened to shoot Americans serving In
the British army If they captured
them, classing them as murderers,
because America was a neutral coun
try and Americans had no right to
mix in the war. Did you find that to
be the case?"
I told him that I had heard similar
reports, but that I did not notice any
appreciable difference in my treat
ment from that accorded Britishers.
The king declared that be believed
my escape was due to my pluck and
will power and that it was one of the
The King Had Me by the Hand.
most remarkable escapes be had ever
heard of, which I thought was quite
a compliment, coming as It did from
the king of England.
"I hope that all the Americans will
give as good an account of themselves
as you have, leftenant," he said, "and
I feel quite sure they will. I fully
appreciate all the service rendered us
by Americans before the States en
tered the war."
At this moment I asked him if I
was taking too much time.
"Not at all, leftenant, not at all!"
he replied, most cordially. "I was
extremely interested in the brief re
port that came to me of your wonder
ful escape and I sent for you because
I wanted to hear the whole story first
hand, and I am very glad you were
able to come."
I had not expected to remain more
than a few minutes, as I understood
that four minutes Is considered a long
audience with the king. Fifty-two
minutes elapsed before I finally left
there!
During all this time I had done most
of the talking, In response to the
king's request to tell my story. Occa
sionally he interrupted to ask a ques
tion about a point he wanted me to
makeclear,, but for the most Eart.he
nns content to play the part of a lis
tener. He seemed to be very keen on every- J
thing and when I described some of ,
the tight holes I got Into during my
escape he evinced his sympathy, ih j
rusiomilly I Introduced some of the j
few humorous incidents of my adveu-
lure nuu in vtvi tuoiauw up iMugueu
heartily.
, Altogether the Impression I got of
him was that he Is a very gonial,
gracious and alert sovereign. I kuow
I have felt more 111 at ease when talk
ing to a major than when speaking
to the king but perhaps I had more
cause to.
During the whole Interview we
were left entirely alone, which Im
pressed me s significant of the dem
ocratic manner of the present king
of Kngland. and I certainly came
away with the utmost respect for him.
In all my conversation, I recalled
afterwards, I never addressed the
klug as "Your Majesty," but used the
military "sir." As I was a British of
tlcer aud he was the head of the army,
he probably appreciated this manner
of address more thun If I hud used
the usual "Your Majesty." Perhaps
he attributed It to the fuct that I
was an American. At any rate, he
didn't evince any displeasure at my
departure from what I understand Is
the usual form of address.
Before I left he asked me what my
plans for the future were.
"Why, sir, I hope to rejoin my
squadron at the earliest possible mo
ment !" I replied.
"No. Lefteuant." he rejoined, "that
Is out of the qucsttou. We can't risk
losing you for good by semliug you
back to a part of the front opposed
by Germans, because If you were un
fortunate enough to be captured
Benin they would undoubtedly shoot
you."
"Well, if I can't serve In France,
sir," I suggested, "wouldn't It be feas
ible for me to tly lu Italy or Satan
lea?" "No," he replied, "that would be
almost as bad. The only thing that
I can suggest for you to do Is either
to take up instruction a very valu
able form of service or perhaps It
might be safe enough for you to
serve in Egypt, but Just at present,
leftenant I think you have done
enough anyway."
Then he rose and shook hands with
me and wished me the best of luck,
and we both said "Good-by."
In the adjoiulug room I met Eurl
Cromer again, and as be accompanied
me to the door seemed to be surprised,
at the length of my visit
As I left the palace a policeman
and a sentry outside came smartly to
attention. Perhaps they figured I had
been made a general.
As I was riding back to the hotel
In a taxi I reflected on the remark
able course of events which in the
short space of nine months had taken
me through so much and ended up,
like the finish of a book, with my be
ing received by his majesty, the
king! When I first joined the Hoyal
Flying corps I never expected to see
the Inside of Buckingham palace,
much less being received by the king.
CHAPTER XX.
Home Again.
That same day, In the evening, I
was tendered a banquet at the Hotel
Savoy by a fellow officer who had
bet three other friends of mine that
I would be borne by Christmas. This
wager bad been made at the time be
heard that I was a prisoner of war,
and the dinner was the stake.
The first intimation he had of my
safe return from Germany and the
fact that he had won his bet was a
telegram I sent him reading as fol
lows: "Lieut Louis Grand:
"War bread bad, so I came home.
"PAT."
He said he would not part with
that message for a thousand dollars.
Other banquets followed in fast suc
cession. After I had survived nine of
them I figured that I was now In as
much danger of succumbing to a sur
feit of rich food as I bad previously
been of dying from starvution, and
for my own protection, I decided to
leave London. Moreover, my thoughts
and my heart were turning back to
the land of my birth, where I knew
there was a loving mother who was
longing for more substantial evidence
of my safe escape than the cables and
letters she had received.
Strangely enough, on the boat which
carried me across the Atlantlo, I saw
an It. F. C. man Lieutenant Lascel
les. I walked over to him, held out my
hand and said "Hello I"
He looked at me steadily for at least
a minute.
"My friend, you certainly look like
Pat O'Brien," he declared, "but I can't
believe my eyes. Who are you?"
I quickly convinced him that his
eyes were still to be relied upon, end
then he stared at me for another min
ute or two, shaking his head dubi
ously. Ills mystification was quite expli
cable. 'The last time be had seen me
I was going down to earth with a
bullet in my face and my machine do
ing a splnnlng-nose dive. He was one
of my comrades In the flying corps
and was in the fight which resulted
in my capture. He said be had read
the report that I was a prisoner of
war, but he had never believed It as
he did not think It possible for me to
survive that fall.
He was one of the few men living
out of eighteen who were originally
in my squadron I do not mean the
eighteen with whom I suiled from
Canada last May, but the squadron I
Joined In France.
As we sut on the deck exchanging
experiences, I would tivipieiiii, ,
tlce him gating Intently In my face
as If he were not quite sure that the
whole proMisltlon whs not a hoax
and that I was an Impostor.
Outside of this unexpected meet
ing, my trip was uneventful.
I arrived at St. John, New Bruns
wick, and eventually in the little
town of Momcnce, 111., on the Kau
kakee river.
I have said that I was never o
happy to arrive In a country as I waa
when I set foot on Dutch 'soil. Now,
I'm afraid I shall hav to take that
statomeiit back. Not until I finally
landed lu Momence aud realised that
I was sgalu in the town of my child-,
hood days did 1 enjoy that fooling of
absolute security which one never
really appreciates until after a visit
to foreign parts.
Now that I am back, the whole ad
venture constantly recurs to me as
dream, and I'm never quite sure that
I wou't wake up and find It so,
(TUB END)
BRIEF NEWS OF THE WAR
The Germans continue In retreat
everywhere between Arras and the
SoUsous sector under the violent at
tacks by the allied troops, and the
allies have reclaimed many Freuch
towns and territory.
Already outflanking the old Hindoo
burg line on the north, Field Marshal
llalg's forces gradually are cutting
their way eastward both north and
south of the Somme.
Not alone have the allied troops all
over the battle front from Arras to
Solssons Rained further Important ter
rain, but to the north the Hellish have
advanced their line In the l.ys sector,
apparently without much effort.
Mount Kemmnl. the famous strong
hold southwest of Ypres which was
the scene of terrific fighting during
the Gorman offensive In Raudr late
In April, has been captured by the
British.
In the capture of Mont 8L Quentln,
north of I'eronne and Feuillecourt.
more than 16 no prisoners were taken
by the British. The British losses
were small.
The operations of t'ae British air
forces sre steadily Increasing In Inten
sity and daring, according to an of
ficial announcement During the
course of the past week 17 raids were
made Into German territory and nine
German cities were bombed, of which
Mannheim provided the most striking
example of the success achieved by
the audacious British aviators.
The positions won by the American
forces northwest of Solssons, give
them a fine view along the Cberaln
des Dames. The Americans now can
aee the towers of the Laon cathedral
Nicaragua and Honduras to Arbitrate.
Washington. An armed clash be
tween Nicaragua and Honduras, which
was threatened as the result of a
boundary dispute, has been averted.
Both nations have agreed, at the re
quest of the United States, to with
draw all troops from their borders and
submit the controversy to the United
States through their respective min
isters In Washington.
I
French Continue to Advance. '
Paris. In the region north of Sols
sons French troops stormed the town
of Leury and captured 1000 Germans,
the French war office announced.
French troops have crossed the
Somme canal at Epenancourt, seven
miles south of Peronne. Rouy le Petit
two miles northeast of Nesle, has been
captured by the French. 1
Bolshevik Leader Lenlne Wounded.
London. The wounding of Premier
Lenine by assassins is announced In
a Russian wireless message from Mos
cow. ALLIES' CREDITS 7 BILLION
i
Payments Since War Began Are Over
Six Billions.
Washlngton.-Payments to the al
lies since the United States entered
the war stand at 16,089,064,750. !
This represents the aggregate of
checks paid, as distinguished from ;
credits established, which now amount
to $6,692,040,000. I
All credit accounts are being drawn
on periodically by the governments to
which they are extended, excepting
that to Russia which has an unexpend
ed balance of $137,000,000. j
Technically this Is still available, ,
but the Bolshevik government has (
never presented any demands for pay- j
ment I
Yankees Too Eager, 8ays Foch.
With the French Army In France.
"Everything is going well. We have
begun our action and we shall con
tinue," said Marshal Foch to the war
correspondents in an interview. "You
may tell the American people that
their soldiers are admirable," said
Marshal Foch to the correspondents.
"They ask nothing better than to go
to their death. They can be reproach
ed only with rushing ahead too fast
it is necessary to hold them back."
An "ad" in this pa
per gets business
150 Tons of Hay
Good outside range and good watering place, 2
teams, modern bungalow (and other buildings,
320 acre ranch with water charge of one dollar
per year, well fenced and cross fenced, daily
mail to door. Will sell for $15,000, $7,000
down, balance to suit at 7 per cent.
Ochoco Realty Company
Prineville, Oregon
FIFTY-SEVENTH
ANNUAL
STATE FAIR
i
Salem, September 23-28
Daily lectures and demonstrations on
food production and conservation;
more and brtter exhibits; high class
amusements, attractions and enter
tainments; an excellent racing card;
ideal camping grounds, and the best
of accommodations for both exhibit
ors and visitors.
A. H. LEA, Secretary, Salem, Or.
xt
STOP LOOK LISTEN
The Hamilton Barn is the place to put
your horses, where they will be fed.
Horses and cattle sold by private sale
or auction. Heavy truck hauling.
Grain and Baled Hay for sale. Leave
orders with
J. E. CAMPBELL
Phone Black 21
HEADQUARTERS FOR
SCHOOL BOOKS
Tablets, Pencils, Pens, Inks
Crayons, Note Books, Foun
tain Pens, Loose-Leaf . Note
Books and School Dictionaries.
The Scholars' Needs Can
Be Supplied Here
D. P. Adamson & Co.
Druggists
MIKE TRAPMAN
Home Builder and Cabinet Maker
ALL CABINET WORK MADE IN
MY OWN SHOP WITH
MACHINERY f
Shop on East Sixth Street
PRINEVILLE, OREGON
SOSSv