The Man with the Clubfoot

escape from the little court. The one was locked, the other barred. I was fairly trapped. All I had to do now was to wait until my absence was discovered and the

ullery. It had a couple of low bays hollowed out of the masonry under the little courtyard, the one filled with wood blocks, the other with broken packingcases, old bo

They were all nearly full of refuse, so were useless as hiding places. In any case it accorded neither with the pa

t it was heartbreaking to be foiled with liberty almost within my grasp. A great wave of disappointme

e area behind the refuse bins standin

I heard a door open, then a man's voice singing. He was wa

so gerne Die im Stübc

was so much to the singer's liking that he sang the stave over again. A bumping an

o it was! But I dare not move into that patch of yellow lig

gain I heard a door op

shaft of light u

the waiter, Karl, appeared, still in h

ng to the r

hear my heart pulsating in great thuds in my ears. Nevertheless, I followed the advice of the sage of Dawson's Landing and counted to myself: one, two, three, four, one

le ditty in a deep bourdon as he paused a moment at

he refuse bins beh

passe

rd? The

o

s the area and went to t

careful habits of the German who organ

his back t

ver was m

or on tip-toe and stepped softly into the house. As I did so

door wide open. I must avoid the scullery at all costs. The man might remain there a

. I pressed it, the door opened inwards into the darkness and I passed through. As I softly closed

board in pitch darkness,

not dare look out from my hiding-place, for his voice soun

ood and

d to his heavy tramp, to his everlasting snatch of song, to the rattle of utensils, as he went about his work.

I thought I would put on the overcoat I was carrying. As I stretched out my arm

hand again to find out what had hurt me. My fingers encou

in another little area with a flight

r was fresh and pleasant. Carrying my bag I walked briskly down the lane and presently emerged in a quiet thoroughfare traversed by a canal-probably the street, I thought, that I

he horses somnolent, the drivers snoring inside their vehicles. I st

es tucked away among palms under a vast glazed roof. Day or night it never closes: the waiters succeed each other in shifts: day a

t from the midnight baking, and appetizing Dutch butter, largely compensated for the thrills of the night. Then I sent

wo, so I had plenty of time. From that night onward, I told myself, I was a German, and fr

nt to shave my head and wear a bowler hat with a morning coat and get my nails manicured pink. I should begin by persuading myself that I was the Lord of cr

hrewd he was and how we

must be rusty. So I sent the willing waiter for all the German papers and periodicals he could lay his hands on. He returned with stacks of them, Berliner Tageblatt, Kélnische Zeitung, Vorwérts; the alleged comic papers, Kladderadatsch, Lustige Blétt

er and over again: "We Germans are fighting a defensive war: the scoundrelly Grey made the world-war: Gott strafe England!" Absurd as this proceeding seems to me when I lo

ity, the same outlook, the same parrot-like cries. What the Cologne Gazette shrieked from its editorial columns, the comic (God save the mark) press echoed in foul and hideous caricature. H

elf, "you've got it all here! You've only got to be a parro

ng one chooses to ask for at any hour of the day o

rman), "I want a bag, a handbag. D

man want it now?

minute,"

Semlin's. "Yes, or smaller if

e what can

charged me thirty gulden (which is about fifty shillings) for it. I paid with a willing heart and tipped him gene

he dark streets with my two bags. The clocks were striking si

class ticket, single, to Berlin. One never knows what may

and magazines, English, French and German, and crammed them into the bag

ifficulty, should anything happen to me. I knew no one in Holland save Dicky, and I could not send him the document, for I did not trust the post. For the same reason I would

parative security of station cloak-rooms as safe deposits has long been recognized by jewel thieves and the like

f G?ttingen. The irony of the thing appealed to my sense of humour. "So be it!" I said. "The worthy Professor's fulminations against my country shall have the honour of harbouring the documen

it to the post. Before taking my bag of books to the cloak-room I wrote two letters. Both were to Ashcroft-Ashcroft of the Foreign Office, who got me my passport and permit to come to Rotterdam. Herbert Ashcroft an

rom me again? Filthy weather here. Yours, D.O." This letter was destined to contain the cloak-room receipt. To c

send someone, or, preferably, go yourself and collect my luggage at the cloak-room of the Rotterdam Central Station. I know how busy you always are. Therefore you

uld abandon his dusty desk in Downing Street and betake himself across the North Sea to fetch my lugga

at the cloak-room opposite, I gave in my bag of books, put the receipt in the first letter and posted it in the letter-box within the station. I went out into the streets with the second letter and posted it

is waistcoat pockets, stood at the entrance framed in hanging overcoats and bats and boots. I had no umbrella and it struck me that a waterproof of some kind

y wearing an appallingly ugly green mackintosh reeking hideously of rubber. It was a s

bby old fellow wearing a dirty peaked cap with a band of tarnished gold. I knew him at once for one of

sir?" the man

tted beside me. "Want a good, cheap hotel,

ling off his tout's patter in a wheezing, asthmatic voice. I struck off blindly down the first turni

and go aw

ow waved the

chalantly, looking at the s

ice, utterly different from his w

be a dam'

staggered though I was.

t understand you. If you annoy me

d it was the voice of a well

ion is humming after you! Yet you walked out of the buffet and through the

nswered i

rstehe

ish, without seeming t

can't go into Germany w

orgotten that I was wearing my regimental colours. I was crimson with vexation but also with a sense of reli

stick to German: I

. I saw two workmen approaching. When they

I want to warn you. Why, I've been following you round all the

lent. The litt

don't know except that none of them seems to have a very clear idea of your appearance. You don't look

me. I know where you are going, for I heard you take your ticket; but you may as well understand that you have as much chance of getti

p me!" I said. "Thi

will be an altercation, a false charge, and you w

t. Here, come with me and I'll show you. You have twenty

"mug" in tow of one of those black-guard guides. As we a

class waiting-room and look out of the window that gives on to the station hall. There you will see some of the forces mobilized against you. There is a regular cord

es?"

ed chee

tter results by being one of them. Oh! it's al

. 5. On that platform you will find a train. Go to the end where the metals run out of the station, where the engine would be coupl

nd wagged his head, so I gave him another, whereup

oafing about the barriers leading to the main-line platforms. There seemed to be a lot of people in the hall and certainly a number

etely deserted as I emerged breathless from the long staircase and I had no difficulty in getting int

panels and gold lettering

I wondered vaguely, too, what had become of my porter. True, there was nothing of importance i

away. By Jove! I was going to miss the train. But I sat resolutely in

in the window at my elbow

spered in my ea

n the foot-board of the other train. At

the carriage into w

rom the open door, thinkin

iage again, then tapped himself on

disappeared and I had

the waiter, Karl, hurrying down the platform. With him was a swarthy, massively built man who leaned heavily on a stic

to the pair, but I prudently drew

ution, must hencefor