After some little time the Redoubtable One appeared—of course a comrade of mine. Indescribable astonishment and joy! But the stupid face of my amiable orderly was good to behold. He had to run off straight away and fetch my breakfast.
I derived special satisfaction while still at Wesel from reading an English warrant from the Daily Mail, dated 12th July, when I was already safe, which ended by declaring that I would probably try to escape as a sailor on a neutral steamer and that:
“His recapture should be but a matter of time.”
An hour later I sat, still in my workman’s clothes, a passport in my pocket, in the Berlin express—of course first class!
At last I had attained my goal! It had taken me nearly nine months to break my way through from Kiao-Chow to Germany.
Germany, oh, my beloved country! I had come back to thee!
The sun was shining radiantly on the 13th of July 1915, and my elated eyes were taking in the lovely pictures of my countryside.
I had settled down alone in my first-class carriage, and had spread my belongings on both sides of the window, and begun to jot down my report in pencil.
At Münster an old General in full uniform entered my compartment. I stood up politely, cleared a seat, and said, “May I most humbly place this seat at Your Excellency’s disposal?”
A furious look from his hard eyes, an outraged growl “Brrrr,” and the door slammed to. I was alone.