At Eerneghem we were not only stopped, but also sent back outright. It was considered extremely impudent on our side that we had dared to push on so far, because we were in the fighting-line. Even the permit given by the commander of Thourout was of no avail.
Back at Bruges we attended in the market the concert given by a German military band near the statues of Breydel and de Koninck. At the commander's office I witnessed a remarkable incident. A German post-official and a soldier had just brought in a decently dressed gentleman. The postman began to relate that he was taking away the telephone instrument at that gentleman's house in order to fix it up at the commander's office, and that the gentleman had said: "Why do you steal that instrument?" As the postman said this the commander jumped up in a fury, and called out:
"What? What? Do you dare to call it stealing, what we Germans take here in Bruges?"
"Sir, I do not understand German, but----"
"Not a word, not a word; you have insulted a German official, and according to the proclamation you know that that is severely punished. You are my prisoner."
As he said this the commander put his hand roughly on the shoulder of the trembling man, who again said in French:
"I have not used the word 'steal' at all, but let me explain the matter."
"There is nothing to explain. Officer, you can take your oath on it?"
"Well"--this to a private--"you call the patrol; this man must be arrested."
The unhappy man bowed his head trembling, and with dull resignation he left the office, strongly escorted.
The man who had this experience was Mr. Coppieters, the District Commissioner, a man who had given all his life to the service of society and the good of the community.
Happily the burgomaster intervened, and, as I heard later, got him released.
These are some of the things I could tell about my trips in the West of Belgium. By the end of November I was no longer allowed to move freely behind the front, although from time to time I visited small Belgian frontier-places.
Yet I am glad to have witnessed the terrible fights near the Yser a couple of times where the German invasion was stopped, and where we may hope that soon victory may dawn on the brave Belgian army.