I was not at all sure that I was going to get away at all, until I got down to the Legation on Wednesday morning and found my _laisser-passer_, signed by von der Goltz, waiting for me--another to add to my already large and interesting collection. With it was a letter from my friend and well-wisher, Baron von der Lancken, who said that an officer would be assigned to accompany us as far as the German outposts. He suggested that I take along a large white flag to be hoisted over the motor for the run between the lines. The note and _laisser-passer_ had arrived at the Legation about one o'clock in the morning, and had looked so important that the slaves waked the Minister from a deep sleep to receive them. [Illustration: Pass issued by Field-Marshal von der Goltz to enable Mr. Gibson to pass through the German lines to Antwerp. Passierschein ============= fuer den ersten Sekretaer der Gesandtschaft der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika zu Bruessel herrn Hugh Gibson und den Koeniglich Belgischen Staatsminister herrn Woeste, die sich nach Antwerpen begeben, von wo sie am 10. September d. J. nach Bruessel zurueckzukehren beabsichtigen. Bei der Rueckreise von Antwerpen nach Bruessel werden die vorbezeichneten herren begleitet sein von dem ersten Sekretaer der hiesigen Spanischen Gesandtschaft, Marquis de Faura und einem oder zwei weiteren belgischen Herren, deren Namen noch nicht angegeben werden kuennen. Die herren sind frei und ungehindert passieren und repassieren zu lassen. Jeder Beistand ist ihnen zu gewahren. Bruessel, den 9. September 1914 Der Generalgouverneur in Belgien.] When I got to the office I found that Villalobar had not sent over his contribution of letters, so I ran up to the Legation and saw him. He bade me farewell as though I were off to certain death, and loaded me with a large bundle of letters and telegrams. When I got back to the shop, I found my fellow-passenger, the Count de Woeste, waiting for me. He is a leader of the Catholic party which has been in power in Belgium for the past thirty years, and, although he is seventy-five years old, he is still a big figure in the little country. He behaved very well on the trip, and if I were a Belgian citizen I should vote for him on account of his good nerve.