The herald., 1916-03-30
Carrying a W.,
Message
By F. A. MlTCHrI

rope" ""F wien Servia WA
overrun Ivy ruy Germans, VIII" a
lied TROOPS were pushing n.
ward from Sa.onjld to form . a'''
with the Scry.us, the latter ~. .a1
send a message to the Frenss
were eudravor.us to get in toy
them.
One Boris Gusrab, a Servl,, -.
soldier who had done some rp pG''
Cret service work and knav ."
try well, was willing to und...', y
task, but hc was only a nas..
without the intellect or educ,s..
understand or remember VS..
would be required to say n ~
commando. The message NM.
written and If captured nv r.
would result In disaster both !, :
who sent It and those for wbon
intended.
Boris. though uneducated, Va,
genious. He confded to his peo...,'
plan for concealing the ms'..
which was a long one, full q, 49,
for contingencies. 1t was with,
the thinneSt paper. The nav,
Boris started TO work bis vsy
the mountains toward the aris.
walked with q cane, for In ths n.
the Servians had been febtiD, -
the Germans he had been vorra.,4
the calf of bis leg. His danppr !.
not from being captured BY orv,,.I
armies. for such did not lie in NJ, ~
What he feared was the peOuIs NJ,
he would meet on the way vs,
sympathies were with the BuIus,,|
and who were on the lookout for ,Dl-
Boris was hObbling along soutbu,
when he encountered three Bulps,,l
who were picketing the road Ana !,
was stopped for examination. Hs \
them that he was a Roumsp,,n M
had been in Servia when attacked \
the Germans and had been imprs.,
into the Servian army. He bad N,
wounded in the leg and while IN N
hospital had found a way to escp|
He was on his way home. 4
The men refused to let him md
without a thorough examination n
they had been stationed on the ROAD
make sure that there should b n
communication between the armies !,
ing to effect a junction. They tocs 4
every bit of his clothing and, lss
examining 1t thoroughly, burned T. \.
Guiding his hat and his shoes and d.
staff on which he leaned. They eva
combed his hair. When they wen o.
isfied that he bore no message tht,
procured him clothing from a istr
house In which they made their bead
quarters and, cutting him cane tru,
a tree, let him pass on.
This stoppage confirmed bis kne
that the enemy were impressed VII
the importance to their cause Of pr
venting any communication betvee
the Servians and the allies. BE b
passed the first picket, but felt SUI
that 1t was not the last. True enout
while descending a mountain Wild
lay between the two opposing srns
he met a guard Of Bulgarian sold!E
who had been ordered to look out b
spies, or, rather, for any one Vi
would be likely to carry a message
Again Boris was stopped and crds
ed to give an account Of himself B
told the same story as before D
was stripped and his clothing eIin
ined, but it was returned to d,
They even unwound the bandage aDag
the wound In his leg to see II tbsf
was anything concealed tn It h
were about TO let him pass when %
Of them suggested that be might n'
swallowed a paper ball with messas
on 1t and proposed to give hin
emetic. Procuring some mustard tn
a house near by. they forced BIN
drink some Of It mixed with was
He threw up everything on hb sn'
ach, but nothing In the nature o.
message. Then they gave him pk
Of rye bread and babe him process
his journey.
A third time he was stopped R0' '
from the French lines and put tnsas
an oral examination by the of'cef c0.
manding an outpost, before vn0n
was taken. This man piled nin W.
so many questions that he conuaa1s
himself, and, although nothing 10.
mating was found on him, he was w.
and placed under guard During !
night he began to groan as ii u ~
and presently lay stiff and M
though dead. There was no h'.
man at hand to examine him. y = :.
covered him with a cavalrymah ~
and betook themselves to sleep
As soon as Boris heard Their I.
he rolled into some brush mean J.
and, getting up on his legs pr"L
on his journey. At dawn from
he saw the French flag nyins IN \,
and, descending, reached the pleIa -
at sunrise. He asked that TIE y
manding officer be called ~. !,
ushered into his presence told nm :
he was the bearer Of q written !.
sage from the Servians. Wpen !.
for IT he said that he must ns's
geon. One was sent for, ana ~ -.
arrived Boris removed the -
from his leg and told the su's
probe into the wound
From between the muscles ~ !
geon drew forth a fat caps :,
handed It to Boris, who Droae IA
and took out some carefully l0.s