The Ozark spectator., 1916-08-25
I would have been captured.


 edge of small stream. Beyond that lay the moor, and in five minutes l was deep in bracken and heather Soon l was round the shoulder of the rise in the little glen from which the mill lode flowed.
 Ten minutes later my face was deep in the spring and l was soaking down pints of the blessed water. But did not stop till I had put half dozen miles between me and that accursed dwelling.
 l sat down on q hilltop and took stock of my position. l wasn't feeling very happy, for my natural thankfulness at my escape was clouded by my bodily discomfort. Tho lentonte fumes had fairly poisoned me, and the baking hours on the dovecot hadn't helped matters. I had a crushing headache and felt as sick as n cat; also my shoul- der was in bad way
 At first thought it was only bruise, but 1t seemed to be swelling, and 1 had no use of my left arm.
 My plan was to seek MT. Turnbulrs cottage, recover my garments and eSpe cially Scudder's notebook and then make for the main line and get back to the south. It seemed to me that the sooner got in touch with the foreign office man, Sir Walter Bullivant, the better. l didn't see how l could ge more proof than had got already. He must just take or leave my storT and anyway with him l would be n better hands than those devilish for eigners. had begun to feel quite kindly toward the British police.
 It was wonderful starry night, and road. Sir Harry's map had given me the lie of the land, and all had to do was to steer a point or two west of southwest to come to the stream where I had met the roadman. In all these travels l never knew the names of the places, but l believe this stream was no less than the upper wa ters of the river Tweed. l calculated I must be about eighteen miles distant. and that meant l could not get there before morning
 So l must lie up day somewhere, for l was too outrageous n figure 70 be seen In the sunlight. had neither coat, waistcoat, collar nor hat, my trousers were badly torn, and my face and hands were black with the cXplo- sion. l dare say had other beauties for my eyes felt as if they were furi ously bloodshot.
 Altogether l was no spectacle for God fearing citizens to see on high road.
 Very soon after daybreak l made an attempt to clean myself in hill bum and then approached herder's cot tage, for l was feeling the need of food The herder was away from home, and his wife was alone, with no neighbor for five miles.
 She was decent old body and a plucky one. for, though she got d fright when she saw me, she had an ax handy and would have used 1t on any evildoer.
 l told her that I had had a fall-I didn't say how-and she saw by my looks that I was pretty sick Like a true Samaritan, she asked no ques tionS, but gave me bowl of milk with dash of whisky In 1t and let me sit for little by her kitchen fire. She would have bathed my shoulder. but 1t ached so badly that would not let her touch it.
 don't know what she took me for repentant burglar, perhaps. for when l wanted t" pay her for the milk aud rendered sovereign, which was the smallest coin had. she shook her head and said something about giving 1t ito them that had a right to it." At this protested so strongly that think she believed me honest, for she took the money and gave me a warm new plaid for 1t and an old hat of her mans. She showed me how to wrap the plaid round my shoulders. and when l left that cottage l was the living i'm age of the kind of Scotsman you see in the illustrations to Burns poems. But at any rate l was more or less clad
 It was as well, for the weather changed before midday to a thick driz- gle of rain.
 found shelter below an overhang- ing rock fin the crook of burn, where drift of dead bracken made a toler- able bed. There l managed to sleep till nightfall, waking very cramped and wretched with my shoulder gnawing like toOthache. 1 ate the oatcake and cheese the old wife had given me and set out again just before the dark ening.
 pass over the miseries of that night among the wet hills. There were no stars to steer by and ] had to do the best l could from my memory of the map. Twice lost my way, and had some nasty falls into peat bogs. had l only about ten miles to go as the crow 1 flies, but my mistakes made it nearer | twenty.
 The last bit was completed with set tooth and o vary Rubt and 1;11v had