The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-02-15
Carrying a War
Message
By F. A. mitchell

During that period of the pan-Eu
ropean war when Seryia was being
overrun by the Germans, when the al
lied troops were pushing northeast
ward from Saloniki to form junction
with the Servians, the latter desired to
send a message to the French, who
were endeavoring to get in touch with
them.
One Boris Gustab, Il Seryian private
soldier, who had done some good Sc
crct service work and knew the coun-
try well, was willing to undertake the
task, but he. was only peasant and
without the intellect or education to
understand or remember what he
would be required to say to the allied
commander. The message must be
written and If captured by the enemy
would result in disaster both to those
who sent it and those for whom 1t was
intended.
Boris, though uneducatel, was in
genious. He confided to his general his
plan for concealing the message.
which was long one, full Of details
for contingencies. It was written on
the thinnest paper. The next day
Boris started to work his way across
the mountains toward the allies. He
walked with cane, for in the battles
the Seryians had been lighting with
the Germans he had been wounded in
the calf of his leg. His danger was
not from being captured by organized
armies, for such did not lie in his path.
What he feared was the people whom
he would meet on the way, whose
sympathies were with the Bulgarians
and who were on the lookout for spies.
Boris was hobbling along southwark
when he encountered three Bulgarians
who were picketing the road, and he
was stopped for examination. He told
them that he was ROuman1an who
had been in Servia when attacked by
the Germans and had been impressed
into the Servian army. He had been
wounded III the leg and while in the
hospital had found a way to escape.
He was on his way home.
The men refused to let him pass
without a thorough examination, for
they had been stationed on the road to
make sure that there should be no
communication between the armies try
ing to effect a junction. They took off
every bit Of his clothing and, after
examining it thoroughly, burned it, in
Guiding his hat and his shoes and the
staff on which he leaned. They even
combed his hair. When they We're sat
isfied that he bore no message they
procured him clothing from a farm
house in which they made their head
quarters aud, cutting him cane from
tree, let him pass on.
This stoppage confirmed his belief
the Importance TO their cause Of pre-
venting any communication between
the Servians and the allies He had
passed the first picket, but felt sure
that 1t was not the last. True enough.
while descending mountain which
lay between the two opposing armies
he met a guard Of Bulgarian soldiers
who had been ordered to look out for
spies, or, rather, for any one who
would be likely to carry a message.
Again Boris was stopped and order
ed to give an account Of himself. He
told the same story as before. He
was stripped and his clothing exam
ined, but it was returned to him.
They even unwound the bandage about
the wound in his leg to see if there
was anything concealed in it. They
were about to let him pass when one
of them suggested that he might have
swallowed paper ball with a message
on 1t and proposed to give him an
emetic. Procuring some mustard from
a house near by, they forced him to
drink some Of it mixed with water.
He threw up everything on his stom-
ach, but nothing in the nature Of
message. Then they gave him piece
of rye bread and babe him proceed OH
his journey.
\ third time lie was stopped not far
from the French lines and put through
an oral examination by the officer COM
uiilllltIliS du ouli'VSl, uciotC Wuo" AC
was taken. This man Piled him with
so many questions that he contradicted
himself. and. although nothing incrim-
mating was found on him, he was held
and placed under guard. During the
night he began to groan as II In pain
and presently lay stiff and stark, as
though dead. There was no medical
man at hand to examine him, so they
covered him with cavalryman's cape
and betook themselves to sleep
AS soon as Boris heard their shores
he rolled into some brush near him
and, getting up on his legs, proceeded
on his journey. At dawn from height
he saw the French flag flying below
and, descending, reached the picket line
at sunrise. He asked that the COM
handing officer be called and when
ushered into his presence told him that
ho Vyyos thu hoarOr IF q written mAN.