The sun., 1918-11-13

that they formed rude sort OF truss
which gave them stiffness and strength.
"I believed that with these boards to
form n bridge. we could get from our
windows to the top OF the outer barbed
wire fence without having to force our
way through any of the intervening
wire. Once outside the fence IT would
he only a question Of eluding the sem
tries.
'"The night before the inspection OF
the camp was to take place. we liked
as the time to make our break. The
night fortunately was dark and overcast
and I was able to get the tennis court
boarCo into the barracks without being
detected There were sixteen OF us VINO
decided to make the attempt and we
we're divided into four parties OF four
men each.
"The first party. in which was in
cluded. was to cut the iron bars IN tne
barracks window. push the boards
through the window and while some OF
the men who we're not going to attempt
TO get away weighted down the inner
end of the boards the four men VINO
were going to escape would, one by one.
crawl out on the boards. which. acting
as n sort of cantilever. would drop
them one by one at the outer edge oil
the wire fence.
''The second party in which Willis oil
tho I,afavette Escadrille was one. was to
attemtp to get out by cutting its way
through the barbed wire with tho wire
cutters. The third party was to make
n rush for the gate in the CONFUSION
caused when the sentries would run OUT
II head Off the men who were getting
over the outer fence. The fourth party
had a small ladder, with which It's mem
bers hoped to be able to climb over the
fence.
Make Attempt in Darkness.
"Of course many Of the prisoners who
did not intend to attempt to escape were
in our secret and assisted us. AT 10 80
some Of our friends short circuited every
light in the camp. The guards, at nrst
rot suspecting II was other than an ac-
cdent.. did not turn out Immediately
which was our salvation, for otherwise
the noise made in pulling out the steel
bars from the window would have at
tracted them to the spot. We put OUT
our frail ladder. which / had further
strengthened by mailing to it crosspieces
made from provision boxes which had
contained Red Cross supplies.
1.-THE lightest man OF our party crept
cautiously out on this fiimsy bridge
which was to lead us to liberty. When
he was about half way out the inner end
of the boards was pushed out further.
and the outer end dropped bit. This
operation was repeated until the man
arrived at the end OF the board just as
it touched the top OF the incurvlng barbed
wire fence. He then quickly dropped to
the ground on the outer side and the
board was withdrawn into the barracks
another man started to crawl out and
the operation was repeated until all four
OF our party had reached the outside OF
the fence.
I'm the meantime the men who were
attempting to cut their way through the
barbed wire were discovered and free.
upon. The sentr!es, as was to be ex-
pected. rushed TO the gate and threw II
open in their haste to head off the pris-
oners who were escaping to the side OF
the camp. The third group dashed for
the gate. as was planned. and Willis
who saw the futility OF attempting TO
get through the wire entanglements
Joined these men in their dash. l had
no means of knowing definitely, but
Pam afraid the party which attempted 10
escape by means of the small ladder did
not meet with success.
"Our plan was that we should scatter
ms soon as we were outside camp, but
spot we had picked out about two
miles from camp, and I made my way
as quickly as possible in that direction
As was going up hill at top speed q
figure dashed by me in the darkness
pulling and grunting. I could not make
out who he was, but am sure il was one
of our fellows
He Meets wills.
az met Willis at the appointed spot
but with the exception of the man who
passed me In the dark neither Of us have
seen any OF our companions in the
break away. Willis and I travelled some
twenty-five miles before dawn, striking
out in a southwesterly direction. having
located our course by the compass and
familiarized ourselves with the country
during our walks. We slept during the
day in the brush and travelled at night
taking from the fields what food We
could find.
Sometimes we were luckier and found
better storehouses from which to extract
food than the fields. But We found nc
evidence that Baden was blessed with
an overabundance OF food. We covered
about seventy-ive miles in the first
three nights and were not seen by any
one during that time. At the end OF
seven days and nights Of this travelling
and forsging by night, hiding and sleep
ing by day, insuificiently clothed and
nourished. We came to the banks OF the
Rhine between Basic @Qd Schaffhausen
We knew II was the RHINE because W.,
could see the main line of railway fol
lowing the bank.
1--WE had planned to cross at the first