The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-11-07


him up.
II occurred to me that could have
climbed back under the barbed wire
fence and waited for the sentry to re-
turn and then felled him with blow
on the head. as he had no idea. OF
course. that there was anyone In the
vicinity. wouldn't have hesitated
to take life, because my only thought
was to get into Holland. but thought
that ,as long ms he didn't bother me
perhaps the safest thing TO do was not
to bother him, but to continue my eff
forts, during his periodic absence.
His beat at this point was apparent
ly fairly long and allowed me more
time 10 work than had hoped for.
My mishap With the ladder had con-
vinced me that my escape in that way
was not feasible. The shock that 1
had received had unnerved me and ]
was afraid to risk 1t again, particu-
larry ms realized that 1 had Jared
more fortunately than l could hope
TO again II met with similar mis-
hap. There was no way of making
that.Iadder hold and 1 gave up the Idea
of using It
was now right In front of this
electric barrier and as / studied 1t /
saw another way of getting by. II
couldn't get over IT. what was the
matter with getting under it?
The bottom wire was only two
inches from the ground and, of course.
/ couldn't touch 1t. but my plan was
to dig underneath 1t and then crawl
through the hole In the ground
had only my hands to dig with.
but I went at II with will and fortu-
nately the ground WAS not very hard.
When I had dug about six inches.
making a distance in all OF eight
inches from the lowest electric WIRE
I came to an underground wire. 1
knew enough about electricity to real
ize that this wire could not be charged.
as II was in contact with the ground,
but still there was not room between
the I've wire and this underground
wire for me to crawl through. and I
ether hard TO 60 back or dig deep
enough under this wire to crawl under
ii or else pull it up.
This underground wire was about
as big around as a lead pencil and
there was no chance of breaking It.
The jack-knife had had at the start
OF my travels 1 had long since lost
and even II 1 had had something to
hammer with. the noise would have
made the method impracticable.
I went on digging. When the total
distance between the live wire and the
bottom of the hole l had dug was
thirty inches. 1 took hold of the ground
wire and pulled on Il with all my
strength
1t wouldn't bulge. 1t was stretched
taut across the narrow ditch 1 had
dug-about fourteen inches wide
and all the tugging didn't serve to
loosen 1t.
1 was just about to give up In de
spair when a staple gave way in the
nearest post That enabled me to pull
the wire through the ground little
and renewed my efforts. After a
moment or two of pulling as I had
never pulled in my life before. n
staple on the next post gave way.
and my work became easier. I had
more leeway now and pulled and
pulled again until In all eight staples
had given way.
Every time a staple gave way, It
sounded In my ears like the report of
gun. although l suppose 1t didn't
really make very much noise. Never
theless. each time 1 would put my ear
TO the ground to listen for the guard.
II / heard him I would stop working
and lie perfectly still in the dark till
he had gone by.
BY pulling on the wire. / was now
apie To urag II through the grounu
enough TO place II back from the
fence and go on digging.
The deeper / went the harder be-
came the work. because by this time
my finger nails were broken and /
was nervous-afraid every moment
that would touch the charged wire.
kept ut II. however. with my mind
constantly on the hole 1 was digging
and the liberty which was almost with
In my reach.
Finally figured that had enough
sbacc to crawl through and still leave
a couple of inches between my back
and the live wire.
Before went under that wire no.
ticcd that the lace which the Belgian
woman had given me as a souvenir
made my pocket bulge. and lest IL
might he the innocent means of cleo
,rocuting me by touching the live wire
| took II out. rolled IL up and threw Il
over the barrier first
(To Be Continued)