Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-19
Continued from Last 1ssue)
Stills Would Be Easy


reasonable was to build a pair of
stills about twelve or fourteen feet
high and walk over the barriers one
by one. AS a yOungster l had &C
quired considerable skill in stilt-
walking and l have no doubt that
with the proper equipment it would
have been quite feasible to have
walked out of Belgium as easily as
possible in that way, but whether or
not | was going to have chance to
con struct the necessary stills re-
NAMED to be seen.
There were a good many bicycles
in use by the German soldiers in Bel
GUM and it had often occurred TO
me that if l could have stolen one,
the tires would have made excellent
gloves and insulated coverings for
my feet in case it was necessary for
me to attempt to climb over the cleo
trio fence bodily. But as had never
been able to steal bicycle this ave-
nue. of escape was closed to me.
| decided to wait until / arrived
at the barrier and then make up my
mind how to proceed.
To find a decent place to sleep
that night, l crawled under a barbed
wire fence, thinking it led into some
field. AS l passed under, one of the
barbs caught in my coat and in try
ing to pull myself free l shook the
fence for several yards.
Instantly there came out of the
night the nerve-racking command,
Halt"
7 4 fn
crouched close down on the ground
in the darkness, not knowing
whether to take to my legs and trust
to the Hun missing me in the dark
ness if he fired or stay where | was.
1t was foggy as we'll as dark, and
although l knew the sentry was only
a few feet away from me, | decided
to stand, or, rather, lie pat. l think
my heart made almost as much noise
as the rafting of the wire in the
first place, and it was a tense few
moments to me.
heard the German say a few
words to himself, but didn't under
stand them, of course, and then he
made a sound as if to call dog, and
1 realized that his theory of the noise
ne had heard was that a dog had
made it's way through the fence.
For perhaps five minutes | didn't
stir. and then figuring that the Ger
man had probably continued on his
beat, | crept quietly under the wire
again, this time being mighty care
full to hug the ground so close that
l wouldn't touch the wire, and made
off in a different direction. Evident
ly the barbed wire fence had been
thrown around an ammunition depot
or something of the kind, and it was
not a field at all that had tried to
get into.
| figured that other sentires were
probably in the neighbOrhood, and
proceeded very gingerly.
A Belgian Lady's Gift
After | had got about a mile away
from this spot l came to an humble
Belgian mouse and l knocked at the
door and applied for food in my
usual way, pointing to my mouth to
indicate | was hungry and to my ears
and mouth to imply that l was deaf
and dumb. The Belgian woman who
lived in the house brought me q
piece of bread and two cold potatoes
and as l sat there eating them she
eyed me very keenly.
l haven't the slightest doubt that
she realized l was a fugitive. She
lived so near the border that it
was for that reason l appreciated
more fully the extent. of the risk she
ran, for no doubt the Germans were
constantly watching the conduct OF
these Belgians who lived near the
line.
My theory that she realized that
was not a Belgian at all, but prob
ably some English fugitive, was con-
frmed a moment later, when, as
made ready to go, she touched me
on the arm and indicated that l was
to wait a moment. She went to g
bureau and brought out two pieces
of fancy Belgian lace which she in
sisted upon my taking away, al
though at that particular moment
had as much use for Belgian lace as
an elephant for a safety razor, but
was touched with her thoughtful
ness, and pressed her hand to show
my gratitude. She would not accept
the money | offered her.
/ carried that lace through my sub
sequent experiences, feeling that il
would be a fine souvenir for my
mother, although as a matter of fact
| if | had known that it was going to
delay my final escape for even g
single moment, as it did, l am quite
sure she would rather l had never
seen it.
On one piece of lace was the
Flemish word, Charlie and on the
other the word "Esperage." AT the