The Lamar register., 1918-08-28

inches from the lowest electric wire.
I came to an underground wire.
knew enough about electricity to real
ize that this wire could not be charged,
as 1t was in contact with the ground,
but still there was not room between
the live wire and this underground
wire for me to crawl through. and
ether had to go back or dig deep
enough under this wire to crawl under
1t or else pull 1t up.
This underground wire was about
as big around as lead pencil and
there was no chance of breaking it.
The jack-knife / had had at the start
of my travels l had long since lost
and even II l had had something to
hammer with, the noise would have
made the method impracticable.
went on digging. When the total
distance between the live wire and the
bottom of the hole / had dug was
thirty inches, took hold of the ground
wire and pulled on 1t with all my
strength.
1t wouldn't bulge. 1t was stretched
taut across the narrow ditch | had
dug-about fourteen inches wide
and all the tugging didn't serve TO
loosen II.
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 1 renewed my efforts. After II
moment or two of pulling as l had
never pulled in my life before.
hn
and my work became easier. had
more leeway now ana pulled and
pulled again until in all eight staples
had given way.
Every time staple gave way, II
sounded In my ears like the report OF
gun, although l suppose 1t didn't
really make very much noise. Never
theless, each time would put my ear
to the ground to listen for the guard.
II 1 heard him l would stop. working
and lie perfectly still In the dark till
he had gone by.
BY pulling on the wire. was now
able to drag 1t through the ground
enough to place 1t 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 l
was nervous-afraid every moment
that would touch,the charged wire.
kept at II. however. with my mind
constantly on the hole l was digging
and the liberty which was almost with
in my reach.
Finally 1 figured that had enough
space to crawl through and still leave
a couple OF inches between my back
and the live wire.
Before went under that wire no
ticed that the lace which the Belgian
woman had given me as souvenir
made my pocket bulge. and lest 1t
might be the Innocent means OF cleo
trocuting me by touching the live wire.
took 1t out. rolled 1t up and threw It
over the barrier first.
Then lay down on my stomach anc
crnwled or rather wrlthed under the
wire like u snake. with my feet first.
and there wasn't any question OF my
hugging mother earth as closely as
possible because | realized that even
to touch the wire above me with my
back meant instant death.
Anxious as was to get IN the other
side. didn't hurry this operation. l
feared that there might be some little
detail that | had overlooked and l ex-
ercised the greatest possible care In
going under. taking nothing for
granted.
When finally got through and
Strengthened up. there were still sew
eral feet of Belgium between me and
liberty. represented by the six feet
which separated the electric barrier
from the last barbed wire fence. but
before went another step I went
down on my knees and thanked God
for my long series OF escapes and es-
peeially for this last achievement,
which seemed to me to he about all
that was necessary to bring me free
dom.
Then / crnwled under the barbed
wire fence and breathed the free air Of
Holland. / had no clear idea just
where l was and | didn't care much.
was out of the power of the Germans
and that was enough. i had walked
perhaps a hundred yards, when l re-
membered the lace had thrown over
the barrier. and dangerous as | real
tied the undertaking to be, 1 deter
mined TO walk back and get IT. This