The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-10-26

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The knack Of making fire with two
pieces of dry wood I had often read
about. but had never put 1t to test
and for various reasons I concluded
that 1t would be unsafe for me to
build fire even IL had matches. In
the first place, there was no absolute
need for it. / didn't have anything
to cook nor utensils to cook 1t in even
If ! had. While the air was getting
to be rather cool at night, was usu-
ally on the 60 at that time and didn't
notice 1t. In the daytime, when !
was resting or sleeping, the sun was
usually out.
To have borrowed matches from a
Delgian peasant would have been feas-
ible, but when i was willing to take
the chance Of approaching anyone, 1t
was Just as easy to ask for food as
matches.
It the second place, 1t would have
been extremely dangerous to have
built a fire even IL had needed 1t.
You can't build a fire in Belgium,
which Is the most thickly populated
country in Europe, without everyone
knowing It, and / was far from anx-
ious to advertising my whereabouts.
The villages in that part Of Bel
giun through which was making my
course were SO close together that
there was hardly ever an hour passed
without my hearing some clock strike.
Every village has its clock. Many
times ] could hear the clocks striking
in two villages at the same time.
But the hour had very little interest
to me. My program was to travel as
fast as could from sunset to sunrise
and pay no attention to the hours In
between, and In the daytime I had
only two things to worry about: keep
concealed and get as much sleep as
possible.
The cabbage that I got in Belgium
consisted of the small heads that the
peasants had not cut. All the strength
had concentrated In these little heads
and they would be as bitter as gail.
would have to be pretty hungry to-
day before could ever eat cabbage
again and the same observation ap-
plies to carrots. turnips and sugar
beets-especially sugar beets.
It Is rather a remarkable thing that
today even smell Of turnips, raw or
cooked. makes me sick, and yet few
short months ago my Life depended
upon them.
Night after night as searched for
food, was always In hopes that !
might come upon some tomatoes or
ceiery-vegetables which I really
liked, but with the exception Of once,
when I found some celery, was never
so fortunate. / ate so much of the
celery the night ! came upon 1t that
i was sick for two days thereafter,
but carried several punches away
with me and used to chew on It as /
walked along.
OF course. kept my eyes open all
the time for fruit trees, but apparently
1t was too late In the year for fruit, as
all that ever was able to find were
two pears, which I got ont Of tree.
That was one OF my redletter days,
but was never able to repeat It.
In the brooks and ponds that
passed often noticed fish Of different
kinds. That was either In the early
morning jest before I turned in for
the day, or ON moonlight nights when
the water seemed as clear In spots
as In the daytime. It occurred to me
that 1t would be simple matter to rig
a hook and lipe and catch some ish,
but ] had no means OF cooking them
and 1t was useless to fish for the sake
OF IL.
One night In Belgium my course
took me through desolate stretch of
country which seemed to be absolutely
uncultivated. / must have covered
twelve miles during the night, without
passing single farm or cultivated
field. My stock OF turnips which !
had picked the night before was gone
and I planned, OF course, to get enough
to carry me through the following
day.
The North Star was shining brightly
that night and there was absolutely
nothing to prevent my steering an alb
soiutely direct course for Holland and
liberty, but my path seemed to lie
khrough arid pastures. Far to the