Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-09-13

way, but when day broke l had a
dreadful fever and was delirious. l
talked to myself and thereby in
creased my chances of capture. In
my lucid intervals when l realized that
| had been talking, the thought sent
chill through me, because in the
silent night even the slightest sound
carries far across the Belgian country.
L began TO fear that another day. of
this would about finish me.
have a distinct recollection of
ridiculous conversation L carried on
with an imaginary Pat OBrien-a
sort of duplicate of myself. l argued
with him as l marched drearily along
and he answered me back in kind,
and when we disagreed, called upon
my one constant friend, the North
Star, to stand by me-
There you are. you old North Star"
cried aloud. "You want me to get
to Holland, don't you? But this Pat
OBrien-this Pat O'Brein who calls
himself soldier-he's got a yellow
streak-North Star-and he says it
can't be done! He wants me to quit
to lie down here for the Huns to
find me and take me back to Cour-
trai-after all you've done, North
Star? ! don't want to follow him-I
just want to follow you-because you
You are taking me away from the
Huns and this Pat O'Brien-this fell
low who keeps after me all the time
and leans on my neck and wants me
to lie down-thls yellow Pat O'Brein
wants me to go back to the Huns!"
After spell of foolish chatter like
that my senses would come back to
me for a while and l would trudge
along without word until the fever
came on me again.
l knew that had to have food be-
cause l was about on my last legs. l
was very much tempted to lie down
then and there an call it beat.
Things seemed to be getting worse for
me the farther | went, and all the
time / had before me the spectre of
that electric barrier between Belgium
and Holland, even If / ever reached
there alive. What was the use of
further suffering when / would prob
ably be captured in the end anyway?
Before giving up, however, decided
upon one bold move. / would ap.
proach one of the houses in the vi
clnity and get food there or die in
the effort.
/ picked out q small house because
figured there would be less likeli.
hood Of soldiers being billeted there.
Then wrapped a stone in my khaki
handkerchief as a sort of camouflaced
weapon, determined to kill the occu
pant of the house, German or Belgian
IL that step was necessary in order
to get food. l tried the well in the
yard, but it would not work. and thei
/ went up to the door and Knocked.
1t was / o'clock in the morning. AT
old lady came to the window an(
looked out. She could not imagin,
what | was, probably, because / WA.
still attired in that old overcoat. Sh,
gave a cry and her husband and ;
boy came to the door.
They could not speak English and
could not speak Flemish, but pointp,
to my flying coat and then to the SIX,
and said "Fleger" (fiier), which
thought would tell them what I was
Whether they understood or wer
intimidated by the hard-Iooking IN
pearance, don't know, but certninl
1t would have to be brave old mai
and boy who would start an argumen
, with such a villainous looking cha,
acter as stood before them that night
l had not shaved for q month. M
clothes were wet, torn and dirty. m
: leggings were gone-they had gotte
so heavy l had to discard them-m
hair was matted and my cheeks wer
/. flushed with fever. In nv hand
carried the rock in my handkerchie
= and l made no effort to conceal II
presence or its mission.
Anyway, they motioned me indoor,
gave me my first hot meal in NOR
than a month True, it consisted onl
4 Of warm potatoes. They had bee
n previously cooked, but the old woma
: warmed them up in milk in one of th
/
] asked for bread, but she shook he
l head, although l think it must hay
e been for lack of 1t rather than b
i cause she begrudged it to me. FC
k if ever man showed he was fimishe
; l did that night. I swallowed thos
e warm potatoes ravenously and dran
g four glasses of water, one after al
e. other. 1t was the best meal had hs
IS since the banquet" in the prison
k Courtrai.
p, The woman Of the house was pro
ably seventy-five years old and hs
d evidently worn wooden shoes all h
life, for she had callous spot on Il
~ side of her foot the size of half a dc
~ lar and it looked so hard that | dou
whether you could have driven q nj
l into 1t with hammer
s. AS / sat there drying myself-for
was in no hurry to leave the fir
lie human habitation l had entered
o. four weeks-I reflected on my u
le happy lot and the unknown troubl
IN and dangers that lay ahead of II
Here, for more than a month, l h
/ been leading the life of a hunt
10 animal-yes, worse than a hunt
US animal, for nature clothes her LEI
favored creatures more appropria
rs ly for the life they lead than W
n, clothed for mine-and there was 4
ld the slightest reason to hope that C
ne ditions would grow any better.
ly Perhaps the first warm food /
'el eaten for over month had releas
ne unused springs of philosophy in q
all as food sometimes does for q man
1 pointed to my torn and vat