Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-08-16
'Outwitting the Hun =
From page 2
BY Pat o'Brien

on all my things and made them into
two bundles. planning to carry one
load across and then swim back for
the other.
The river was quite wide, but am 0
fairly good swimmer ana I figured I
could rest awhile after the first trip
before going back for the second
bundle.
The first swim was uneventful. When
! landed on the other side drank till
my thirst was quencbed and then
swan back. After resting awhile ]
started across a third time, with my
shoes and several other things firmly
tied TO my head. Just about ten feet
from the opposite bank one Of the
shoes worked Its way loose and sank
in about eight feet Of water. There
was nothing to do but finish the trip
and then 20 back and dive for the
missing shoe, as I could not 20 on
with q single shoe.
Diving In my weakened condition
was q considerable strain, but / had to
have that shoe and kept at It for
nearly an hour before eventually
found II, and I was pretty nearly all
In by that time.
That was the last time ever took
my shoes or. for my feet were becom.
Ing so swollen that I figured II took
my shoes on I might not be able to get
them on again.
This stunt Of crossing the river and
diving for the lost shoe had consumed
about three hours, and after resting
some fifteen minutes went on my way
again. l had gone nearly mile VIXEN
I came TO another river, about the
same size as the one ! had Just crossed.
I walked along the bank awhile. think
Ing I might be lucky enough to find O
boat or a bridge, but after walking
about half an hour / received one of
those disappointments which "come
once In lifetime" I found that this
river was the one had Just swum!
had swum II on the bepd and was still
on the wrong side. Had made only
short detour In the first place / would
have avoided all the annoyance Of the
past three hours and saved my
strength and time. was never so
mad in my life at myself as was to
think that I had not paid more atten-
tion to the course of the stream be-
fore undertook to cross It, but as q
matter Of fact, there was really no
way Of telling. The river was not
shown on the map at all.
Now had to cross It, whereas be-
fore could have turned It. I walked
boldly into the water, not bothering to
take my clothes of this time, nor did
I ever bother to take them OF after
wards when swimming canals and
rivers. found 1t was impossible to
keep them dry anyway. and so might
just as well swim In them and save
time.
All the next day I spent in forest.
to which my nights travel had brought
me about s o'clock In the morning.
kept on my way through the woods
until daylight came, and then, thinking
the place would afford fairly good con-
cealment, ! concluded to rest until
night.
The prospects of even a good sleep
were dismal, however. for about the
time the suns face should have ap-
peared, drizzling rain began and I
gave up my search for a dry spot
which would serve me as bed. Some
Of the leaves were beginning to fall,
but Of course there was not enough Of
them to form a covering for the
| ground, and the dampness seemed to
have penetrated everywhere.
wandered around through the
woods for two or three hours looking
for shelter, but without any success.
for. although the trees were large, the
forest was not dense, and there was
practically no brush or shrubbery.
Consequently one could get fairly
| clear view for some distance, and /
knew 1t would be- unwise to drop OF
to sleep just any place, or someone
would surely happen on to me.
Once l came very near to the ends
| of the woods and heard voices of men
| driving by In wagon, but couldn't
make out just what they were, and
instinct told me had better not come
out or the woods. SO turned back.
Here and there small artificial bitches
had been dug, which at dry season
might have Graded weary fugitive,
but now they, too, were filled with
water. Once I singled out good big
tree and large branches and thought !
might climb into II and go to sleep,
but the longer looked at 1t the more
realized that 1t would require more
energy than had In my present weak
and exhausted condition, so didn't at
tempt that.
Finally I chose a spot that looked a
bit drier than the rest, concluded to
take a chance on being discovered and
threw myself down for a nap. was
extremely nervous, though, throughout
that whole day, and would scarcely get
settled into comfortable position and
| doza off for a few minutes when,