Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-10
. Continued from Last Issue)

ii KNOW that II was necessary Tor me
to make progress as fast as pos
- sible, but the main consideration
was to keep out of signr, even if it took
me a year to get to Holland, which was
my objective.
From my map 1 estimated that I was
about thirty-five miles from StraSsburg
when 1 made my leap from the train,
and if / could travel to a straight line
1 had perhaps one hundred and fifty
miles to travel. AS " was, however, 1
was compelled to make many detours
and l figured that two hundred and fifty
miles was nearer the extent of the jour
ney ahead of me.
In several parts of this country 1 had
to travel through forests of young pine
trees about twelve feet high. They
were very close together and looked al
most as if they had been set out. They
proved to be a serious obstacle to me
because 1 could not see the stars
through them and I was relying upon
the heavens to guide me to freedom 1
am not much of an astronomer, but 1
know the Pole Star when I see it. But
for it l wouldn't be here today!
Rained Every Day.
I believe it rained every night and
day while 1 was making my way
through Germany to Luxembourg.
My invariable program at this
stage of my journey was to travel
steadily all night until about 6 in the
morning, when 1 would commence look
ing around for a place wherein to hide
during the day. Low pushes or woods
back from the road, as far as possible,
from the travelled pathway, usually
served me for this purpose. Having
found such a spot, l would drop down
and try to sleep. My overcoat was my
only covering, and that was usually
soaked through, either from the rain
or from swimming.
The only sleep 1 got during those days
was from exhaustion, and 1t usually came
to me toward dusk when it was time for
me to start again.
1t was a mighty fortunate thing for
me that / was not a smoker. Somehow
have never used tobacco in any form.
l was now fully repaid for whatever
pleasure 1 had. foregone in the past as
a result of my habits in that particular,
because my sufferings would certainly
have been intensified now if, in addition
to lack of food and rest, L had had to
endure a craving for tobacco.
In a Germans Backyard.
About the sixth night I was so drowsy
and exhausted when the time came for
me to be on the move that 1 was very
night. I knew, however, that that would
be a bad precedent TO establish and
give in.
1 plugged YEARLY along and about IL
o'clock, after l had covered perhaps four
miles, l sat down to rest for a moment
on a shock of brush which was shell
tered from the drizzle somewhat by
other shocks which were stacked there.
1t was daylight when l awoke, and
found myself right in a Germans back
yard. You can imagine that 1 lost no
time in getting out of that neighbor-
hood and 1 made up my mind right then
that 1 would never give way to that
tired feeling again.
In the daytime. in my hiding place.
wherever it happened to be, 1 had plenty
Of opportunity to study my map, and be-
fore very long 1 knew it almost by
heart. Unfortunately. however, it did
not show all the rivers and canals
which I encountered, and sometimes it
fooled me completely.
1t must have been about the ninth
night that 1 crossed into Luxembourg,
but though this principality is officially
neutral, it offered me no safer a haven
than Belgium would. The Huns had vi
0 plated the neutrality of BOTH and dis
Covery would have been followed by the
same consequences as captured in Ger
many proper.
In the nine days 1 had covered per-
laps seventy-five miles, and 1 was that
much nearer liberty, but the lack of
proper food, the constant wearing of
wet clothes and the loss of sleep and
rest had reduced me to a very much
weakened condition. / doubted very
much whether l would be able to con-
tinue, but 1 plugged along.