The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-09-26
CHAPTER x-continued.

CHAPTER x-continued.
-
The knack of making fire with two
pieces Of dry wood I had often read
about, but had never put 1t to test
ana for various reasons concluded
that 1t would be unsafe for me to
build fire even II had matches. In
tho first place. there was no absolute
need for 1t. ! didn't have anything
60 cook nor utensils to cook 1t In even
II had. While the air was getting
30 be rather cool at night. I was usu-
ally on the 60 at that time and didn't
notice 1t. In the daytime, when I
wos resting or sleeping. the sun was
usually out.
TO have borrowed matches from
Delgian peasant would have been feas-
ible, but when ! was willing to take
tho 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 II I had needed It
You can't build fire in Belgium.
which is the most thickly populated
country In Europe. without everyone
knowing 1t, and was far from anx-
l0us to advertising my whereabouts.
The villages In that part Of Bel
Sium through which was making my
course were 20 close together that
!, there was hardly ever an hour passed
without my hearing some clock strike.
Every village has IT. 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 I 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 a. much sleep as
possible
The cabbage that got in Belgium
consisted of the small heads that the
peasants had not cut. All the strength
had concentrated In these little heads
aAd they would be a. bitter a. gall.
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.
II II rather remarkable thing that
today even smell Of turnips. raw OF
cooked. makes me sick. and yet few
short months ago my life depended
upon them.
Night after night a. I searched f0I
food, I was always In hopes that
might come upon some tomatoes Of
celery-vegetables which really
liked, but with the exception Of once
when found some celery, was nevel
% fortunate. I ate 30 much of thu
celery the night came upon IL thai
was sick for two days thereafter
but I carried several punches ava,
with me and used to chew on 1t a.
walked along.
OF course. kept my eyes open al
the time for fruit trees. but apparent!
It was too late In the year for fruit. n
all that l ever was able to find wer'
two pears, which got out Of tree
That was one Of my red-letter days
but was never able to repeat II
In the brooks and ponds that
passed often noticed fish Of difIeren
kinds. That was either In the earl
morning Just before l turned In TO
the day. or on moonlight nights whel
the water seemed a. clear In spot
AZ In the daytime. Il occurred to m
that It would be simple matter to RI
a hook aud line and catch some fisl
but l had no means Of cooking thes
and It was useless to fish for the SAX
Of II.
One night in Belgium my cours
took me through a desolate stretch {
country which seemed to be absolutel
uncultivated. Il must have covere
twelve miles during the night, withov
passing a single farm or cultivate
field. Ny stock Of turnips which
had picked the night before was gor
and planned. Of course. to get enous
to carry me through the followin
day.
The North Star was shining bright
that night and there was absolutel
nothing to prevent my steering an o
solutely direct course for Holland er
liberty. but my path seemed to
through arid pastures. Far 10 q