Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-10-16

mud of bottom and was able to drag
myself up to the bank, but got there.
The bank was rather high and I was
shaking so violently that when took
hold of the grass to pull myself up,
the grass shook out of my hands.
could not retain my grip. was afraid
l would faint then and there, but ]
kept pulling ana crawling frantically
up that Internal bank and finally
| made it.
Then for the first time In my life ]
fainted-fainted from utter exhaus-
ton.
1t was now about 4 o'clock in the
morning and / was entirely unpro-
tected from observation. If anyone
had come along I would have been
| found lying there dead to the world.
Possibly two hours passed before ]
regained consciousness, and then, no
| doubt, only because the rain was
beating in my face.
I knew that had to get away, as
it was broad daylight. Moreover,
there was tow-path right there and
any minute a boat might come along
and find me. But 1t was equally
dangerous for me to attempt to travel
very far. Fortunately I found some
shrubbery near by and 1 hid there all
day, without food or drink.
That night 1 made a little head
way, but when day broke I had a
dreadful fever and was delirious. /
talked to myself and thereby In
creased my chances of capture. In
my lucid intervals when / realized that
1 had been talking, the thought sent
chill through me, because in the
silent night even the slightest sound
carries far across the Belgian country.
began to fear that another day of
this would about finish me.
I have a distinct recollection Of a
ridiculous conversation I carried on
with an imaginary Pat O'Brien-a
sort of duplicate of myself. 1 argued
with him as 1 marched drearily along
and he answered me back in kind,
and when we disagreed, l 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
O'Brien-this Pat O'Brein who calls
himself a soldier-he's got a yellow
streak-North Star>and he says it
can't be donel 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? 1 don't want to follow him
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-this yellow Pat O'Brein
wants me to go back to the Hunsl"
After spell of foolish chatter like
that my senses would come back to
me for a while and I would trudge
along without a word until the fever
came on me again.
I knew that had to have food be-
cause 1 was about or my last legs. I
was very much tempted to lie down
then and there and call it a 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 IL I ever reached
there alive. What was the use of
further suffering when I would prob
ably be captured in the end anyway?
Before giving up, however. decided
upon one bold move. I would ap-
proach one of the houses in the vi
cinity and get food there or die In
the effort.
/ picked out a small house because
figured there would be less likeli-
hood Of soldiers being billeted there.
Then wrapped stone in my khaki
handkerchief as a sort Of camoufiaged
weapon, determined to kill the occu-
Pslt of the house, German or Belgian,
if that step was necessary in order
to get food. / tried the well in tho
yard, but it would not work, and then
went up to the door and knocked.
1t was 1 o'clock in the morning. An
old lady came to the window and
looked out. She could not imagine
what was, probably, because 1 was
still attired in that old overcoat. She
gave cry and her husband and a
boy came to the door.