Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-08-30

wv REAAH1 HAttn ktA VhN VI y tAt@f |
That was one Of my red-letter days,
but / was never able TO repeat IT.
In the brooks and ponds that
passed often noticed fish of different
kinds. That was. either In the early
morning just before ! turned in for
the day. or on moonlight nights when
the water seemed as clear In spots
as In the daytime. II occurred 70 me
that II would be simple matter to rig
o hook and line and catch some fish.
but l had no means Of cooking them
and II was useless to hsh for the sake
Of II.
One night in Belgium my course
took me through desolate stretch Of
country which seemed to be absolutely
tncultiyated. / must have covered
twelve miles during the night, without
passing a single farm or cultivated
field. My stock Of turnips which
had picked the night before was gone
and I planned, Of course. to get enough
TO carry me through the following
day.
The North Star was shining brightly
that night and there was absolutely
nothing to prevent my steering an abb
solutely direct course for Holland and
liberty. but my path seemed to lie
through arid pastures. Far to the
east or to the west ! could hear
family the striking Of village bells,
and / knew that II I changed my
course / would undoubtedly strike
farms and vegetables, but the North
Star seemed to plead with me to fol-
low IL and would not turn aside.
When daylight came, the eonse-
quence was was empty handed and !
had to find a hiding place for the day.
I thought ! would approach the first
peasant came to and ask for food.
but that day ! had misgivlngs-a
hunch--that would get into trouble
II I did. and ! decided to go without
food altogether for that day.
II was foolish thing to do. found.
because I not only suffered greatly
from hunger ell that day, but 1t inter-
fered with my sleep. would drop OF
to sleep for half an hour. perhaps.
and during that time ! would dream
that l was free, back home, living q
life of comparative ease. and then l
would wake up with q start and catch
q glimpse of the bushes surrounding
me, feel the hard ground beneath me
and the hunger paugs gnawing at my
sides, and then / would realize how
far from home I really was, and l
would lie there and wonder whether
I would ever really see my home
again. Then would fan asleep again
and dream this time. perhaps Of the
days / spent In Courtrai, or my Leap
from the train window. of the Bava'
rian pilot whom I sent to eternity In
my last air fight, OF my tracer bullets
getting closer and closer to his head
and then I would wake up again witt
start and thank the Lord that wa
only dreaming 1t all again instead o.
living through Ill
That night / got an early start be
cause knew l had to have food, ant
decided that rather than lock TO
vegetables l would tsxke chance ant
apply to the first Belgian peasan
whom I came to.
| It was about 8 o'clo elk when l cam
to q small house. I liad picked up
heavy stone and had bound 1t In m
handkerchief and wess resolved to Us
It as weapon IL It became necessary
After all had gone through. wa
resolved to win my liberty eventuali
at whatever cost
AS 1t happened, found that nigf
the first real friend. had encounfere
in all my travelling. When knocke
timldly on the do Or. 1t wsls opened .
Belgian peasant, about fifty years
age. He asked me In File mish what
wanted, but I shook ms head an
pointing to my ears and mouth int
mated that was deaf ttnd dumb, an
then opened and closed my mou'
several times to show hik1 that
wanted food.
He showed me Inside and sat me
the table. lie apparer ftly lived aion
for his ill-ftirnished 70 ON had bat OF
chair. and the plate and knife al
fork he put before me seemed to %
he had. He brought me some CO
potatoes and several slices Of sta
bread. and he warmed me SOME mi
on small oil stove.
] ate ravenously an all the ii me
was engaged I knew hat he was y
Ing me closely.
Before I was Aalf through he car
over to me. touching 9me on the sho'
der. and Shopping, over so that his II
almost touched my esr. he said
broken Englis A. "You are an EI
lishman--I r Aow it-an6 you can ne
and talk It you wish-am not rign'
There Vas smile on his lace .
SfrienT y attitude about him mat u
me in stinctlvely that he couiu
y. .uste d. and ! replied: You ut
, guessed right--only am an Am'
can, not an Englishman." :.
e He looked at me pityingly wa III
h my cup again with warm. mil <