The state herald., 1918-08-16

tenant Pat O'Brien
'pyrish.. 1918. By Pat Aiv. o,1risn,

They could not speak English and
could not speak Flemish, but pointed
to my flying coat and then to the sky
and said "Fleger" (nier), which j
thought would tell them what was.
Whether they understood or were
intimidated by the hard-looking ap
pearance. I don't know. but certainly
1t would have to be a brave old man
and boy who would start an argument
with such villalnous looking char.
acter as stood before them that night
had not shaved for q month, my
clothes were wet. torn and dirty. my
leggings were gone-they had gotten
80 heavy had to discard them-my
hair was matted and my cheeks were
flushed with fever. In my hand I
carried the rock In my handkerchief
and I made NO effort to conceal It's
presence or its mission.
Anyway. they motioned me indoors,
gave me my first hot meal in more
than month! True, It consisted only
Of warm potatoes. They had been
previously cooked. but the old woman
warmed them up In milk in one of the
dirtiest kettles I had ever seen.
asked for bread. but she shook her
head, although I think it must have
been for lack Of 1t rather than be-
cause she begrudged 1t to me. For
II ever a man showed he was finished,
1 did that night. swallowed those
warm potatoes ravenously and l drank
four glasses Of water, one after an
other. 1t was the best meal had had
since the banquet" In the prison at
Courtrai.
The woman Of the house was prob
ably seventy-five years old and had
evidently worn wooden shoes all her
life. for she had Gallons spot on the
side Of her foot the size Of half a dol.
lar and 1t looked so hard that l doubt
whether you could have driven q nall
into II with hammer!
As I sat there drying myself-for
was In no hurry to leave the first
human habltation I had entered in
four weeks-I reflected on my un-
happy lot and the unknown troubles
and dangers that lay ahead Of me.
Here. for more than n month, had
been leading the life of hunted
animal-yes, worse than hunted
animal, for nature clothes her less
favored creatures more appropriate
ly for the life they lead than I was
clothed for mine-and there was not
the slightest reason to hope that con-
ditions would grow any better.
Perhaps the first warm food had
eaten for over a month had released
unused springs Of philosophy In me,
ms food sometimes does for man.
! pointed to my torn and water.
soaked clothes and conveyed to them
Us best could that l would be CRATE
full for an old suit. but apparently
they were too poor to have more than
they actually needed themselves. and
! rose to 90. had aroused them out
Of bed and knew ought not to keep
them up longer than was absolutely
necessary.
As approached the door I got .
glance at myself In a mirror. I was
the awfulest sight 1 had laid eyes on
The glimpse ! got Of myself startled
me almost as much rs II had seen q
dreaded German helmetl Ny left eye
wns fairly well healed by this time
and was beginning to regain sight
Of 1t. but my face was 20 haggard and
my beard 80 long and unkempt that I
looked like Santa Claus ON u bati
As they let me out Of the door I
pointed to the opposite direction to
the one Intended taking and started
on In the direction I had indicated.
Later changed my course completely
to throw OF any possible pursuit.
The next day was 70 worn out from
exposure and exhaustion that threw
away my coat. thinking that the less
weight had to carry the better II
would be for me. but when night came
i regretted my mistake because the
nights were now getting colder. !
thought at first II would be better for
me to retrace my steps and look for
the coat had so thoughtlcssly dis.
cnrded. but l decided to go on with.
out II.
l then began to discard everything
that ! Ind In my pocket. finally throw
Ing my wrist watch into canal. A
wrist.watch does not add much
weight. but when you plod niong and
have not eaten for a month II finally
becomes rather heavy. Tho next
thing ! discarded was n pair Of flying
mittcns.
These mittcns I had gotten ut Camp
Borden, In Canndn. md hnd become
quite famous. MS my friends termed
them SNOW shoes" In fact, they
were u ridiculous pair OF mittcns. but
the best pair ever had md I really
felt worse when ! lost those mittens
thnn anything else. could not think
OF anybody else ever using them. no I
dug hole In the mud md buried
them nnd could not help but laugh
Mt the thought II my friends could see
l tu huFvl,ss