New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-09-06

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han come along ! would have been
found lying there dead to the world.
Possibly two hours passed before !
r"gain"d consciousness, and then, nc
doubt, only because the rain was
b"ltins in my face.
knew that | had to get away, rs
1t was broad daylight. Moreover
there was n tow-path right there and
any minute Il boat might come along
ana find me. But it was equally
dangerous for me to attempt to travel
very far. Fortunately | found some
shrubbery near by and l hid there nll
day. without food or drink.
That night l made a little head
way. but when. day broke | had n
dreadful fever and was deliriouS. |
talked to myself and thereby in
creased my chances Of capture. In
my lucid intervals when | realized that
had been talking. the thought sent
Il hill 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.
! have a distinct recollection of q
ridiculous conversation l carried on
with an imaginary Pat OBrien-a
sort of duplicate Of myself. l argued
with him as | marched drearily along
and he answered me back in kind,
and when we disagreed. | 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
OBrien-this Pat O'Brein who calls
himself n soldier-he's got Il yellow
streak-North Star-and he says it
can't be done. He wants me to quit
to lie down here for the Huns to
find me and take me back to Cour-
trni-after all you've done, North
Star? | don't want to follow him-I
just want to follow you-becuuse 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 90 back to the Huns !"
After II spell Of foolish chatter like
that my senses would ON back to
me for II while and | would trudge
along without Il word until the fever
came on me again.
knew that | had to have food be-
cause | was about on my last legs. I
was very much tempted to lie down
then and there an call II a bent.
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. cven If | ever reached
there alive. What was the Use of
further suffering when | would prob
ably he captured in the end anyway?
Before giving up, however, ] decided
upon one bold move. | would ap-
proach one of the houses in the vi
entity and get food there or die In
the effort.
| picked out II small house because
| figured there would be less likeli-
hood of soldiers being billeted there.
Then | wrapped Il stone in my khaki
handkerchief as II sort of cumoufaged
weapon. determined to kill the occu-
pant of the house, German or Belgian,
if that step was necessary in order
to get food. l tried the well in the
yard, but it would not work, and then
| went up to the door and knocked.
1t was l o'clock in the morning. An
old lady came to the window and
looked out. She could not imagine
what ] was, probably. because I.was
still attired in that old overcoat. She
gave n cry and her husband and a
boy came to the door.
They could not speak English and I
could not speak Flemish, but | pointed
to my flying coat and then to the sky
and said "Fleger' (fier). which 1
thought would tell them what I a
Whether they understood or were
inundated by the hard-looking ap-
| don't know, but certainly
it would have to be a brave old. man
and boy who would start an argument
with such a villainOus looking char
acter as stood before them that night /!
l had not shaved for a month, my
clothes were wet. torn and dirty, my
leggings were gOne-they had gotten
so heavy l had to discard them-my
hair was matted and my cheeks were
with fever. In my hand l
the rock in my handkerchief
and / made no effort to conceal its
presence or its mission.
Anyway, they motioned me indoors,
gave me my first hot meal In more
than a 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 l had ever seen. III
asked for bread, but she shook her !
head. although l think it must have
been for lack Of 1t rather than be
cause she begrNdged it to me. For
II ever a man showed he was finished,
I d;d that pf0bf cxvo1lowod fhnu~