Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-14
e, ] Il, IL; /; I'D Il, D; 81
ssY:1A g ISS;I 1880 49, y
ssss 49,

/ talked to myself and thereby in
| creased my chances of capture. In
my lucid intervals when | realized
| that l had been talking the thought
sent a chill through me, because in
| the silent night even the slightest
sound carries far across the Belgian
country. l began 70 fear that an
| other day of this would about finish
me.
! l have a distinct recollection of a
ridiculous conversation l carried on
with an imaginary Pat O'Brien-a
sort of duplicate of myself. argued
with him as | marched drearlly
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" l cried aloud. You want me
to get to Holland, don't you? But
this Pat O'Brien-this Pat OBrlen,
who calls himself a soldier-he's got
yellow streak-North Star-and he
says it can't be done! He wants me
to Quito lie down here for the
Huns to find me and take me back
to Courtrai-after all you've done,
North Star, to lead me to liberty.
Won't you make this coward leave
me, North Star? l don't want to fol-
low him just want to follow you
because you-you are taking me
away from the Huns and this Pat
O'Brien-this fellow who keeps aft
er me all the time and leans on my
neck and wants me to lie down-this
yellow Pat O'Brien wants me to go
back to the Huns!"
After a spell of foolish chatter like
that my senses would come back to
me for a while and 1 would trudge
along without a word until the fever
came on me again.
l knew that l had to have food be-
cause l was about On my last legs. |
was very much tempted to lie down
then and there and call it a heat.
Things seemed to be getting worse
for me the further l went, and all
the time | had before me- the spectre
of that electric barrier between Bel
GUM and Holland, even if l ever
reached there alive. What was the
use of further suffering when l would
probably be captured in the end any
way?
Decides on a Bold Move
Before giving up, however, l de-
cided upon one bold move. l wouN
approach one of the houses in the
vicinity and get food there or die in
the effort!
picked out a small house, because
figured there would be less Hkeli-
hood of soldiers being billeted there.
Then l wrapped a stone in my
khaki handkerchief as a sort of
camoufiaged weapon, determined to
kill the occupant of the house, Ger
man or Belgian, if that step was
necessary in order to get food. 1
tried the we'll in the yard, but it
would not work, and then l 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 a cry and her husband and a
boy came to the door.
Ths~ could not speak English and
could not speak Flemish, but l
pointed to my firing coat and then
to the sky and said "Fleger" (f1ier) 4,
which I thought would tell them
what l was.
Whether they understood or we're
intimidated by my hard-looking ap-
pearance, l don't know, but certain
ly it would have to be a brave old
man and boy who would start an ar
gument with such villainOus look
ing character as stood before them
that night
| had not shaved for a month, my
clothes were wet, torn and dirty, my
leggings were gone-they had got
ten so heavy l had discarded them
my hair was matted and my cheeks
were flushed with fever. In my hand
l carried the rock in my handker-
chief and 1 made no effort to con-
ceal its presence or it's mission.
Anyway, they motioned me in
doors and 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.
| asked for bread, but she shook
her head, although l think it must
have been for lack of it rather than
because she begrudged it to me. For
if ever a man showed he was
famished l did that night. l swal-
lowed those warm potatoes raven
ously and I drank four glasses Of
water one after another. 1t was the
best meal l had had since the ban
quet' in the prison at Courtrai.
The Life of a Hunted Animal
The woman of the house was prob
ably seventy-five years old and had
evidently worn wooden shoes all her
life, for she had callus spot on the
side of her foot the size of a half Il
dollar, and it looked so hard that ]
doubted whether you could have
driven a nail into it with a hammer.
AS l sat there drying myself-fOT
| was in no hurry to leave the first
human habitation l had entered in
four weeks-I reflected on my un-
happy lot and the unknown troubles
and daUUprS that Law ahead of mo