Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-10
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ssgs. s5ss SI g sc 81

men their lunch. You can't realize how
l felt to see them eating their lunch
so near at hand. and to know that,
hungry as I was, I could have none
of it.
1 was greatly tempted to go boldly
up to them and take a chance of getting
a share, but l did not know whether
they were Germans or not, and l had
gone through too much to risk my
liberty even for food. 1 swallowed my
hunger instead.
Shortly afterwards it began to rain
and about 4 o'clock the men left.
crawled out as fast as l could and sour
ried around looking for crumbs, but
found none, and when darkness came
went on my way once more.
Crawling Through Germany
That night 1 came to river, and as
it was the first time my clothes had
been dry in a long time, I thought I
would try to keep them that way as
long as possible. l accordingly took
off all my things and made them into
two bundles, planning to carry one load
across and then swim back for the
other.
The river was quite wide, but 1 am
fairly good swimmer and 1 figured 1
could rest awhile after the first trip be-
fore going back for the second bundle.
The first swim was uneventful When
1 landed on the other side 1 drank till
my thirst was quenched and then swan
back. After resting awhile 1 started
across third time, with my shoes and
several other things firmly tied to my
head. Just about ten feet from the OPP
posite bank one of the shoes worked its
way loose and sank in about eight feet
of water. There was nothing to do but
finish the trip and then go back and dive
for the missing shoe. as l could not go
on with a single shoe.
Diving in my weakened condition was
a considerable strain, but 1 had to have
that shoe and kept at it for nearly an
hour before eventually found it, and
/ was pretty nearly all in by that time
That was the last time 1 ever took
my shoes off, for my feet were becom-
ing so swollen that figured if 1 took
my shoes off might not be able to get
them on again.
This stunt of crossing the river and
diving for the lost shoe had consumed
about three hours, and after resting
some fifteen minutes ] went on my way
again. I had hardly gone a mile when
/ came to another river, about the same
size as the one 1 had just crossed.
1 walked along the bank awhile,
thinking 1 might be lucky enough to
find a boat or bridge but after walk
ing about half an hour received one Of
the big surprises that come to a man
once in a lifetime" I found that this
river was the one / had just swan! 1
had swan it on the bend and was still
on the wrong side. Had made only
short. detour in the first place 1 would
have avoided all the annoyance of the
past three hours and saved my strength
and time.
Not at Self.
l was never so mad in my life at N.Y.
self as l was to think that | had not
paid more attention to the course of
the stream before 1 undertook to cross
it, but as a matter of fact, there was
really no way of telling. The river was
not shown on my map at all.
Now had to cross it, whereas before
I could have turned it. I walked bold
ly into the water, NOT pothering to take
my clothes off this time, nor did 1
ever bother to take them off after
wards when swimming canals and riv-
ers. / found it was impossible to keep
them dry anyway, ah0 so i might just
as well swim in, them and save time
All the next day 1 spent in a forest
to which my nights travel had brought
me about o'clock in the morning. I
Kept on my way through the woods until
daylight came, and then, thinking the
place would afford fairly good conceal
ment l concluded to rest until night
The prospects of even a good sleep
were dismal. however, for about the
time the suns face should have ap-
peared, a drizzling rain began and I
gave up my search for a dry spot which
would serve as a bed. Some, of the
leaves were beginning to fall, but of
course there were noc enough of them
to form a covering for the ground, and
the dampness seemed TO have penetrat-
ed everywhere.
1 wandered around through woods
for two or three hours looking for shell
ter, but without any success, for al
though the trees were large, the forest !
was not dense, and there was practi-
cally no brush or shrubbery. Conse- !
quently one could get fairly clear view
for some distance, and I know it would
be unwise to drop off to sleep just any
place. or someone would surely happen
on to me.
Human Voices Alarm Him.
Once I came very near to the ends of
the woods and heard voices of men driv- |
ing by in a wagon, but 1 couldn't make |
out just what they were, and instinct !
told me I had better not come out of |
the woods, so 1 turned back.
(COntinued Next IsSuel