The Lamar register., 1918-07-17

heavy c0bblestones that looked as Il
they would last for centuries, L real
lied at once why 1t was that the Ger
mans had been able to make such
rapid advance into Belgium at the
start of the war.
noticed that the Belgians used
dogs to considerable extent TO pull
their carts, and / thought many times
that IL l could have stolen one of
those dogs 1t would have been IA very
good companion for me and might, II
the occasion arose, help me out In
fight. But l had no way of feeding 1t
land the animal would probably have
starved to death. / could live on veg
etables. which i could always depend
upon finding In the fields, but dog
couldn't. and so / gave up the Idea.
The knack Of making fire with two
pieces of dry wood 1 had often read
about. but 1 had never put 1t to test
and for various reasons / concluded
that 1t would be unsafe for me to
build fire even If / had matches. In
the first place. there was no absolute
need for 1t. 1 didn't have anything
to cook nor utensils to cook 1t In even
If l had. While the air was getting
to be rather cool at night. was usu-
ally on the go at that time and didn't
notice 1t. In the daytime. when
was resting or sleeping, the sun was
usually out.
TO have borrowed matches from
Belgian peasant would have been feas-
ible. but when I was willing TO take
the chance of approaching anyone, 1t
was just as easy TO ask for food as
matches.
1t the second place. 1t would have
been extremely dangerous to have
built a fire even II l had needed 1t.
You can't build fire In Belgium.
which is the most thlckly populated
country In Europe. without everyone
knowing 1t. and l was far from anx-
lous to advertising my whereabouts.
The villages In that part of Bel
GUM through which / was making my
course were so close together that
there was hardly ever an hour passed
without my hearing some clock strike.
Every village has Its clock. Many
times I could hear the clocks striking
in two villages at the same time.
But the hour had very little interest
to me. My program was to travel as
fast as ! could from sunset to sunrise
and pay no attention to the hours In
between. and In the daytime / had
only two things to worry about: keep
concealed and get us much sleep as
possible.
The cabbage that l got In Belgium
consisted OF the small heads that the
peasants had not cut. All the strength
had concentrated In these little heads
and they would be as bitter as gall. l
would have to be pretty hungry to-
day before I could ever eat cabbage
again and the same observation ap-
plies to carrots. turnips and sugar
sugar beets.
II is rather remarkable thing that
today even IA smell OF turnips. raw or
cooked. makes me sick. and yet few
short months ago my life depended
upon them.
Night after night as I searched for
food. l was always In hopes that 1
might come upon some tomatoes or
celery-vegetables which l really
liked. but with the exception OF once.
when found some celery. was never
SO fortunate. | ate so much of the
celery the night l came upon It that
was sick for two days thereafter.
but l carried several punches away
with me and used to chew on 1t as l
walked along.
OF course, | kept my eyes opea all
the time for fruit trees. but apparently
1t was too late In the year for fruit. as
all that | ever was able to lind were
two pears. which got out OF tree.
That was one Of my red-letter days,
hut l was never able to repeat 1t.
Continued next week.