The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-01-17

snsak,nr 70 one OF his own sex. 'e''
!, vas useless to plead with him.
As rcmounted my wheel he salutcu
,o and gave mo q bow. For the "rs'
,ir,e | noticed that hts trousers "e1'
Watched on both knees TINS WEB l'7
at orcasiou l had observed a patcheu
rarrent on n military officer. couiu
-, resIst smiling. His rank cou!u
MOI determine. although I kne" mos'
of The Balkan uniforms; his age no"
ever. suggested a captalncy.
7 found the mule track right e"oue :"
and pretty soon realizc '"'i'
climbing l had done in Tyrol was IN.
ing 70 the climb in front or me. Az!
hicvcIc WAS OF no use. SO 1 chained IL
TO q tree, looked at my "h'cn W
4.3o n M and began 10 CLIMB. Ihrice
,l,nncd md fell-unhurt save Tor
.,,au scratch on the nose from t"ls'
On nv third fall looked at my "atch
f.30 a. m. had climbed lot wv
hours without taking rest: no" so'
down on the edge OF mosS-gro"h
bo,,,der and ate sandwich ana uFa'n
IRON, nv fash little vino. In lront
or nc were range of mountains wntch
I scanncd through my field glasses 1o'
INV sIrn of a fort. No. there was no
Siru of d fort TO he disccrncd.
Caught In Deluge.
Again ! climbed up q long the mule
track. and how my back and legs oegah
to ache. .,,
At length. $50 a. m. by my watch.
and when ! was pretty near the crest ot
the mountain, the howitzers or heaven
suddenly shook earth and FocK win
angry roaring. paused and stooa
erect Overhead black clouds came IKE
bure slices cut out OF tho night II
frightened. Distinctly ] heard tho souho
of heavy rain, as If 1t beat upon thoa-
sand drums.
Where could shelter? Half a mile
br1ow me there we're Il few trees. yet
they would not havo afforded the slight
est refuge from the avalanche of water
about to descend upon me. / turned my
back on tho mountain and faced the
valley below. The 1ondgates OF heaven
we're opened have never been In such
a rain storm. AZ tn sun caught the
torrent II seemed as If hundreds OF MIL
lions Of brilliant yellow tanger!nes were
falling from the clouds. Yes. but 1t WAS
glorious 10 get wet through 10 the skin
in such Il marvellous spectacle.
Soon from the crest OF the mountai2.
Kissing, swirlinG sheets OF water began
to sweep downwards. surEing we'll above
ny ankles Only with difficulty couil
! keep my feet. II tho dcluGe continued
long saw that | might be washed down
into the depths below! A fc" yards
above me was tho Jagged edge OF a rock
Il must reach II and hold on Ike grim
death, or else my fate was sura--strug-
Cling upwards slipped and fell. re-
gained my feet. and managed To grasp
Jut on tho boulder. To that ! clunS
for all ! was worth.
Evidently II was not prc-ordained that
should he washed down mountain
side. battered and bruised. to certain
death The rain storm passed. 10 favor
the valleys below and tho mountains De-
yond. l cannot conjecture tho feelings
Of a drowning rat, but if n rodent ever
felt as did it has my sympathy.
l had still considerable climb in
front of me. and a slippery. trenCh"rnus
climb It was. Rounding bend in the
track l suddenly espicd ha6itatinR
and issuing from n chimney smoke: How
welcome and homcly that smoking CHM
ncy Perhaps, were the inha hItants
friendly. / might he able to wiring out
and dry my soaking clothes. ! ap-
preached the door of the wooden cabin
for such 1t was--and knocked. 4 mid
priscd tn And that she addressed me in
russIan. She seemed surprised to SEQ
me.
"Xdu' hryinoo' trnhm. Nahzmo3h' nah
lcco" ,tinod morning. It Is possible?)
quickly assured her ;hat 1t was pos
sihlr. and that was hungry and wished
to dry my attire. The woman readily
aSsru."d. and SmilinEIy led me Into her
living room. where Il swc"t-7mclling
wood fire was heating large tin can
supported by n tripod.
The Slav woman WAS quite alone. Her
husband WAS on duty at the fort Ho
would hm homo In tho evening. This
vas uutr Il useful piece Of information
The wuman'S snn. ng"d *. was shep-
hcrdinE sheep on tn" other side OF the
mountain. lie MISC would be homo In
The evening Tho time was n quarter
quarter past s n. H.
The Slav woman. who seemed a de-
cent. clean creature. brought me her hest
skirt and q blouse. which articles Of Mt
tire, after ! had rubbed myself down
with a niece of snckIng G could not call
il q toweD afforded me welcome
change.
How tho Engineer Helped Mo.
When .vcnilr, time came. bringing
home IN the crimson sunlight husband
and son TO my hostess. I WAS myself
again. The Slav woman insisted on my
staying overnight. for the mule path
WAS bud My bicycle. the husband as
s,Ired mo. would he quite sata. No ono
would dare to touch II. and he would
toll someone nj the fort to fetch II away
and tnkn care Of It. for me carly next
morning.
Bctruying disinterested curiosity.
Isnrnt Il few useful hints about tho fort
fur the man WAS an engineer there. and
he evidently had not the rcmotcst sus.
ricIun that he was talking 10 SPY in
the employ OF the German government
But he told me- that no stranger could
ever hope to inspect the fort, not Cvnn
n Indy. lie Informed me also that there
were three new forts, not two. rs ! hal
hrcr, told at Roonstrassc 81 Having In
formed him that had never even sce"l