Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-07-11
more than 1 did, but 1t was certainly
very good.

very good.
We had cooked enough for eight, bu-
while We were still eating, another
Joined us. He was an English Office
who had just been brought In on Z
stretcher. For seven days. he told US
he had lain in a shell hole, wounded
and he was almost famished, and We
were mighty glad TO share our ban
quet with him.
We called on each man for a speech
and one might have thought that we
were at frst-ciass club meeting. A
few days after that our party was
broken up and some Of the men, 1 sup
pose, l shall never see again.
One Of the souvenirs Of my adyen-
ture is a check given me during this
banquet" by Lieut.. James Henry
Dickson Of the Tenth Royal Irish Flu
sileers, fellow prisoner. II was for
% francs and was made payable 10
the order Of 's3ir. Pat O'Brien, 2nd
Lieut." Poor Jim forgot 10 scratch
out the London" and substitute
.'COurtrai" on the date line, but its
value as z souvenir is just as great
When he gave il 10 me he had no idea
that would have an opportunity so
soon afterward 70 cash IL in person
although I an quite sure that what
ever financial reverses 1 may be des-
tined TO meet, my want Will never be
great enough TO induce me 10 realize
On that check.
There was one subject that was
talked about in this prison whenever
conversation Jagged, and I suppose il
is the same in other prisons too. What
were the chances Of escape
Every man seemed 10 have a differ
ent idea and one way, l suppose, was
about as impracticable as another.
None Of US ever expected 10 get q
chance TO put our ideas into execution,
but il was interesting speculation, and
anyway one can never tell what op-
portunities might present themselves.
One suggestion was that We disguise
ourselves as women -OBrien would
stand better chance disguised as q
horse :" declared another, referring to
the fact that my height q am six feet
two inches) would make me more CON
spicuous as q woman than as man.
Another suggested that We steal q
German Gotha-a type of airplane
used for long-distance bombing. II is
these machines which are used for
bombing London They are manned
by three men, one sitting in front with
q machine gun, the pilot sitting behind
him and an observer sitting in the rear
with another machine gun. We fig
ured thai, ar pinch. perhaps. seven
or eight OF US could make our escape
in single machine. They have two
motors of very high horse power, fly
very high and make wonderful speed.
But we had no chance to put this idea
to the test
l worked out another plan by which
thought l might have a chance If
could ever get into one Of the German
lirdromes. 1 would conceal myself In
1ne Of the hangers, wait until one Of
he German machines started out, and
IS he TAXED along the ground 1 would
-ush out, shout at the top of my voice
md point excitedly at his wheels This,
figured, would cause the pilot TO stop
and get out TO see what was wrong.
By that time 1 would be up TO him, and
IS he stopped over 10 inspect the ma
hine, l could knock him senseleSS,
imp into the machine and be over the
ines before the Huns could make I'D
heir minds Just what had happened.
II was a fine dream, but my
hance was not TO come that WY.
There were dozens of other ways
rhich We considered. One man would
e for endeavoring to make his way
light through the lines Another
bought the safest plan would be TO
vim some river that crossed the lines.
The idea of making ones way TO
holland, neutral country, occurred
} 'everyone, but the one great obstacle
! that direction, We all realized, was
he great barrier of barbed and cleo
really charged wire which guards ey-
~ foot of the frontier between Bel
lum and Holland, and which is closely
atched by the German sentries.
This barrier was a three-fold affair.
consisted first of barted wire wall
X feet high Six feet beyond that
as 8 nine-foot wall of wire power
lily charged with electricity. To
'uch it meant electrocution- Beyond c
lat, at q distance of six feet, was I
mother wall of barbed wire six feet I
Igh.
Beyond the barrier lay Holland and T
berty, but how 10 get there was
'oblem which none Of US could solve {
Id few of US ever expected to have .
chance 10 try. d
Nine came sooner than 1 expected.
CHAPTER vi