New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-10-11

CURED to me, but | searched hour after
hour In vain for lumber or fallen trees
ont Of which | could construct one. II
| could only obtain something which
would enable me to reach n point
about nine feet in the air 1t would be
a comparatively simple matter to
jump from that point over the electric
fence.
Then ! 'I,up""t that perhaps ] could
CONSTRUCT IL simple ladder and lean 1t
against one of the posts upon which
the electric wires were strung. climb to
tn" top and then leap over. getting
over the barbed wire fences in the
same way.
This seemed TO be the most likely
plan and all night long | sat construct
ing II ladder for this purpose.
was fortunate enough to find a
number of fallen pine trees from ten
to twenty feet long. | selected two Of
them which seemed sufficiently strong
and broke off all the branches. which
used as rungS, tying them to the
poles with grass and strips from my
handkerchief and shirt as best l
could.
1t was not n very w~Orkmanlike
looking ladder when finally got
through with it,. | leaned 1t against
II tree to test it and it wObbled cOnsid-
ernbly. 1t was more like a rope lad
der than n wooden one, but | strength
cned 1t here and there and decided
that 1t would probably serve the pur-
pose.
| kept the ladder in the woods all
day and could hardly wait until dark
to make the supreme test. If 1t proved
successful my troubles were over;
within n few hours l would be in II
neutral country out of Nil danger. If
| fnilcd-I dismissed the idea sum
marty. There was no use worrying
about failure; the thing to do wns to
succeed.
The few hours that were to pass
before night caIme on seemed endless,
hut | utilized them to reinforce my
ladder, tying the rungs more securely
with long grass which | picked in the
woods.
At last night came, and with my
ladder in hand | made for the barrier.
In front of it there was Il cleared
space Of about one hundred yards,
which had been prepared to make the
work of the guards easier In watch
ing 1t.
| waited in the neighborhood until |
heard the sentry pass the spot where
was in hiding and then / hurried
across the clearing, showed my ladder
under the barbed wire and endeav-
orcd to follow 1t. My clothing caught
in the wire. but | wrenched myself
clear and crawled to the electric bar
rier.
My plan was to place the ladder
against n of the posts. climb up to
the top and then jump. There would
be n fall Of nine or ten feet, and l
might possibly sprain an ankle or
break my leg, but If that was all that
stood between me and freedom l
wasn't going to stop to consider it.
put my ear to the ground to listen
for the coming of the sentry. There
was not n sound. Eagerly but care
fully | placed the ladder against the
post and started up. Only a few feet
separated me from liberty. and my
heart beat fast.
had climbed perhaps three rungs
Of my ladder when l became aware
Of m unlocked for difficulty.
The ladder was slipping.
Just as l took the next rung. the
ladder slipped. came In contact with
the live wire, and the current passed
through the wet sticks and into my
body. There was a blue flash. my
hold on the ladder relaxed and l fell
heavily to the ground unconscious.
OF course. l had not received the
full force OF the current or | would
not now be here. I must have re-
manned unconscious for a few mo-
mcnts. but l came to just In time to
hear the German guard coming. and
the thought came to me If didn't get
that ladder concealed ut once he would
see it wen though. fortunately for me,
1t was an unusually dark night.
| pulled the ladder out of his path
and lay down fiat on the ground not
seven feet AWAY from his feet. He
passed SO close that I could have
pushed the ladder out and tripped
him up.
1t occurred tO me that l could have
climbed back under the barbed wire
fence and waited for the sentry to re-
turn and then felled him with a blow
on the head, as he had nc Idea. of
course, that there was anyone In the
vicinity. l wouldn't have hesitated
10 take life. because my only thought
was to get into Holland. but 1 thought
that ms long as he didn't bother me
perhaps the safest thing to do was not
to bother him. but to continue my ef-
forts during his periodic absence.
His beat at this point was apparent
ly fairly long and allowed me more
time to work than l had hoped for.
My mIshap with the ladder had con
WINGED me that my escape In that way
was not feasible. The shock that l
had received had unnerved me and l
was afraid e. risk 1t again. particu-
larry as I realized that I had Jared
more fortunately than 1 could hope
to again IL l met with a similar mis-
hap. There was no way of making
that ladder hold and l gave up the idea
Of using II.
l was now right in front of this
barrier and as l studied 1t !
saw another way Of getting by. II I
cnuldn't get Oyer II. what WINS the