The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1918-06-10


yard. hut II would not work. and tiier
went up 20 the door and knocked-
II was o'clock la the morning. An
ald lady came TO the window and
Looked out. She could not imagine
what | was. probably. because l was
sin attired In that old overcuat. She
gave cry and her husband and a
boy came 10 the door.
They could not speak English and
could n.t speak Flemish. bat pointed
10 my flying coat and then TO the say
and said .Fleger" lfierl which
thought would tell them what was.
whether they understood or were
lntmldaiei by the hard-looklng ap-
pearnnce. don't know. but certainly
II would have 70 be a brave old man
and boy who would start an argument
with such a yillainous looking char
acier as stood before them that night I
had not shaved for month, my
clothes were wet. torn and dirty. my
leegsn-s we're gone-they had gotten
50 heavy | had To discard theni-my
hair was inatied and my cheeks were
flushed with fever. In my hand
carried the rock in my handkerchief
and | made no effort TO conceal its
presence or It's mission.
Anyway they motloned me indoors.
gave me my first hot meal In more
than a month True. IL consisted only
OF warm potatoes. They had beeu
previously cooked. but the old woman
warmed them up in milk In ore ~ the
dlrtiest kettles ! had ever seen.
asked for bread. bur she shook her
head although | think II must have
been for lack of IL rather than be
cause She besrudged II 10 me. For
II ever n man showed he was finished.
/ did that night swallowed those
warm Potatoes ravenously and drank
four glasses OF water. one after an
other. II WIS the best meal had had
since the banquet" in the prison at
Courtrai.
The woman OF ihe house was prob
ably seventy years old aud had
evidently worn wooden shoes all her
life. for she had callous spot on the
side ~ her foot the size OF half dol
lar and il looked so hard that ! doubt
whether you could have driven nail
into il with a hammer
As sat there drying myself--for
was In no hurry 10 leave the first
human habiiation had entered in
four weeks--I reflected on my I'M
hapny lot and the unknown troubles
and dangers that lay ahead Of me
Here, FOR more than a month, | had
been leading the life OF a hunted
animal-yes, worse than Il hunted
animal. for nature clothes her less
favored creatures more appropriate
ly for the life they lead than | was
clothed for mlne-ani there Was mol
the slightest reason 10 hope that con-
ditloLs world grow any better.
Perhaps the fins warm food | had
eaten Nr over month had released
unused springs Of philosophy IN me.
a. food sometimes does for man.
| pointed 10 my torn and water
soaked clothes and conveyed 70 them
as best | could that | would be crate
ful FOR an old suit. but apparently
they were too poor 10 have more than
they actually needed themselves. and
rose 10 60. | had aroused them out
u bed and knew ought not 10 keep
them up longer than WAS absolutely
necessary.
~ az Z. - ala.rI4 -. u
glance AZ myself in a mirror. was
The awfulest sight had laid eyes on,
The glimpse ! got OF myself startled !
me- almost as much as II had seen a I
dreaded German helmet, NJ left eye I
8as fairly well healed by this time /
md | was beginning TO regain sight
u II. but my face was so haggard and I
ny beard so long and unkempt that c
ooked Ike Santa Claus on a bat. {
A. they let me out OF the door I x
,olnted 10 the opposite direction to u
he one | intended taking and started I
n in the direction | had Indicated. q
-ater changed my course completely c
o throw of any possible pursuit. c
The next day l was 80 worn out from c
xposure and exhaustion that | threw II
way my coat. thinking tina, the less 4
Teight had 10 carry the better IL
rould be for me. but when night came a
regretted my mistake because the n
lights were now getting colder. l II
bought al first II would be better for
ie 20 retrace my steps and look for "
he coat | had 50 thoughtlessly dis o.
arded. but decided TO go on with d
VI IL.
then began 20 discard everything W
lai had in my pocket. finally throw u
X my wrist watch into a canal. A II
risi-watch does not add much "
eight. but when you plcd along and y
ave not eaten for a month II finally u
ecomes rather heavy. The next th
ing ! discarded was a pair Of flying to
litens. Q,
These mittens had gotten at Camp VI
orden. In Canada. and had become IN
lite famous. as my friends termed N
ZEN snow Shoes In fact. they ny
ere a ridiculous pair Of mittens. but th
e best pair ever had aad | really u
'lt worse when I lost those mitfens 81
an anything else. could not think W
anybody else ever using them. 80 I ha
II hole In rha mud and hurled 1