The Cordova daily times., 1918-08-12

four weeks-I reflected on my un- happy lot xnd the unknown troubles and dangers that lay ahead of me. Here. for more than a month, l had been leading the life of a hunted animal-yes, worse than hunted animal, for nature clothes her less favored creatures more appropriate ly for the life they lead than l wAS clothed for mine-und there was not the slightest reason to hope that con- di'ions would grow any better.
 Perhaps the first warm food had eaten for over n month had released unused springs of philosophy in me, us food sometimes does for q man.
 l pointed 10 my torn and water soaked clothes and conveyed to them as best ] could that I would be grnte- ful for an old suit, but apparently they were too poor to have more thai. they actually needed themselves, and l rose to go. l had aroused them owt of bed and l knew l ought not tO kcer them up longer than was absolutely necessary.
 As l approached the door l got Il glance at myself in n mirror. l wns the awfulest sight had laid eyes on The glimpse l got of myself startled me almost as much as if 1 had seen Il dreaded German helmet. My left eye was fairly well healed by this time hnd l Was beginning to regain sight of it, but my face was so haggurd and my beard SD long and unkcmpt that looked like Santa Claus on bat.
 As they let m" out of the door l pointed to the opposite direction to the one l intended taking and started off in the direction I had indicated. Later l changed my course completely to throw on any possible pursuit.
 The next day was so worn out from exposure and exhaustion that I threw away my coat. thinking that the less weight l had to carry the better 1t would be for me, but when night came l regretted my mistake because the nights were now getting colder. thought at first It would be better for ! me to retrace my steps and look for the coat l had so thoughtlessly dis carded. but l decided to go on with out 1t.
 l then began to discard everything that l had in my pocket, finally throw ing my wrist watch into n canal. A wrist-watch does not add much weight, but when you plod along and have not euten for a month it finally becomes rather heavy. The next thing l discarded was pair of flying mlttcns.
 These mittcns had gotten at Camp Borden. in CGnada, and had become quite famous, aS my friends termed them "Snow shoes" In fact. they were n ridiculous Tuir of mittcns, but the best pair l ever hud and l really felt worse when l lost those mittenS than anything else. l could not think of anybody else ever using them. so dug hole ill the mud and buried them and could not help but laugh at the e}thought if my friends could see me burying my mittens, because they were standing joke in Canada, Eng land and France.
 had on two shirts and as they were always both wet and didn't keep me warm, 1t was useless to wear bOth One of these was Il shirt that l had bought in France, the other an Amer iCan army shirt. They were both khnki and one as apt to give me away as the other, so 1 discarded tn" French shirt The American army shirt 1 brought back with me to England and 1t is still in my possession.
 When l escaped from the train still had the Bayarian cap of bright red III my pocket and wore it for many nights. but l took great care that no one saw it. IL also had proven very useful when swimming rivers, for 1 carried my map and n few other be lOngngs in 1t and 1 had fully made up my mind to bring it home u~ Il souvenir. But the farther l went the heavier my cXiru clothing became, 1 so l Was comprllcd to discard even ! the cap. l knew that it would be n | tell-tnlr mark if l simply threw il i away, so one night after swimming q | river, l dug hole iu the soft mud on i the bank and buried It. too, with con l siderably less ceremony than my fly 1 ing mtttens had received prrhapS; x" 1 that was the end of my Hayariun hat. My experience at tn" BcIgIan'S house Whcttrd my appctiI" for nor" . food and 1 figured that what had been done once could be done again. Sooner or later. l realized l would probably approach Belgian and find German instead. but in such con tingenCy l was determined to meas ure my strength against the Huns if necessary to effect my escape.
 As 1t was, however, most of the Bel gians to whom applied for food gave it to me readily enough. and if some of them refused me 1t was only be cause they feared I might be a spy or that the Germans would shoot them if their action were subsequently found out.
 About the fifth day after l had en- tered Belgium l was spending the day