Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-10
THE MAN WITH THE CLL1B EOOT
BY VALENTINE WILLIAMS

or the Royal Engineers. and he was captur-
ed near Mons In August, 1914. when out lay
ing line with party. With a long train
or British prisoners-''zum of 'em was ter
rible bad, EUR. dying. as you might say
ne mad been marched Off TO a town and
paraded to the railway station through
streets thronged with jeerng German SOL
diery. In cattle trucks the fit, the wound
ed. the dying and the dead herded together,
without food or water, they had made their
journey into Germany with hostile mobs at
every station, once the frontier was past,
orutai men and shrieking women to whom
not even the dying were sacred
1t was terrible tale, that lost nothing OF
Its horror from the simple unadorned style
or this West Country farmers son.
Il bean't fit cumpany for no lady, zur"
he whispered to me- IT be that durty fair
crawling I be = We couldn't keep clean
nohow in that camp!"
All the good soldiers horror of dirt was
In his voice
That's all right Maggs" I answered
scothinglY, She'll understand -
We sat down on the floor in the light
of sapper Maggs' candle, and Francis and
/ reviewed our situation.
1t was now half-past five in the evening
We both agreed that we should certainly
make the attempt to cross the frontier that
night. Francis nudged me, indicating the
sapper with his eyes.
"Maggs," I said. I'VE are all in a bad
way. but our case Is more desperate than
yours shall not tell you more than this.
that. If we are caught any of us three we
shall be shot, and any one caught with us
will fare the same. If you VIII take my ad-
vice. you will leave us and start off by your
self: the worst that can happen to YOU ia
to be sent back to your camp. You will be
punished for running away. but you won't
lose your lfe!"
Sapper Maggs shook his yellow head.
TN stay" he answered stolidly. its more
inf al la-ltl lkp fAt
and it's better protection for the lady. |
beant afear'd Of no Gers. I beant! ri go
along O. yew officers and the lady, IL yew
don't mind Zur!"
So it was settled. and we four agreed to
unite forces. Before we set out Francis
wanted to go and reconno'ter I thought
he had done more than his share thar dav,
and said so. But Francis insisted.
II know my way blindfoded about the
forest. old man." he said It'll be far safer
and mark the route you are to follow 90
that you can find the way IL anything ban
pens to me- If I'm not back by midnight.
you ought certainly not to wait any longer.
but make the attempt by yourself"
My brother handed me back the docun,en+
and went over the route we were to follow
on the map. Then he deposited his bundle
in the cave and declared himself ready
And don't forget old Clubfoot's box" he
said by way of parting injunction
Monica took him out to the entrance q,
our refugee. She was dabbing her eves
with her handkerchief when she returned
You remember the Captain of KoenencL
trick" she said. well. Francis plaved n
Off on the sergeant and those six men. He
slept at Cleves. had himself trimmed up at
the barber's. bought those feld-boots he is
wearing, and stole that helmet and great
coat of the pegs in the passage at Schmidt's
Cafe. where the officers always go and drink
beer after morning parade. Then he drove
to the castle-he knew that the place would
be deserted once the shoot had started
and told the sergeant he had been sent from
Goch II inspect the guard. I think he Is
just splendid! He inspected the nren and
cursed everybody up and down. and sent the
sergeant out to the paddock with orders to
drill them for two hours. Francis was tell
ing me all about 1t as we came along, He
says that If you can get hold of uniform and
hector a German enough, he will never call
your bluff. Can you beat it?'
The hours dragged wearily on. We had no
food, and Maggs, who had eaten. the last
OF his provisions twenty-four hours before
the British soldier is a bad hoarder-
soon consumed the last of my cigarettes. 1t
was past 10 o'clock when I heard a step
outside. The next moment Francis came in,
white and breathless.