Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-08-30

through the windOwl ! would have
to so through that window while the
train was going full-speed, because if
| waited until it had slowed up or
stopped entirely. it would be a simple
matter for the guards to overtake or
shoot me.
opened the window The guard
VINO sat opposite me-So close that
his feet touched mine and the stock
OF MS gun which he held between his
knees occasionally struck my foot
made no objection, imagining no doubt
that L found the car too warm or that
the smoke, with which the compart-
inent was filed, annoyed me.
AS l opened the window, the noise
the train was making rs it thundered
along grew louder. 1t seemed to say:
YOU re fool if you do; you're a fool
II you don't-you're fool if you do
you're a fool if you don't"-and 1 said
10 myself ,''the noes have it," and
closed down the window again.
AS soon as the window was closed,
the noise of the train naturally sub
sided and its speed seemed to dimin-
ish, and my plan appealed to me
stronger than ever.
| knew the guard in front of me
didn't understand a word of English,
and so, in a quiet tone of voice, l con-
fided to the English officer who sat
next me what I had planned to do.
For Gods sake, Pat, chuck it!' he
,1rcro1 ho n I11notioi This r0i1-
road is double-tracked and rock-bal-
lasted and the other track is on your
side. You stand every chance in the
world of knocking your brains out
| against the rails, or hitting bridge or
whistling post, and if you escape
| those you will probably be hit by an
! other train on the other track. You
| haven't one chance in a thousand to
make it!'
There was a good deal of logic in
what he said, but 1 figured that once l
was in that reprisal camp l might
never have even one chance IN a thou
sand to escape, and the idea of re-
naming prisoner of war indefinitely
went against my grain. l resolved to
!
breaking my neck.
The car was full of smoke. l looked
across at the guard. He was rather an
old man, going home on leave, and he
| seemed to be dreaming Of what was in
store for him rather than paying any
particular attention to me. Once in
while had smiled at him, and ! figured
that he hadn't the slightest idea of
what was going through my mind all
the time we had been travelling.
/ began to cough as though my throat
was badly irritated by the smoke and
then I opened the window again. This
time the guard looked up and showed
his disapproval, but did not say any
thing.
1t was then o'clock in the morn
ing and would soon be light. l knew
had to do it right then, or never, as
there would be no chance to escape in
the daytime.
/ had on a trench coat that I had
used as a flying coat and wore my
d knapsack, which 1 had constructed
out of gas bag brought into Courtrai
by a British prisoner. N this l had
two pieces of bread, a piece of sau-
sage and pair of flying mittens. All
of them had to go with me through the
window.
The train was now going at rate of
between thirty and thirty-fve miles an
hour, and again it seemed to admonish
me as 1t ratified along over the ties
You're fool if you do-you're fool
if you don't. You're fool if you don't
you're a fool if you do. You're a fool
if you don't"