Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-04
"OutWittin3
The Hun"
The Wars Greatest Story
BY Lieut.. Pat O'Brien
BY Lieut.. Pat O'Brien

ny LleuJ. HaC " DITCH
Continued from Last Issue)
\ BOUT o'clock that evening 1
~ came to a point where ahead of
me on the right was a Belgian
police station-I knew it from it's red
lights-and on the other side of the
street were two German soldiers in uni
forming leaning against a bicycle.
Passes German Soldiers
Here was a problem which called for
instant decision; if l turned back the
road so as not to pass so closely to
the suspicion of the soldiers would be
instantly aroused and if 1 crossed the
them they might be equally suspicious.
decided to march bravely by the Huns,
bluff my way through and trust to
Providence.
If anybody imagines, however, that I
was at all comfortable as 1 approached
these soldiers, he must think that 1 am
a much drawer man than 1 claim to be.
My heart beat so loud I was afraid they
would hear it. Every step took brought
me so much nearer to what might prove
to be the end Of all my hopes. 1t was
anerve-racking ordeal.
1 was now within a few feet of
them. Another step and
They didn't turn a hair! 1 passed
right by them-heard what they were
saying, although, of course, I didn't un-
derstand it. and went right on. 1 can't
say 1 didn't walk little faster as 1
left them behind, but 1 tried to main
tain an even gait so as not to give them
any idea of the inward eXultation l was
experiencing.
No words can explain, however, how
relieved I really felt-to know that 1
had successfully passed through the
Of Gin
realized were in store for Mccullough
I did not know then how soon 1 was
to be confronted with the second.
AS it was, however, the incident gave
me a world of confidence. 1t demon
strated to me that there was nothing
in my appearance, at any rate, to at
tract the attention of the German SOL
diers. Apparently 1 looked like Bel
gian peasant, and if I could only work
things so that 1 would never have to
answer questions and thus give away
my nationality, / figured l would be
tolerably safe.
Happy and Confident
AS I marched along L felt so happy
couldn't help humming the air OF one
of the new patriotic songs that we used
to sing at the airdrome back of Ypres.
In this happy frame of mind l covered
the next three miles in about an hour
and then 1 came to another little viii
lage MY usual course would have
been to go around Through fields.
back yards, woods or whatever else lay
in nv Uay-but l had gained so much
time by going through the last village
instead of detouring it and my appear
ance Seemd to be so unsusplclous that
decided to try the same stunt again.
1 stopped humming and kept very
much on the alert. but, apart from that
street
without any feeling of alarm.
I had proceeded perhaps a mile along
the main street when 1 noticed ahead
of me three German soldiers standing
at the curb.
Again my heart started to beat fast,
l must confess, but 1 was not nearly so
scared as l had been an hour or so De-
fore.
1 walked ahead, determined to follow
my previous procedure IN every partlc
ular.
Heart stops at "Halt!"
I had got to about fifteen feet away
from the soldiers when one of them
stepped onto the sidewalk and shouted:
Halt"
NV heart stopped beating fast-for a
moment l believed it stopped beating
altogether. 1 can't attempt to describe
my feelings. The thought that the jig
was up-that all had gone throuSh am
all l had escaped would now avail me
nothing mingled with feeling of dis
gust with myself because of the foolish
risk 1 had taken in going through the
village, combined to take all the starcn
out of me. and l could feel myself wilt
ing as the soldier advanced to the spot
where 1 stood rooted in my tracks.
had a bottle of water in one pocket
and a piece of bread in the other, and
as the Hun advanced to search me |
held the bottle up in one hand and the
piece of bread in the other so that he
could see that was all l had.
1t occurred to me that he would
"frisk" me-that is, feel me over for
arms o. other weapons-then place me
under arrest and march me off to the
guardhouse. l had not the slightest idea
but that 1 was captured, and there didn
seem to be much use in resisting, un-
armed AS 1 was and with two other Ger
man soldiers within few feet of us.
Like q flash it suddenly dawned on
me. however that for all this soldier
could have known L was only a Bel
gian peasant and that his object in
searching me, which he proceeded to do,
was to ascertain whether I had COM
nitted the common crime" of Snug
Cling potatoes.
CONTINUED Next Issue)