Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-09-20
CHAPTER x.Lcoutinued,

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The knack OF making fire with two
pieces Of dry wood had often read
about. but had never put it to a test
and for various reasons l concluded
that IT would be unsafe for me to
build fire even II l had matches. In
the first place, there was no absolute
need for It. | didn't have anything
70 cook nor utensils to cook II in even
II had While the air was getting
to be rather cool ut night, / was usu-
ally on the go at that time and didn't
notice II. In the daytime. when l
was resting or sleeping. the sun was
usually out.
To have borrowed matches from a
Ajelgian peasant would have been feas-
ible. but when l was willing to take
the chance of approaching anyone, it
wns just as easy to ask for food as
matches.
Il the second place, it would have
been extremely dangerous to have
built n fire even IL l had needed it.
You can't build n fire in Belgium,
which Is the most thiclSly populated
country in Europe, without everyone
knowing 1t, and l was far from anx-
ious to advertising my whereabouts.
The villages in that part of Bel
gium through which was making my
course were so close together that
there was hardly ever an hour passed
without my hearing some clock strike.
Every village has its clock. Many
times could hear the clocks striking
In two villages at the same time.
But the hour had very little interest
TO me. My program was to travel as
fast MS l could from sunset to sunrise
and pay no attention to the hours in
between, and in the daytime 1 had
only two things to worry about: keep
concealed and get as much sleep as
possible.
The cabbage that I got in Belgium
consisted of the small heads that the
peasants had not cut. All the strength
had concentrated In these little heads
and they would be as bitter as gall. l
would have 20 be pretty hungry to-
day before could ever eat cabbage
again and the same observation ap-
plies TO carrots. turnlps and sugar
beets-especially sugar beets.
II Is rather a remarkable thing that
today even a smell of turnips, raw or
cooked. makes me sick, and yet a few
short months ago my life depended
upon them.
Night after night as l searched for
food, 1 was always In hopes that !
might come upon some tomatoes or
celery-vegetables which / really
liked, but with the exception of once,
when found some celery. 1 was never
20 fortunate. I ate so much Of the
celery the night came upon 1t that
I was sick for two days thereafter
but l carried several lunches away
with me and used to chew on it as ]
walked along. f
OF course, kept my eyes open al
she time for fruit trees. but apparently
Il was too iute in the year for fruit, as
all that ! ever was able to find were
two pears. which l got out of tree
That was one Of my red-letter days
but was never able to repeat II.
In the brooks and ponds that
passed often noticed fish of dlfferen
kinds. That was either In the earl,
morning Just before I turned in 70
the day, or on moonlight nights whei
the water seemed as clear in spot
as In the daytime. 1t occurred to m,
that It would be simple matter to rii
hook and line and catch some fish
but | had no means of cooking then
and II was useless to fish for the SAX
OF Il.
One night In, Belgium my cours
took me through n desolate stretch O
country which seemed to be absolutel
uncultivated. I must have covere
twelve miles during the night, wlthou
passing a single farm or cultivate
field. My stock of turnips which
had picked the night before was gon
and I planned, of course, to get enoug
TO carry me through the followin
day.
The North Star was shining bright
that night and there was absolutel
nothing to prevent my steering an al
solutely direct course for Holland an
liberty, but my path seemed to II
through arid pastures. Far to tn
east or to the west I could lea
Tnlntly the striking of village bell
AMI l knew that II / changed m
course I would undoubtedly strik
farms and vegetables, but the Mort
Shyr seemed to plead with me to 70
low II and I would not turn aside.
When daylight came, the cons
Iuencc was was empty handed and
had to find n hiding place for the da
thought | would approach the fir
peasant came 20 and ask for foo
but that day l Ind misgivings-
hunch--that I would get into troub
n I did. and l decided to go withoI
FOOD altogether for that day.
II wns q foolish thing 70 do, foun
because I not Only suffered great
from hunger all that day, but 1t inte
fcrcd with my sleep. / would drop {
10 sleep for half an hour. perhaT
and during That time would drea
that ] was free, back home, living
life OF comparative ease, aud then
would wake up with a start and cat
glimpse Of the bushes surroundii
me, feel tile hard ground beneath I
and tho hunger pangs gnawlng ut r
sides, and then would realize he
far from homo really was. and
would lie there and wonder wheth
wnuld over really see my hor
again. Then would fall asleep aga