The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-09-06

inuu OIL potion and was able to drag
myself up to the bank, but got there.
The bank was rather high and l was
shaking SO violently that when l took
hold OF the grass to pull myself up,
the grass shook out of my hands. l
could not retain my grip. was afraid
l would faint then and there, but l
kept pulling and crawling frantically
up that Internal bank and finally
made it.
Then for the first time In my life I
fainted-fainted from utter exhaus-.
ton.
1t was now about o'clock In the
morning andsI was entirely unpro-
tected from observation. If anyone
had come along I would have been
found lying there dead to the world.
Possibly two hours passed before
regained consciousness, and then, no
doubt, only because the rain was
beating in my face.
l knew that l had to get away, as
1t was broad daylight Moreover,
there was a tow-path right there and
any minute boat might come along
| and find me. But it was equally
| dangerous for me to attempt to travel
very far. Fortunately l found some
shrubbery near by and l hid there all
day, without food or drink.
| That night l made a little head
way, but when day broke / had a
dreadful fever and was delirious.
talked to myself and thereby In
creased my chances of capture. In
my lucid intervals when l realized that
1 had been talking. the thought sent
chill through me, because In the
silent night even the slightest sound
carries far across the Belgian country
| began to fear that another day OF
this would about finish me.
I have a distinct recollection Of a
ridiculous conversation I carried on
with an imaginary Pat O'Brien-a
sort of duplicate Of myself. I argued
with him as l marched drearily along
and he answered me back in kind
and when we disagreed, called upon
my one constant friend, the North
Star, to stand by me.
"'There you are, you old North Star
| cried aloud. "You want me to get
to Holland, don't you? But this Pat
OBrien-this Pat O'Brein who calls
himself a soldier-he's got a yellow
streak-North Star-and he says II
can't be donel He wants me to quit
to lie down here for the Huns to
find me and take me back to Cour.
trai-after all you've done. North
Star? l don't want to follow him
just want to follow you-because you
you are taking me away from the
Huns and this Pat O'Brien-this fel
low who keeps after me all the time
and leans on my neck and. wants me
to lie down-ths yellow Pat O'Breir
wants me to go back to the Huns"
After spell of foolish chatter like
that my senses would come back tC
me for while and l would trudgt
along without a word until the fever
came on me again.
/ knew that | had to have food be
cause / was about on my last legs.
was very much tempted to lie dowI
then and there and call 1t a beat
Things seemed to be getting worse fo
me the farther I went, and all til,
time / had before me the spectre o
that electric barrier between Belgium
and Holland, even If / ever reached
there alive. What was the use o
further suffering when would prob
, ably be captured In the end anyway
Before giving up, however, decide,
upon one bold move. l would al
, proach one of the houses in the vi
entity and get food there or die il
the effort.
picked out q small house becaus
/ figured there would be less likel
hood of soldiers being billeted there
, Then I wrapped a stone in my KHAKI
handkerchief as a sort of camouflage
weapon, determined to kill the occl
s pant of the house, German or Belgian
a If that step was necessary In orde
h to get food. / tried the well in tn
! yard, but it would not work, and the
l went up to the door and knocked.
III 1t was 1 o'clock In the morning. A
/ old lady came to the window an
e looked out. She could not imagin
II what l was, probably, because l wa
k still attired In that old overcoat. Sh
= gave cry and her husband and
e boy came to the door.