Evening star., 1919-03-16
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WHEAT FIELD

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and dripping rain, soaked through
and hpngry-made their way through
the treacherous network Of wire, pay
Ing little attention to the black mud
holes into which they were forced to
press their bodies.
Booth stepped on the fiat ground at
the edge of the stream and, ready to
wade, glanced up toward his COM
The ground sank beneath him. slid
dages. sucked at his knees. and while
the others tore madly to free them
selves from the last Of the wire. the
quicksand had engulfed him to his
waist.
Your tunic" gasped the observer.
and while the sand sucked him in,
Booth stripped off the shreds Of his
tunic: it was not enough; the others
doffed theirs. knotted them and.
clinging desperately to the sagging
wire. slipping on the Shiny bank. they
hauled him out. while the empty
sands sucked vengefully at the air
down into the bowels of the earth.
Then Death. having struck cum
ningly at one. and failed, took an
other fling. tossed Yeatman. the gun
ner into the swift current, sapped
the strength out of him. and sent his
cry for Help" through the darkness
10 his companions. Canning was on
shore; Booth, who came last, was
just clambering out.
They could see nothing but the
tumbling. rain-swept waters, hear
nothing but the echoing scream quick
ly muffled by the waters and the
choking gasp which hissed across the
stream. Not sign, not a glimpse of
the boy, nothing but that last sigh for
help. which the water quenched.
With aching hearts and tingling
limbs, the two clambered away, gaunt.
half-wild scarecrows, running from
death to death, their minds tossing
their dreams Of safety in a cruel
nightmare. n sucking sand and swirl
ing water dragging them down to OBJ
livion. while they struggled and
gasped for the life owed to youth
Telling this tragic episode, Capt.
Booth paused and. with word of
memory for the boy who was lost.
muttered, I'VE felt badly about that
losing the boy; he was such a little
chap" turned and gazed silently from
the window. This sort OF death, he
seemed to imply. was hardly war
just plain tragedy.
There came the fourth night and
the belief that having been pre-
served SO far, safety must be at hand
Reduced to underclothes, their aching
feet bleeding through the rude ban
dages. hungry to desperation, they
craw!ed to the edge Of a canal. Both
edged up to the water and looked
across.
There was 10 barbed wire. 1t must
be Holland. The devices Of war were
no moro. Here was an unprotected.
peaceful stream, The miserable days
through which they had come stretch
ed. already heetingly. behind them.
tiop.
They hastened across the stream,
and the north star shohe clear. They
began to calculate what part OF the
frontier they had struck and how far
It would be to q house. They clam
sssss ss yass sans s snq hoss sSs' took sS
Halt" The soldier brought his rife
quickly to the ready. the night light
falling on his gray field uniform.
They were German prisoners Of war!
At the post where they s3 took us first"
very we'll. They gave me @ sort Of mill
tary greatcoat to put over my under
suit. which was all had left. The off,
GERS were decent to us and talked with
me without actually grIllipg me. Just
shrewd questions, that's all. OF course.
was on my guard. Later they sent for
me again and invited me to the officers
casino--the club--and questioned me
some more Tho colonel l-commandant
came In and chatted. too.
"On our way to Karlsruhe Pat O'Brien
was In the same carriage with us; or.
rather. we were put in the same car
riage at Ghent, In which he and about
five other British prisoners were. There
were four guards in the compartment.
which was fourth class, with hard.
wooden seats, a filthy floor and only a
candle for a light
"O'Brien whispered that he Intended
to jump out OF the window. ] was too
sick with what I had just been through
to join him, but he went out flying, and
the train was going about thirty or
thirty five miles on hour. At Karlsruhe
we were put on the train for Holzmin-
den, prisoners Of war camp, In the prov
ince OF Brunswick
They were all officers at Holzminden,