Oxford Democrat., 1919-03-25
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CHAPTER XVII.
Getting Through the Lines.

ChAfIEh AvIIs
Getting Through tho Lines.
Waiting until it was quite dark.
made my way carefully through a
! field and eventually came to the much
dreaded barrier.
It was all that had heard about 1t.
Every foot of the border line between
Belgium and Holland Is protected In
| precisely the same manner. 1t Is there
| to serve three purposes: first, to pre-
vent the Belgians from escaping into
Holland; second to keep enemies, like
myself, from making their way to free
| dom; and third. to prevent desertions
on the part Of Germans themselves.
| One look was enough to convince any
one that it probably accomplished all
three objects about as well as any con-
| trivance could, and one look was all
got of 1t that night, for while lay
on my stomach gazing at the forbid
ding structure I heard the measured
| stride of q German sentry advancing
towards me and 1 crawled away as
fast as l possibly could, determined
to spend the night somewhere in the
fields and make another and more
careful survey the following night.
The view I had obtained, however,
was sufficient to convince me that the
pole-vault idea was out Of the Ques-
ton even If had pole and was q
proficient pole-vaulter. The three
fences covered span Of at least twelve
feet and to clear the last barbed wire
fence 1t would be necessary to vault
not only ut least ten feet high, but at
least fourteen feet wide, with the GER
tain knowledge that to touch the elec-
trically charged fence meant instant
death. There would be no second
chance If you came cropper the first
time.
The silt idea was also impractical
BILE because of the lack Of suitable
timber and tools with which to con-
struct the stills.
It seemed to me that the best thing
to do was travel up and down the line
bit in the hope that some spot might
be discovered where conditions were
more favorable, although l don't know
just what I expected along those
lines.
It was mighty disheartening to real
ize that only few feet away lay GER
tain liberty and that the only things
preventing me from reaching 1t were
three confOunded fences. thought OF
my machine and wished that some
kind fairy would set 1t in front Of me
for just one minute.
I spent the night in clump OF
bushes and kept in hiding most OF the
next day, only going abroad for an
hour or two in the middle Of the day
to intercept some Belgian peasant
and beg for food. The Belgians In this
section were naturally very much
| afraid of the Germans and I Jared
badly. In nearly every house German
| soldiers were quartered and 1t was
| out of the question for me to apply
| for food in that direction. The prox-
unity Of the border made everyone
eye each other with more or less sus-
| picion and soon came to the conclu-
sion that the safest thing could do
was to live on raw vegetables which l
could steal from the fields at night as
had previously done.
That night I made another survey
of the barrier in that vicinity, but 1t
looked just as hopeless as 1t had the
night before and I concluded that !
only wasted my time there.
spent the night wandering north.
guided by the North Star which had
served me so faithfully in all my trav'
cling. Every mile or two I would make
my way carefully to the barrier to see
IL conditions were any better, but 1t
seemed to be the same all along. felt
like a wild animal In a cage, with
about as much chance Of getting out.
The section Of the country In which
was now wandering was very heavily
wooded and there was really no very
great difficulty in keeping myself con-
cealed, which I did all day long, striv'
ing all the time to think of some way
In which I could circumvent that
cursed barrier.
The idea of huge stepladder oc-
Cured to me. but I searched hour after
hour in vain for lumber or fallen trees
out of which / could construct one. II
| could only obtain something which
would enable me to reach a point
about nine feet in the air 1t would be
comparatively simple matter to
lump from that point over the electric
fence.
Then thought that perhaps could
construct q simple ladder and lean II
\ against one of the posts upon which
the electric wires were strung. climb to
the top and then leap over, getting
over the barbed wire fences In the
same way.
| This seemed to be the most likely
plan and all night long sat construct
ing ladder for this purpose.
was fortunate enough to find 9
number Of fallen pine trees from ter
to twenty feet long. I selected two Of
them which seemed sufficiently strong
and broke off all the branches. which
I used as rungs, tying them to the
poles with grass and strips from my
handkerchief and shirt as best
could.
It was not very workmanlikt
!. looking ladder when finally go,
through with it. I leaned 1t against
a tree to test 1t and 1t wobbled consid
erably. It was more like a. rope lad
der than wooden one, but ! strength
ened It here and there and decided
that It would probably serve the pur
J pose. ,1aq. :,
IL I kept the ladder in the woods al
! day and could hardly wait until dari
| to make the supreme test. Lit pr0yet
successful my troubles were over
within a few hours I would be In {
! neutral country out Of all danger. 1
, | failed-I dismissed the idea sum
narily. There was no use worrying
about failure; the thing to do was Il
succeed. -me
The few hours that were to pas
before night came on seemed endless
but I utilized them to re<enforce M
! | ladder, tying the rungs more securel'
81 with long grass which I picked In th