Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-07
tcontinued From Ye.terd.y,

suit soOHs EVEN the bOcHe BudiuS
admitted that and were as anxious
to see the armistice signed as we
were. 1t was only a question OF a
few more days. and escape meant a
200-mile journey 1s hide and seek,
and a month on tho road at least.
No, we didn't want to escape. pre-
ferring to stick 1t out with the Boche
for few more days to going
month more or less on our own. Just
the same we were not passing up any
chances to get n square meal.
In fact. 1 was so anxious to get
out into the town and get some of
these eats 1 had heard about. that 1
| could not wait until dark. Another
Frenchman feeling the same way
| about 1t we made a break for 1t in
broad daylight 1t was quite simple.
You see, there was gate in one cor
| ner of the enclosure, which led into
an alley formed by the stable and
| fence.
| DoubIy Guarded
This gate was wired shut. and to
| AXE doubly sure nobody got out
| guard was given the special duty OF
watching that gate. Nevertheless
there was always big crowd around
1
drove them away when they got to
| thick, the wire was soon removed
All one had to do then was lean
! against the gate and he could do a
disappearing act in the wink of an
eyelash. Waiting until the Boche
| averted his head for an instant, I
| leaned against the gate and eased
myself quickly and quietly into the
alley. My comrade soon Joined me.
and I imagined the crowd thinned
rapidly indeed after that, suspiciously
so.
| Now that we were out, the hardest
| part was still ahead of US. for the
! village was filled with Boche guards.
and to get to the talked of eats we
| had to walk down a lane and cross
several roads. We got down the lane
NIL right and crossing the roads
lodged into a barn.
Hunt a Meal
There we found a Belgian farmer
who pointed out the houses unoccu-
| pied by Boches and where we would
be given a meal You can bet we lost
no time starting in that direction, but
We were out of luck, for we had not
gone more than ten steps than my
comrade, who was ahead. suddenly
4
| jumped over.
| l didn't know what the big idea
was. but I promptly followed, think
ing probably he had seen a Bochc.
He had, not one. but two, and they
soon found us, compelling us at the
| point OF their rifles to come back in
| the road.
Two minutes later we were back
In camp, and we came in the front
| way too-under escort. Since no
punishment was doled out to US we
| promptly made plans to get out again.
Plan to Escape
However, I decided to wait until
| darkness fell My comrade was more
| impatient though and promptly tried
again. This time he was successful
came back several hours later
with tale of having entered three
houses, receiving a big meal in each
one. You would think he was about
filled up; but no. he went with us
| that night for more.
Getting out that gate that night
was a little more difficult, for the
news had spread lire wildhre. and
some who had gone out, not being
very cautious. the Boche guard was
wise. When we arNved at the gate
the guard was not twenty feet away
| from 1t, and he was directing his sole
| attention that way too.
But as it grew darker we took a
| chance on his weak eyesight, leaned
| against the gate and were gone. We
must have been right in our surmise
for many went into the village that
way and were not chased. Wouldn't
have done much good IL they had
| ph n cd 20
hat. In fact, 1 lost my comrade, the
adjutant, in the darkness asSoon as
| we got out
I hunted for him awhile. then
climbed over a thorn hedge, and
nearly stepped op him. Crossing sew
eral fields and laundering through a
| garden, which started a dog barking.
we banged on the door of a house
whose lighted windows showed it to
be Inhabited. Apparently, it was not,
] except for the dog. because we got
/ no answer; 80 We started back for
the village, and meeting a woman on
| the road, were directed to a house
| where something to eat would surely
| be given us.
Get Real Bread
Knocking at the designated house,
| we were admitted and warmly well
| coined, given a bowl OF coffee with
some real bread. and promised some
| potatoes and salad as soon as they
were ready. There were two other
| French prisoners there already and
two more were expected. Also there
was buxom Belgian lass who
promptly "fell" for me on finding ont
| was an American. Maybe II was
| The uniform for 1t still looked pretty
snappy, or maybe 1t was because /
| was a suffering prisoner-now. you
| needn't laugh, Dad. and call me con-
! ceited, because the girl not only told
me she loved me (there is no French
! word for "like') but proposed ms
well, saying she would like to have
an American for her very own.
After I had eaten the dinner she
prepared I was quite willing to ex-
| change guards. but my bashfulness
| blush and difficulty with the French
| language Observation-Disclosures there
| were the girls l left behind. While
! we waited for the dinner to cook vA
| talked, or rather they did, and I lis
tened. for my speed in this language
was not equal to theirs. Like the
humorist Irwin S. Cobb, II understand
French. but not as it's spoken" 7
| got the drift of lot they were saw
ing though. and when the talk turn-
to escaped prisoners. the girl said
| she was feeding two French prison-
ers regularly, who were hidden in
| the woods nearby.
/