The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

Waking Graham, they both quitely slipped out of the stack, and once more took up the trail. The pro cess!on made its way to the static n at St. Pierre.
 Once again the deserters boarded the train, but this time riding with the other passengers. and. under the care of the conductor, they started on the second leg of the journey. Telling Graham to follow them to Bassens, Hodson left him and. go- Ing tL' the camp, again telephoned us at Bordeaux. When the train arrived at Bassens, we were there, ready to pick up the trail and fol- low 1t through. Graham took much needed rest.
 At this time there was employed as a janitor at the American post office in Bordeaux an American negro who had lived in France for about five years. Greatly to our surprise, this negro was the man who took charge of the deserters when they arrived across the river at Bassens. He piloted them to the in his own house. he secreted them. This was the negro the three sol diers. whom we had caught at St. Sulpice, expected to meet.
 The next step of the Journey was from Bassens tC Henday, a border town near the Spanish line. From Henday they were to be sent across the border. Again there was a de- lay until the right man made the trip to Henday. This time the de- serters were in for hard ride. No more passenger expresses; the man who acted as the guide on the Bas- I.tss ground railroad was only a con- ductCr on freight train.
 Every freight car on the French roads has a small hut built on one end, resembling as much as anything the seat on some of our drays. In these chubby-holes the deserters were placed, one In each. Jolting and bouncing around in these small GOODS, swallowing smoke. with cinders con tinually In their eyes, unable tt sleep for fear of falling off and being crushed under the wheels of the train, each alone with his own thoughts, these men certainly pas sed a most miserable night. It came to an end in time. and as the first rays of the sun appeared over the Pyrenees the train stopped. The conductor, approaching the side of the train, instructed the deserters to follt W him. A short distance down the track, in chump of bushes, they were greeted by an old white haired man. This old man was the fourth member of the organization. It was his duty to hide them until such time as he could supply guide and send them over the Pyrenees into Spain and safety
 Allowing his charges to rest day or two before attempting the ltng Journey on foot that was still ahead of them. the old fellow watched the weather for a suitable night. The third night-dark, and with q mist from the mountains-proved ideal With a guide. they started up the trail into the mountains. Arriv- ing at the same hut we had filled with cocaine smuglers. the deserters were met by a man from the Spanish side Of the boundary and were turned over to him, and soon they were safe in Spain. After guiding them down the Spanish side of the mountains, this man turned them over to Span ish government officials. who in- termed them. paroling them to the limits of the town.
 Hines and Rich. both having made the entire trip and not knowing the workings of the system, were nat urally anxious to return to us in order to give us the details we lacked. Careful inquiry disclosed the fact that various deserters had gone on