Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-08-24

T WAS beginning now to think that
i my guards had become less eau
! tious. Probably they thought that
after all this time and in my weak
ened condition l should not make any
attempt to escape. During the COM
paratively slack days in camp. while
waiting for the government to an
swer their letter of terms for my re-
lease, opium smoking, drinking and
gambling had much increased, and
there was altogether too much less
watchfulness than when on the
march. had for obvious reasons
kept possession of my compass and a
general map of the region. l always
kept these two priceless possessions
| in my pocket, and, Notwithstanding
| my weak state, had always made
careful observations and had even
| made a rough sketch map of our
route as we went along.
In these latter days. during our
| shorter marches and while in camp,
| had, so far as l was able, mentally
reconnoitered the Immediate neigh
borhood. l was still planning to flee
| from the inSuffera conditions
| which. if continued much longer
| would soon become altogether insup-
| portable.
My determination to escape was
strengthened by the increasing nerv-
| BUSINESS and bad temper of the lead
ers of the band, especially the chief
Yang Yu-lin. He was a ferocious ty-
| rant. One afternoon he had deliber-
| ately cut off with his own knife the
| lips of an offending messenger to his
camp. This had taken place only a
few yards from my bed, where l lay
| weak from the effects of my long
| illness.
! One night l made trial effort and
| found that a somewhat prolonged abb
sence from my little lean-to Shanty
| formed of tarpaulin and ground
sheet. passed quite unnoticed by my
guards. The next afternoon l got
Chao, my Chinese cook, to make me a
strong stew of chicken, rice, Chinese
onions and potatoes, and that night
had bowl of arrowroot with a drop
or two of brandy in it. Then at mid =
night | prepared my blankets so as
to make them appear as if were
still covered by them. An hour later
L set out on my great adventure.
religiously abstained from taking
any unnecessary weight. i had in my
pockets only my compass, a map, a
notebook, two tins of manufac-
tured essence, and three small bottles
containing Forced March Tabloids. "
some cocaine tablets, and malt d milk
tabloids. l was dressed in my dis
gracefully old and rain-soaked sun
helmet, my old and torn waterproof.
and a pair of very worn boots.
carried in my hand my trusty ash
plant stick, which | had carried with
me all the way from Mesopotamia.
me camp lay scattered down a
wooded cleft, which carried it's onIy
water supply in d tiny stream. On
the opposite side of this stream was
very steep and wooded hill, appar-
entity rising to about 1000 feet above
the camp. Beyond this hill so far as
could see, was an open and grassy
valley, and across its narrow floor rose
wooded limestone ridge. The top of
this ridge, which seemed to provide
cover and a view for miles around
was my objective. l hoped to reach it
before daylight
On leaving my tent I walked as
quietly and as swiftly as could.
Never looking back, safely l passed the
last tent. which was far up the STREAM
although l almost ran into it, for the
fire was out. But the occupants were
either asleep or else drugged with