Evening star., 1941-08-13
By DONALD STEWART KING,
As Told to w. H. Shipper, Jr.

ready had escaped from the blacKed-
out train.
Headed, we were convinced, for
concentration camp somewhere
in occupied France" the train was
gathering speed after pulling out
of the station at PoitierS. Tom
Greenough of Charlottesville, Va.
and Jim Stewart of Upstate New
York, were hiding in the darkness
back there.
In the brief moments after Green
ough and Stewart disappeared into
the shadows near the station. had
whispered to our leader, Fred Hoe
ing, a former professor at William
and Mary College in Virginia: I'm
going out a window" and he had
Ok'd the idea.
1t remained only for me to act.
Couldn't Judge Speed.
Even after I climbed out the WIN
dow and hung to the side of the
train I couldn't estimate our speed.
1t was about 2:30 or am, and
completely dark. No lights showed
anywhere and couldn't glimpse the
nature of the ground under my
dangling feet.
The echoes from the buildings we
passed told me We were still in the
outskirts of Poitiers.
AS I nerved myself for the jump
it suddenly occurred to me: Great
guns, King I" = you're wearing your
glasses!' In the excitement I had
forgotten to pad them down in
pocket. Only the near sighted can
realize how I felt. I would be
doubly lost if I broke my glasses.
But it was too late then Both
hands were occupied had to
drop.
l swung my body facing front and
/ tried to land runnings
/ 1t felt good to feel, the ground
and not a railway signal or some
other obstruction. But my feet
could keep pace with my momentum
only for an instant. I plunged for
ward it was as if a dazzling,
blood-red light had flashed in nv
l must have been out cold for
more than an hour, because it was
broad daylight when I came to. I
was lying In a clump of bushes
10 or Is yards from the track. I
never knew if I rolled there or
craWled. The horizon spun when 1
/ tried to get to my feet. Things
looked cockeyed; very queer, indeed.
had lost lense from my glasses.
hunted in the bushes. but it
seemed futile.
l was pretty dizzy and sick. Blood
was matted in my hair. and-of all
things!-in my new taffy-colored
beard
had cultivated that beard since
the Zamzam went down, curling and
combing it. A great time killer,
beard; especially if you're "A.
Lost Without Glasses. ss4...s--
Without my glasses I was lost.
At 10 feet I couldn't hope to tell
a storm trooper from Free French
man. E -. e
1 knew I wasn't seriously hurt.
just cuts and bruises and friction
burns. But l had taken a nasty Jar.
and I couldn't see. I knew I would
have to lean on my luck, and re-
solved to ask help Of the first man
1 saw.
I started walking away from the
track and presently came to a house
in a big estate. The door was open
and went inside.
climbed flight of stairs. A man
lay in bed asleep, his feet sticking
from the covers.
I shook his shoulders. When he
blinked up at me I tried to explain,
talking in Spanish. I'm certain
must have puzzled him-I was pref
ty woozy. He answered in French:
What are you saying?"
1t occurred to me he didn't look
right. 1t was too late to run. how
ever I told him I had accidental
ly fallen from train. Could I get
first aid?
Yes, of course" he replied. He
got up and showed me to the bath
room. While I washed up he
!
He also telephoned local German
headquarters. III never know who
he was. When I went downstairs
German staff car was waiting. I
was taken to Nazi barracks and
presented to the officer of the guard.
Allowed to Sleep.
The officer gave me another drink
/ @f hra 1AI
bathed and bandaged my wounds
The Germans were always bandag-
ing me. I think they were out of
practice, there in occupied France,
and wanted to keep flrst-aid outfits
up to scratch. The officer wanted
to question me, but l was asleep on
my feet.
I don't know whether it was the
brandy or shock or both. They let
me sleep.
When I awoke a young Nazi was
waiting to take me to Gestapo
headquarters. They already knew
who I was. They told me my two
comrades had been captured-a fab
rication, I learned later. I told
them tumbled from the train ac-
cidentally while looking for the
washroom just stepped through
the wrong door on one of their
blacked-out wagon Its coaches.
Were you going with De Gaulle?"
I was asked.
I don't know why I answered
possibly" unless it was because 1
knew how thoroughly the Nazis hate
the Free French leader.
The answer spoiled my accident"
story.
I felt so badly my thinking was
II Tomorrow
0f