Show A A A VV TIlE THE HUN DUN K LIEUTENANT j PA PAT OBRIEN O'BRIEN B N il t Copy rig hi 1013 b bj br Pal rbt t A Alva Alra OBrien O'Brien Y It n used to amuse me ns I went along the streets of ot this town looking In Inthe tho the shop windows with German Gentian sol sol- i. i tt my side looking at the same sume to think how close I was to tod them d they laud had no way of ot knowing I was quite convinced con that If it I were discovered my fate Cute would have be been beene n e 5 death because I not only had the tha forged lorge l passport on me but I had been to It many days das behind the German lines after alter I had escaped ed that they couldn't safely let me we live with the tIle Information 1 tion I 1 possessed l. l One night I walked boldly across a t park I heard footsteps behind me and turning round saw two German sol sol- ol diets diew I slowed up a trifle to let them get uh ahead of ot me It was rather dark durk and I got a n chance to see what a wonderful won uniform the tho German Geiman military authorities have picked out The soldiers soldiers sol sol- diers had not gone more moru than thun a n few few- W feet teet ahead of ot me rue when they disappeared disappeared In the darkness like one of ot those melting o pictures on the moving mo picture screen Aa As I wandered through the streets I frequently glanced In the Uw cafe lute window window win win- dow as ag I passed pulsed German officers rs A were ero usually dining tb there rc but they didn't conduct themselves with willi anything anything any any- thing like the tiie which characterizes the allied officers In L London and aud Paris I was us rather surprised surprised sur sur- at this because In this part lart of ot Belgium they were much freer than they would hI have ve been In Berlin where where I understand food tood Is comparatively a scarce and the restrictions tare ire very verr strict t. t As I have hae said my own condition In Inthis this thil city was In some mo resI respects worse than It had been when I was making my soy way through tho the open country While I had a place to sleep and nod my clothes were no longer constantly soaking my mr opportunities for tor getting food toad were considerably less than they had been Nearly all the time I was waa half famished and nod I decided that I would get out of ot there at once since I wha was entirely through h with My physical condition was greatly Improved roved While the lack of food showed Itself on me I had hud regained some Omo of ot my strength my wounds were healed and my ankle was stronger and although my ray knees were still considerably enlarged l I felt that 1 was in better shape than Ulan I had been at any 00 time since W my leap from the nr I train and aud I was WIlB ready leady to go through to c B whatever was I In store for me ij CHAPTER XVI 1 I I r Leave for the Frontier To get out of ot the city it would be necessary nry to puss pass two guards This I had learned In the course cours of ot my walks at night having frequently traveled to the city elty limits with the of ot finding o out t Just what conditions I would have to meet when the time tame came for me to leu leave eA e A German sol soldiers soldier's uniform however howver how how- ver ever no longer worried uio me an UK It had hill at first I had mingled with the lions Hunt so 30 much In the city that I begun to feel teel that I 1 was really a Belgian Behlan and I 1 assumed tho the Indifference that they seemed to feel I decided therefore to walk out of ot tho the city cUy In III th the daytime when the sentries sen sea tries would be bo le less leas apt to be on the watch It worked fine I 1 was not held tip lip p a moment the sentries evidently evl- evl dently taking me for tor n a Belgian peasant peasant peas peas- ant on his way to work Tra Traveling cling faster taster than I had ever done before since silice my my- my escape I was soon out In the open country countr and the first t Belgian I I came to I 1 approached tor for food tood He lIe gave o m me hal of lit his lunch and we sat down on the side of ot tho the road roud to eat It Of Ot course he tried to talk to me mc but I 1 used the old ruse ruso of ot pretending I was deaf deu and dumb and he was quite convinced that ll R was tie o. o He made various arlous efforts to talk to mo me In pantomime but I could not nott make ake out what he was getting at and tI t n. tink Ink he must have concluded that I Inot i as not only half starved deaf deat and dumb b but looney in la the tho bargain 0 When night came I looked around for tor A n place to rest I 1 had decided to travel vel in the daytime as well as night because I understood that It was only n tC a few tew miles mUes from the frontier and I 1 Iwas was wo's was naturally anxious to get there at att atthe t 1 the earliest possible moment although I realized that t there I would encounter the most hazardous I part art of my whole adventure ad To get through tile the heavily guarded barbed wire two and nod electrically charged b barrier was a problem that I hated bated to think of ot even cen although the hours I J spent endeavoring to devise some Borne way of at outwitting the tho Huns were many It had bad occurred to me me for Instance that It would d not be such a n difficult matter to vault ault over the Ule electric fence tence which was na only nine feet high In collego collego col col- lego I knew a len ten foot foot vault nult Is 19 consid considered ered n a a high school boys boy's accomplishment accomplish ment went but there were two greut great difficulties dif In to th the tho way ay of ot this solution L In Iu too tin first p place o I It would bo no o easy CasT iy i u matter to get a pole of the the right ll length w weight and strength to servo lIeno t the Purl purpose More particularly howen however how how- e ever eve the vault pole Idea seemed to mo me moto meto moto t et et to be out oat o t of ot the question because of ot t the fact tact that on either side of ot the electric electric elec elec- t fence tence six feet teet from It was a six six- tf f toot foot barbed wire barrier bamer To vault 8 safely over a n nine toot foot electrically C charged fence ence was WIlS one thing but to to C combine with It a R twelve foot broad brond I V vault was a feat tent which even a n college a athlete In the pink of condition would b be apt to flunk Indeed I dont don't believe believe be be- 11 lieve here It Is possible Another plan that seem seemed ell way halfway r reasonable was to build a n pair of ot stilts about twelve or fourteen feet high and J walk over the barriers one by one As Asa a a. youngster I had acquired considerable considerable considerable consider consider- able skill in walking stilt walking and und I have ha DO no doubt that with the proper equipment equipment equip equip- ment It would have ha been quite feasIble feasible feas teas ible to have havo walked out of ot Belgium as easily as possible In that way but whether or not I was going to have ha a chance to construct the necessary stilts remained to be seen There were a good many bicycles in use by the German soldiers In Belgium and It had often otten occurred to me that If It I 1 could have stolen one the tires would have made wade excellent gloves and Insulated coverings for tor my feet In Incase incase case It was necessary for me to attempt attempt at nt- tempt to climb over o tho electric fence tence bO bodily But as I had never been able to steal a bicycle this avenue of ot escape escape escape es es- es- es cape was closed to me I decided to wait walt until I arrived at nt atthe atthe the barrier and then make up my mr mind how to proceed To find a ft decent place to sleep that I crawled VIed under a barbed wire fence thinking It led into some field As I passed under one of ot the barbs caught In my coat cout and ond In trying to pull myself from tram it I shook the fence for tor several yards Instantly there came out of the night the racking nerve command Halt Haiti I Again I feared I was done for tor I crouched close down on the the ground In Inthe Inthe inthe the darkness not knowing whether to take lake to fUr rny legs and nud trust to the Huns Hun's pissing missing mo no In the darkness if ho fired or stay where I was It was foggy as 88 well as dark and although I knew the sentry was only a few tew feet teet away a from me I decided to stand or rather lie He pat I think m my heart made mude almost as us much noise as the rattling of ot the wire In the first pl place cc and It was a atense atense atense tense v few moments to me I heard the German say a 0 few tew words wont to himself but didn't understand thorn them of ot course and und then he ice made mad made madea a sound as If It to call cull a u dog and I realized that his theor theory of ot the noise he hud hind heard was as that a dog hud hind made Its way through the fence tence For perhaps five the I didn't stir Ur and then figuring that the German hind had ad probably continued on his his' beat I crept quietly under the wire again tills this ils time being mighty careful to hug hughe the he ground so close that I wouldn't touch ouch the wire and made off In a different dlf- dlf erent terent direction Evidently the barbed wire Ire fence had hud been thrown around an ammunition depot or something of ot the kind Ind and It was not a field at all that I had tried to get Into I figured th that t other sentries were probably In the neighborhood and I proceeded very gingerly After Atter I 1 had got about a mile away from rora this spot I came to an humble Belgian house bouse and I knocked at the tha thedoor thedoor door and applied for tor food In my usual way vay pointing to my mouth to ate cate I was hungry and to my ears cars sad and mouth to Imply that I 1 was deaf deat and dumb The Belgian woman who lived In u the house bouse brought me a piece of ot bread tread and two cold potatoes and as I sat at there eating th them m she eyed me meery very ery keenly I haven't hn the slightest doubt that she he realized I was a fugitive She lived 0 O near the border that It was more for tor that reason I appreciated more mOla fully ully the extent of ot the risk she ran for far forno farno tOrno no doubt the tho Germans were constantly watching the conduct of ot these Bellans Bel Bel- glans lans who lived hear benr the line My Iy theory that she realized that I Iwas Iwas Iwas was not a Belgian at all but shy by some English fugitive was con con- confirmed confirmed firmed a moment later latel when as I Imade Imade Imade made ready to go so she touched me on the arm aria and Indicated d that I was to wait walt a ft moment She went went went-to to a n bureau and brought out two pieces of ot fancy tancy Belgian lace Ince which she insisted upon I my taking away although at that particular particular particular par par- moment I had as much use for Belgian lace an ua an nn elephant for a 11 i safety razor but I was touched d with i her thoughtfulness and pressed her hud hand to show my gratitude She would I not accept the the- money I offered her I carried the lace through my subsequent subsequent sub t sequent experiences feeling that it t would be a n fine souvenir for my r mother although as a matter of ot fact tact If I 1 had known that it was going to delay delilY delay de de- de- de lay lilY m my final e escape cape for tor even even a 11 single f moment as os it did I am q quite sure 9 the she would rather I 1 bad not seen it On one piece of lace was the FlemIsh Flemish Flem Flem- ish word Charite and on the other the tho word At the time I 1 took tb these so words to mean Charity and Experience and Wall all I hoped was WIlS that I 1 would get as much of ot the on onas one oneas as nl I was getting of ot the other before I finally got through I learned ed subsequently that what the words really stood Mood for tor were Charity and Hope and then I was sure that my Belgian Bel Bel- gian glnn friend had Indeed realized my y plight and that her thoughtful souvenir souvenir sou sou- venir was intended to tu encourage me In Inthe Inthe inthe a the trials she must have known were 0 before me 1 didn't let the old Belgian lady Indy y know because I did dill not want to alarm n her unnecessarily but but that night I 1 Ish slept sh t In her backyard leaving early carly y In the morning before It became light t Later In tho the day I l' l applied at nt another another an an- i- i other house for or food tood It was wu occupied d by a 11 father tather a and d mother and t ten n children children chil chil- I- I dren I I hesitated c tu to ask 4 them fur for f Toed food d 5 without offering without orr offering to pay for It ft It ft ns as I ro- ro what a n task It must hu have been for them to support themselves them without without with with- out having to feed teed n a hun hungry r man Accordingly Ac Ac- Accordingly cordingly I I gave the man mun n a mark murk and then Indicated that I want wanted d something something some some- thing to eat nt They were wE're just about to eat themselves apparently and till they let lct me partake of their meal which consisted of ot a n huge hugo bowl of ot some kind of soup which I was unable to Identify identify Iden and which they served In ordinary wash w basins I dont don't know that they ef ever evert used the basins to wash In as ns aswell aswell well 11 hut but whether they did or not nol dl did 1 not wort worry me very much The he soup was vas good and I enjoyed It All the time lime I was WI there I could see seethe I I the he hl tether father r and the i icu H son a n boy hoy 3 Again I Feared I Was Waa Done For about seventeen e were extremely nerv nerv- ous Otis I had indicated to them that I Iwas Iwas was deaf dent and dumb but if they believed be be- keyed me It didn't seem to make them any m more re comfortable I lingered at the house for tor about an hour after the meal and during that time a young man roan came to call on the eldest dau daughter a young woman of ot perhaps eighteen The caller eyed me very suspiciously although I must have resembled anything but a n British officer They spoke Flemish and I did not understand a word they said but butI I think they were discussing my my- probable probable probable able identity During their conversation conversation conversa conversa- tion Uon I had a n chance to look around the room loom There were three altogether altogether alto alto- altogether gether two fairly large and one somewhat smaller about fourteen feet long and six deep In this smaller room there were Were- two double decked beds which were were- apparently Intended to house the whole family although how the whole twelve of ot them could sleep In that one room will ever remain remain re reo re- re main a n mystery to me From the kitchen you could walk i directly Into the cow barn where two cows were kept and und this as I have pointed out before Is the usual construction construction construction con con- of ot the poorer Belgian houses hOUles I could not make out why the caller seemed to be so antagonistic to me and yet et I am sure he was arguing with the family against me Perhaps the fact that I 1 wasn't wearing wooden shoes I shoes I doubt whether I could have obtained a pair bl big enough for tor me mehail me me- hail had convinced him that I was waa not really a Belgian because there was waa nothing about me otherwise which could have huc given gien him that Idea At that time and I BUI suppose pose It is la latrue true today about 9 04 11 I I per er cent of the people In III Belgium were wearing wooden shoes Among the peasants 1 I dont don't believe I ever er saw any other kind of ot footwear and they are more common there than they are in Holland Hol Hol- land The Dutch wear them more on account of ot a luck lack of ot leather I was waa told that during the coming year I practically practically nil all the peasants and poorer I people In Germany too will adopt wooden shoes |