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About Dakota County herald. (Dakota City, Neb.) 1891-1965 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1918)
DAKOTA COUNTY HERALD, DAKOTA CITY. NEBRASKA. m m t Outwitting the Hun 11 -m By LIEUTENANT PATJ O'BRIEN (Copyright, IBIS, by Put Airs O'Brien) AFTER WEEKS OF HARDSHIP O'BRIEN MEETS A FRIEND WHO OFFERS TO HELP HIM ON HIS WAY. 8ynopsl8 Pat O'Brien, a resident of Momenco, HI., after seeing service In tho American Flying corps on the Mexican border In 1010, Joins Uio British Itoynl Flying corps In Canada, and after n brief train ing period 18 sent to Franco. IIo is nsslgncd to n squadron In actlvo eervlco on the front. He engages In several hot fights with German flyers, from which ho emerges victorious. Finally, In n light with four German flyers, O'Brien is shot down, lie falls 8,000 feel and, escaping death by a miracle, awakes to And himself n prisoner In a German hospital, with n bullet hole In his month. After a few days In tho hospital ho is sent to a prison camp at Courtrai. After a short stay there ho Is placed upon a train bound for a prison camp in Germany. Ho decides to tako n desperate chance for liberty. Ho leaps through tho open window of tho car while tho train is traveling 85 miles an hour. His wounds reopened by tho fall, O'Brien almost literally crawls through Germany and Luxembourg, traveling at night and sleeping by day, living on garbage and raw vegetables stolen from gardens, no Is driven almost to desperation by hunger and, reaching Belgium, ho risks detection by going In tho mlddlo of tho night to tho homo of a Belgian family, where he obtains tho first cooked food ho had tasted In 18 days. CHAPTER Xr-Continued. Tho knack of making flro with two pieces of dry wood I had often read about, but I had never put it to a test and for various reasons I concluded that it would be unsafe for mo to build a flro oven If I had matches. In tho first place, there was no absolute need for it. I didn't hnvo anything to cook nor utensils to cook It in even if I had. While tho nir was getting to bo rather cool at night, I was usu ally on tho go at that tlmo and didn't notice it. In tho daytime, when I was resting or sleeping, tho sun wns usually out To Iirvo borrowed matches from a uclglan peasant would havo been feas ible, but when I was willing to tako tho chance of approaching anyone, it was just ae cusy to ask for food ns matches. It tho second place, it would havo been extremely dangerous to havo built a fire even If I had needed It. You can't build a flro in Belgium, which is the most thickly populated country In Europe, without overyono knowing it, and I waB far from anx ious to advertising my whereabouts. Tho villages In that part of Bel glum through which I was making my courso wcro so close together that there was hardly ever an hour passed without my hearing 'somo clock strike. Every village has its clock. Many times I could hear tho clocks striking in two villages nt the same tlmo. But tho hour had very little Interest to me. My program was to travel as fast as X could from sunset to sunrise and pay no attention to tho hours in between, and in tho dayttmo I had only two thlpgs to worry about: keep concealed and get as much sleep as possible. Tho cabbago that I got In Belgium consisted of tho small hoada that the peasants had not cut. All the strength had concentrated In theso littlo heads nnd they would be as bitter as gall. I would havo to bo pretty hungry to day bjforo I could over eat cabbago again and tho sumo observation ap plies to carrotB, turnips and sugar toeots especially sugar beets. It is rather a remarkable thing thnt today oven n smell of turnips, raw or cooked, makes mo sick, 'nnd yet a few short months ago my life depended upon them. Night after night ns I Bcarchcd for food, I was always in hopes that I might come upon somo tomatoes or celery vegetables which I really liked, but with the exception of once, when I found somo celory, I was novcr so fortunate. I nto so much of tho celery tho night I came upon It that J was sick fpr two days thereafter, but I curried several bunchps nway with me and used tq chew on it as I walked nlong. Of course, I kept my oyes open ell tho tlmo for fruit trees, but apparently It was too late In tho year for fruit, ns all that I over was able to find wero two pears, which I got out of a tree. That was ono of my red-letter days, lut I was never able to repeat It. In the brooks and ponds thnt I passed I often noticed fish of different kinds. That was either In tho early morning Just before I turned in for the day, or on moonlight nights when tho water seemed as clear In spots as In the duytme. It occurred to mo that it would be a slmplo matter to rig a hook and )lno and catch somu fish, 'but I had no means of cooking them end it was useless to fish for tho sako of it One night in Belgium my courso look mo through u desolate stretch of country which seemed to be absolutely uncultivated. I must havo covered twelve miles during tho night, without pasting a single farm or cultivated field. My stock of turnips which I lad picked tho night before was gono and 1 plaaaed, nt course, to get enough to carry me through tie following day. The North Star wa shining brightly hat night and there waa absolutely Bothlng to prevent my steering an ub seletely direct course for Holland and liberty, but ray path seemed to lie through arid pastures. cast or to tho west I could hear faintly tho striking of vlllago bells, and I know that if I changed my courso I would undoubtedly strike farms and vegetables, but tho North Star seemed to plead with mo to fol low it and I would not turn aside. When daylight came, tho conse quence wns I was empty handed nnd I had to find a hiding placo for tho day. I thought I would approach tho first peasant I camo to and nsk for food, but that day I had misgivings a hunch that I would get Into troublo if I did, and I decided to go without food altogether for that day. It wns a foolish thing to do, I found, because I not only suffered greatly from hunger all that day, but it inter fered with my sleep. I would drop oft to sleep for half an hour, perhaps, and during thnt tlmo I would dream that I was free, back home, living a Ufo of compnratlvo ease, and then I would wnko up with a start and catch a gUmpso of tho bushes surrounding me, feel tho hard ground beneath me and tho hunger pangs gnawing at my sides, and then I would realize how far from homo I really was, and I would llo there nnd wonder whether I would ever really sco my homo again. Then I would fall asleep again and drenm this time, perhaps of tho days I spent in Gourtrnl, or my leap from tho train window, of tho Bava rian pilot .whom I sout to eternity in my last air fight, of my tracer bullets getting closer nnd closer to his head", nnd then I would wnko up again with a start nnd thank tho Lord that I was only dreaming it all again instead of living through ltl That night I got nn early start be causo I know I had to havo food, and I decided that rather than look for vegetables I would tako a chanco and apply to tho first Belgian peasant whom I camo to. It waB about 8 o'clock when I camo to n small house. I had picked up a heavy stone and hnd bound it in my handkerchief and I .wns resolved to use it as a weapon if It became necessary. After all I had gono through, I was resolved to win my liberty eventually nt whatever cost. As it happened, I found thnt night tho first rcul friend I had encountered In nil my traveling. When I knocked timidly on tho door, it was opened by potatoes and several slices of stnlc bread, and ho warmed mo somo milk on n small oil stove. I nto ravenously nnd all tho time I was engaged I know that ho was eye ing mo closely. Before I was half through ho camo over to roc, touching mo on tho shoul der, and stooping over so that his lips almost touched my ear, ho said in broken English. "You nro nn Eng lishman I know it and you can hear and talk If you wish am I not right?" There was a smllo on his fuce and a friendly attitude about him that told mo instinctively thnt ho could bo trusted, and I replied: "You havo guessed right only I nm an Ameri can, not an Englishman." Ho looked nt mo pityingly and filled my cup again with warm milk. His kindness nnd apparent willing ness to help me almost overcame me, and I felt Uko warning him of the consequences ho would suffer if tho Huns discovered he had befriended mo. I hnd heard that twenty Belgians had been hot for helping Belgians to escape Into Holland, and I hated to think what might happen to this good old Samaritan If tho Huns over know that ho hnd helped an escaped American prisoner. . After my meal was finished, I told him in as simple language ns I could command of somo of tho experiences I had gone through and I outlined my future plans. "You will never bo able to get to Holland," ho declared, "without n pnssport The nearer you get to tho frontier the moro German soldiers you will encounter, and without a passport you will be a marked mnn." I asked him to suggest a way by which I could overcome tho difficulty. Ho thought for Several moments nnd studied mo closely nil the time perhaps endeavoring to make abso lutely sure that I was not a German spy nnd then apparently deciding In my favor, told me what he thought It was best for mo to do. "If you will call on this man" (mentioning the name of a Belgian In . a city through which I hnd to pass), ho advised, "you will be able to mako arrangements with him to se cure a pnssport, and lie will do every thing he can to get you out of Bel- glum." Ho told, mo where the man In ques tion could be found nnd gave me some useful directions to continue my Jour ney, and then ho led me to the door. I thanked him a thousand times nnd wanted to pay him for his kindness and help but ho would accept nothing. Ho did give mo his name nnd you may bo suro I shall never forget It, but to mention It hero might, of courso, re sult in Gcrious consequences for him. When tho wnr is over, however, or tho Germans nro thrown out of Belgium, I shall make It my duty to find that kind Belgian if I have to go through again all that I have Buffered already to do It. way, I could cover two or three mllCB in tho daytime and gain Just so much time. Traveling through tho wood would bo comparatively safe. Thero was a railroad going through the wood, but I did not flguro that that would mako it any the less safe. About threo o'clock that afternoon, therefore, I emerged from my hiding place und hurried Into the wood. After proceeding for half a mile or so I camo to tho railroad. I took a sharp look in both directions and see ing no signs of trains or soldiers, I walked boldly ovor the tracks and continued on my way. I soon came upon a clearing and knew thnt someone must bo living In tho vicinity. As I turned a group of trees I saw a small houso and in the distance an old mnn working In a garden. I decided to enter tho house and ask for food, figuring tho woman would probably be old nnd would bo no match for mo even If she proved hostile. Tho old woman who camo to tho door In response to my knock wns older than I expected. If she wasn't close to a hundred, I miss my guess very much. Slip could not speak English nnd I could not speak Flemish, of course, but nevertheless I mado her under stand that I wanted something to cat. She camo out of the door and hol loed for her husband in a shrill voice that would have done credit to a girl of eighteen. The old man came In from the garden and between the two of thom they managed to got the Idea that I was hungry nnd they gave mo a pleco of bread a very small piece which was quite a treajt Tho house they lived In consists of Just two rooms tho kitchen and a bedroom. The kitchen wns pyrhapsi fourteen feet square, eight feet of one side being tnken up by an enor mous fireplace. What was in the bed room I had no way of telling, as I did not dare to be too inquisitive. I mnde tho old couple understand that I would like to stay in their boiise all night, but the old man shook his head. I bade them good-by and dis appeared Into the woods, leaving them to speculate as to the strange for eigner they hnd entertained. From tho great density of tho popu lation in this section through which I wns now pnsslng I rcnllzod that I must bo In the' outskirts of the big city which tho Belgian had mentioned nnd whero I was to procure a pass port. Village after village intercepted mo, and although I tried to skirt them wherever possible I realized that I would never mako much progress if I continued that course. To gain a mile I would sometimes have to make a detour of two or three. I decided glvo away my nationality, I figured I would be tolerably safe. As I marched along I felt so happy I couldn't help humming nn air of ono of tho new patriotic songs thnt wo used to sing at the airdrome back In Yprcs. In this happy framo of mind I cov ered tho next thrco miles In about an hour and then camo to another littlo village. My usual course would havo been to go around itthrough fields, back yards, woods or whatever else lay in my way but I had gained so much tlmo by going through tho last vlllngo Instead of detourlng around It and my appcaranco seemed to be so unsuspicious thnt I decided to try the same stunt again. I stopped humming and kept very much on tho alert, but apart from that, I walked boldly through tho main street without any feeling of alarm. I had proceeded perhaps a mile along the main street when I noticed ahead of me threo German soldiers standing at tho curb. Again my heart started to beat fast, I must confess, but I was not nearly so scared as I had been an hour or so before. I walked ahead, determined to fol low my previous procedure In overy particular. I had got to about fifteen feet nway from tho soldiers when one of them .stepped onto tho sidewalk and shouted : "Haiti" My heart stopped heating fast for a moment, I believe, it stopped beating altogether I I can't attempt to de- WK906flBSmsk j- kJBFM? vtujyjpT Jcj3Bfl3IMBlgWEHnMMIB"BKB : IAN I "Bail rz?32&, wiii f "You Can Hear and Talk If You Wish Am I Not Rlnht?" n Belgian peasant, about fifty years of age. Ho asked mo In Flemish what I wanted, but I shook my head and pointing to my ears and mouth inti mated that I was deaf and dumb, and then I opened and closed my mouth Beveral times to Bhow him that I wanted food. Ho showed me inside and sat me at the table. Ho apparently lived alone, for his Ill-furnished room had but one CHAPTER XI. I Encounter German Soldiers. Whnt tho Bolglnn told mo about tho need of a passport gavo me fresh cause for worry. Supposo I should run Into a German sentry beforo I succeeded in getting one? I decided that until I reached tho big city which tho Belgian had men tioned nnd which I cannot name for fear of identifying somo of tho people thero who befriended me I would proceed with tho utmost precaution. Since I had discarded my uniform nnd had obtained civilian clothes, I had not been quite as careful as I was at first. While I had done my trav eling at night I had not gone Into hiding' so early In the morning ns beforo and I had sometimes started again beforo It was quite dark, rely ing upon tho fact that I would prob ably be mistaken for a Belgian on lus way to or from work, as tho case might bo. From now on, I resolved, however, I would tako no more chnnccs. That evening I came to a river per haps soventy-flvo yards wide and I wns getting ready to swim It when I thought I would walk a little way to find, if poBslblo, a better' place to get to tho river from tho bank, I had not walked moro than a few hundred ynrds when I snw a boat. It was the lirst tlmo I hnd seen a boat In till my experiences. It wns firmly chained, but as tho stnlrts wcro sunk In tho soft bnnk it wns uot much of n Job to pull them out. i got In, drank to my heart's content, shoved over to tho other side, got out; drove a stake Into tho ground nnd raeureJ the boat It would havo been a simplo matter 'to havd drifted down th river, but the river was not shown oo tho map and I had no Idea whero It might lead me. Very reluc tantly, therefore, I had to abandon the boat and proceed on foot I mado several miles that night and before dayllfht found a safe placo In which to hide for the day. From my hiding place I could see through the bushes a heavy thick wood only A short distance away. I decided that Last Photograph Taken of Lieutenant O'Brien Beforo His Capture. With Him la His Chum, Lieutenant Raney. that I would try my luck in going straight through the next village I enme to. As I approached it, I passed num bers of peasants who were ambling nlong the road. I was afraid to mlnglo with them because It was Impossible for one to talk to them and It was dangerous to arouse suspicion oven among tho Belgians. For all I know, one of them might be treacherous enough to deliver me to the Germans In return for tho roward he might bo suro of receiving. About 0 o'clock that evening I came to a point whero ahend of me on tho right was a Belgian police station I knew it from Its red lights and ontho other side of the street were two German soldiers in uniform leaning against a bicycle. Hero was a problem which called for instant decision; if I turned back tho suspicion of the soldiers would be instantly aroused and if I crossed the road bo as not to pass so closely to them they might bo equally sus picious. I decided to march bravely by the Huns, bluff my way through and trust to Providence. If anybody lmnglnes, however, that I wns at all comfortable as I approached these soldiers, he must think I am a much braver man than I claim to be. My heart beat so loud I was afraid they would henr It. Every step I took brought me so, much nearer to what might prove to bo tho end of all my hopes'. It was a nerve-racking ordeal. I was now within a few feet of them. Another step nnd They didn't turn a hair I I passed right by them heard what they wcro snylng, although, of course, I didn't understand It, nnd went right on. I can't say I didn't walk a little faster as I left them behind, but I tried to maintain an even gait so as not to glvo them any idea of the Inward ex ultation I was experiencing. No words can explain, however, how relieved I really felt to know that I had suc cessfully riasscd through the first of a series of similar tests which I real ized wcro In storo for me although I did not know then how soon I was to bo confronted with the second. As It was, however, tho incident gave me a world of confidence. It demonstrated to me tnat thero was nothing In, my appearance at any rate to attract the attention of the German soldiers. Apparently I looked like a Belgian peasant, and If could only chair, and tho plato-and knife and fork ho nnt hnfnrn mn aoAmnA ha all I t mll oforf an1r thnn nsnnl. hurry I w.k thlnira mn. th T miM mmii ho had. He brought me some cold Vver to the wood and perhaps, la that I hv to answer questions and the scribe my feelings. I thought that tho Jig was np that all I had gono through and all I had escaped would now avail mo nothing, mingled with tho feeling of disgust with my self because of the foolish risk I had taken in going through tho vil lage, combined to take all the starch out of mo, and I could feel myself wilting as the soldier advanced to the spot whero X stood rooted In my tracks. I had a bottle of water in ono pocket and a piece of bread in tho other, and as the Hun advanced to search me I held the bottle up in one hand and tho piece of bread In tho other so that he could see that was all I had. It occurred to mo that he would "frisk" me that is, feel mo over for arms or other weapons, then place me under arrest and march me off to thO guardhouse. I had not the slight est Idea but that I was captured nnd there didn't seem to bo much use in resisting, unarmed as I was and with two other German soldiers within a few feet of us. Like a flash it suddenly dawned on me, however, thnt for all this soldier could havo known I wns only a Bel gian peasant and thnt his object in searching me, which ho proceeded to do, wns to nsccrtaln whether I bad committed tho common "crime" of smuggling potatoes. Tho Belgians were allowed only n certain amount of potatoes, and it is against tho laws laid down by the Huns to deal In vegetables of any kind except under tho rigid supervi sion of tho nuthorltles. Nevertheless, it wns ono of tho principal vocations of tho nvcrago poor Bolglan to buy potatoes out In tho country from peasants and then smugglo them Into tho lnrgo cities and sell them clan destinely at a high price. To stop this traffic in potatoes, the German soldiers wcro In tho habit of subjecting the Belgians to frequent search, and I was being held up by this soldier for no other reason than that ho thought I might be a potuto smuggler 1 Ho felt of my outsldo clothes and pockets, and finding no potatoes Bccmcd to bo qui to satisfied. Had ho but known who I waa be could havo earned an iron cross I Or, perhaps, In viow of the fact that I had a heavy water bottle In my cpllfted hand, It might havo turned out to bo a wooden cross! Ho said something in German, which, of course, I did not understand, and then some Belgian peasants came along and seemed to distract his atten tion. PAriupa h ad aald: "It'a all right; yon may go on," or ho may, havo been talking to tho others in Flemish, but at any rate, observing that ho was moro interested In the others than ho was In me nt the mo ment I put the bottlo In my pocket and walked on. After I walked a few steps, I took S3 furtive glanco bnckward and noticed tho soldier who had searched mo re join his comrades at the curb and then stop another fellow who had como along, and then I disappeared in tho darkness. I cannot say that tho outcomo ol this adventure left mo In tho samo confident framo of mind that followed tho earlier one. I was sure I had come out of it all right, but I could not help thinking what n terribly closo shavo I had. Suppose the soldier had questioned mol The ruse I had been following In my dealings with tho Belgian peas ants pretending I was deaf nnd dumb might possibly have worked here, too, but a soldlei? a German soldier might not so easily have been fooled. It was more than an even chance thnt It would hnvo nt least aroused his suspicion and resulted in further investigation. A search of my clothing would have revealed a dozen tilings which would have estab lished my Identity and all my sham ming of deafness would have availed me nothing. ' As I wandered nlong I knew that I was now approaching tho big city; which my Belgian friend had spoken of nnd which I would havo to enters If I was to get the pnssport, and I realized now how essential It was to havo something to enable me to got through the frequent examinations to which I expected to bo subjected. While I was still debating in my, mind whether it wns going to be pos sible for me to enter the city tha night, I saw in the distance what p- peared to bo an arc light, and as I ncarcd it that was what it turned out to be. Beneath tho light I could make out the forms of three guards, and tho thought of having to go through the same kind of ordeal that I had Just experienced filled mc with, misgivings, Was it possible that I could be fortunuto enough to get by; again? As I slowed up a little, trying to make up my mind what was best to do, I was overtaken by a group of Bel gian women who were shuffling along tho road, and i decided to tuinglo with them nnd see if I couldn't convey the Impression that I was one of their party. As wVnppronched the arc light, the figures of those three soldiers with their spiked helmets loomed beforo like a regiment I felt aslf I wcro walking right Into the Jaws of death. Rather thnn go through what was In store for me, I felt that I would In finitely prefer t!o bo fighting again in the air with those four desperate Huns who had be'en the cause of my present plight then, at least, 1 would have a chance to fight back; but now I had to risk my life and tako whnt was coming to me without a chance to striKe a blow in my own defense. I shall never forget my feelings as we came within the shaft of light pro jected by that great arc light nor tho faces of those three guards as wo passed by them. I didn't look directly at them, but out of the corner of my eye I never missed a detail. I held a handkerchief up to my face as wo passed them and endeavored to Imi tate the slouching gait of the Belgians as well as I could, and apparently it worked. We walked right by thoso guards and they paid absolutely na attention to us. If ever a fellow felt like going down on bis knees and praying I did at that moment but it wouldn't have done to show my elation or gratitude in that conspicuous way. It was then well after 11 o'clock and I knew It would be unsafe for mo to attempt to find a lodging place in tbj) city, nnd tho only thing for me to do was to locate the man whose namo tho. Belgian had given me. He had given me a good description of the street and ha'd directed me how to get there, and I followed his instructions closely. After walking tho streets for about half an hour, I came upon one of the landmarks my friend had described to mo and ton minutes afterwards I was knocking nt tho door of the man who was to make it possible for me to reach- Holland and liberty 1 At least, that was what I hoped. O'Drlen Is promised help In getting across the frontier to Holland, but Just as he ts re joicing over the prospect af early freedom, he Is rudely awakened from his dream. Read about It In the next Installment, (TO BE CONTINUED.) Wood-Qrapple Saves Work. The handling of logs by means of S crane equipped with a good grappled is not only more spectacular than the old method, but It effects an Immensa saving In labor and has mado it pos slblo to pile logs to a great height) Similar outfits are used in handling, tics, posts, pulp wood, etc. The grap ple Is made Uko a clamshell bucket except that tho scoops are replaced by; curved steel tines, In the grasp of'1 which a large number of logs can be held at oncev Popular Mechanics Magazine. 1 The Soman catacombs are 080 xnilea' in extent and it Is estimated that! something like 10,000,000 dead there Interred, Ou ted that sad artt fii V 1 ll 1 f