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LIEUTENANT ;•
j PAT O’BRIEN
E—~~———h
Copyright. ISIS, by Pat Alva O Hrlen
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I—Introductory. Pat O'Brien
tells of hia purpose iri writing the story
of his adventures
CHAPTER II Tells of his enlistment In
the Royal Flying corps, his training In
Canada and Ills translei to France for a
tive duty.
CHAPTER 1II —Describes fights in which
he brought down two German airplanes
and his final fight In which he was
brought down wounded within tho Ger
man lines and was made a prisoner of
war.
CHAPTER IV—Discovers that German
hospital stafT barbarously neglected tho
fatally wounded and devoted their ener
gies to restoring those who might bo
returned to the tiring lines. Witnesses
death In fight of his best chunk. Llsut.
Paul Rainey.
CHAPTER V-He Is taken to the of
ficers’ prison camp at CourtriU. There ho
began planning his escape. By great hu< -
rifle he manages to save and hide away
two dally rations of bread.
CHAP1FR VI- lie confiscates a map of
Germany and Just half an hour later Is
put on a tialn bound for a prison camp
in Germany. He leaps through a window
while the train Is traveling at a rate of 30
miles an hour.
CHAPTER VII For nine days he
crawls through Germany, hiding during
the day. traveling u* night, guided by tho
stars and subsisting on raw vegetables.
He covers 73 mllen before reaching Lux
emburg.
CHAPTER VHI —For nine days more he
struggles on In a weakened condition
through Luxemburg In the direction of
Belgium.
CHAPTER IX—He endures terrible
hardships, swims rivers while delirious
from hunger, living Uke a hunted animal
end on the eighteenth day after Jumping
front the train 1^' crosses Into Belgium.
CHAPTER A—When well on Ms way
through Belgium he Is befriend'd one
night by a Flemish peasant, who feeds
him and directs him to a man in a Bel
gian -ity who will help him to get a pass
port.
CHAPTER XI.
I Encounter German SoMlena
What the Belgian told me' about
the need of a passport gave me fresh
cause for worry. Suppose I should
run Into a German sentry beforo I
succeeded In getting one?
I decided that until I reached the
big city which the Belgian had men
tioned—and which I cannot name for
fear of Identifying some of the people
here who befriended me—I would
proceed with the utmost precaution.
Since I had discarded my uniform
and 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 as
before and I had sometimes started
again before It was quite dark, rely
ing upon the fuct that I would prob
ably be mistaken for a Belgian on his
way to or from work, as the case
might be. From now on. I resolved,
however, I would take no more
chances.
That evening I came to a river per
haps seventy-five yards wide and I
was getting ready to swim It when I
thought I would walk a little way to
find. If possible, a better place to get
to the river from the bank. I hud not
walktsl more than a few hundred
yards when I saw a boat. It was the
first time I had seen a boat In all my
experience*.
It was firmly chained, but ns the
stakes were sunk In the soft bunk It
was not much of a Job to pull them
out, I got In, drank to my heart's
pQpp?nt, shoved over to the other side,
Hi but. drove a stake Into tin* ground
and moored the boat. It would have
been n simple matter to have drifted
down the river, hut tin* river was not
shown on the map and I had no Idea
where it might lead me. Very reluc
tantly, therefore, I had to abandon
the boat and proceed on foot.
I made several miles that night and
before daylight found a safe place in
which to hide for the day. From my
hiding place l could see through the
bushes a heavy thick wood only a
short distance away. I decided that
I would start earlier than usual, hurry
i—mm—t H
Last Photograph Taken of Lieutenant
O’Brien Before Hia Capture. With
Him la Hla Chum, Ueuttnant Raney.
over to the wood and perhaps. In that
way. I cauld cover two or three miles
In the daytime and gain Just so much
time. Traveling through the wood
would be comparatively prfe. Thuro
was a railroad going rarongh ftio
wood, but I did not figure that that
would make It any the less safe.
About three o’clock that afternoon,
therefore, I emerged from mg hiding
place and hurried Into tte wood.
AfWT proceeding for half a mllo or
ao I carne to the railroad. I tortt a
sharp look In both directions and see
ing no signs of trains or soldiers. 1
walked boldly over tho tracks and
continued on my way.
I soon came upon a clearing and
knew that someone must be living In
the vicinity. As 1 turned n group of
trees I saw a small house and In the
distance an old man working In n
garden. 1 decided to enter the houso
and ask for food, figuring the woman
would probably be old and would he
no match for me even If she proved
hostile. The old woman who came
to tlie do-'r in response to my knock
was older than I expected. If she
wasn't close to a hundred, 1 miss my
guess very much.
She could not speak English nnd l
could not speak Flemish, of course,
but nevertheless I made her under
stand that I wanted something to eat.
She came 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 nmn dime hi
from the garden and between the two
of them they managed to get the Idea
that I was hungry nnd they gave me
a piece of bread—a very small piece—
which was quite u treat.
The house they lived Iu consisted of
Just two rooms—the kitchen and a
bedroom. The kitchen was perhaps
fourteen feet square, eight feet of
one side being taken 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 made the old couple understand
that I would like to stay In their house
all night, but the old man shook his
head. I hade them good-by and dis
appeared into the woods, leaving them
to speculate as to the strange for
eigner they had entertained.
From the great density of the popu
lation In this section through which I
was now passing I realized that I
must be in the outskirts of the big
city which the Belgian had mentioned
and where I was to procure a pass
port.
Village nfter village intercepted me,
and although I tried to skirt them
wherever possible I realized that I
would never make much progress If
I continued that course. To gain a
mile I would sometimes have to make
u detour of two or three. I decided
that I would try my lu< k In going
straight through the next village I
came to.
As I approached It. I passed num
bers of peasants who were ambling
along the road. I was afraid to mingle
with them because it >vas impossible
for one to talk to them and It was
dangerous to arouse suspicion even
among the Belgians. For all I knew,
one of them might be treacherous
enough to deliver me to the Germans
In return for the reward he might be
sure of receiving.
About 9 o'clock that evening I
came to a point where ahead of me on
the right was a Belgian police station
i —I knew it from Its red lights—and
on tlie other side of the street were
two German soldiers In uniform
leaning against a bicycle.
Here was a problem which called
for instant decision; If I turned hack
the suspicion of the soldiers would
he Instantly aroused and If I crossed
the road so as not to pass so closely
to them they might be equally sus
picious. I decided to march bravely
by the Huns, bluff my way through
and trust to Providence. If anybody
imagines, however, that I was at nil
comfortable as I approached these
soldiers, ho must think I am a much
, braver man than 1 claim to be. My
heart heat so loud I was ufrald they
would hear It. Every step I took
brought me so much nearer to what
might prove to be the end of all my
hopes. It was a nerve-racking ordeal.
I was now within a few feet of
rnem. Anotner step mm—
They didn't turn a hair! I passed
right by them—heard what they were
snylng. although, of course I dldD't
understand It, and went right on. I
can't say I didn't walk a little faster
as I left them behind, but 1 tried to
maintain an even gait so as not to
give 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 passed through the first of
u series of similar tests which I real
ized were In store for me—although
I did not know then how soon I was
to bo confronted with the second.
As it was, however, the Incident
gave me a world of confidence. It
demonstrated to me that there was
nothing In my appearance nt any rate
to attract the attention of the Herman
soldiers. Apparently I looked like a
Iielglun peasant, and If could only
work things so that I would never
have to answer questions and thus
give away my nationality, I figured I
would be tolerably safe.
As I marched along I felt so happy
I couldn't help humming an air of one
of the new patriotic songs that we
used to sing at the airdrome buck In
Ypres.
In this happy frame of mind I cov
ered the next three miles In about an
hour and then came to another little
village. My usual course would have
he*'ll to go around It—through fields,
hark yards, woods or whatever else
I lay In my way—hut I had gained so
much time by going through the lust
village Instead of detouring around
It and my appearance seemed to be so
unsuspicious that I decided to try the
! same stunt again.
I stopped humming and kept very
; much on the alert, but apart from
that, I walked boldly through the
main street without any feeling of
alarm.
I had proceeded perhaps n mile
along the main street when I noticed
ahead of me three German soldiers
standing at the curb.
Again my heart spurted to beat fust.
I must confess, but l was not nearly
so scared as I hud been an hour or
so before.
I walked ahead, determined to fol
low my previous procedure In every
particular.
I had got to about fifteen feet away
from the soldiers when one of them
stepped onto the sidewalk and
shotted:
“Halt I"
My heart stopped beating fast—for
a moment, I believe, It stopped beating
altogether! I can't attempt to de
scribe my feelings. I thought that
the Jig was up—that all I had gone
through und all I had escaped would
now avail me nothing, mingled with
the feeling of disgust with my
self because of the foolish risk I
had taken in going through the vil
lage, combined to take all the starch
out of me, and I could feel myself
wilting ns the soldier advanced to the
spot where 1 stood rooted lu my
tracks.
1 hud a bottle of water In oae pocket
and a piece of bread In tho other, and
ns the Hun ndvuuccd to search me I
held the bottle up In one band und
the piece of bread In the other ao that
he could see that was all 1 Imd.
It occurred to me that he would
“frlak" me—that Is, feel me over for
arms or other weapons, then place
(ns tinder arrest and march me off to
the guardhouse. I had not the slight
est idea but that I was cnptur *1 and
there didn't seem to he much use in
resisting, unarmed :is I was and with
two other German soldiers within a
few feet of US.
Like a flash it suddenly dawned on
me, however, that for all this soldier
could have known I was only a Bel
gian peasant and that Ills object in
searching me, which be proceeded to
do, was to ascertain whether I had
committed the common “crime” of
smuggling potatoes.
The Belgians were allowed only a
certain amount of potatoes, and it is
against the laws laid down by the
Huns to deal in vegetables of any
kind except under the rigid supervi
sion of the authorities. Nevertheless,
it was one of the principal vocations
of the average poor Belgian to buy
potatoes out in the country from
peasants and then smuggle them into
the large cities and sell them clan
destinely at a high price.
To stop this trathe in potatoes, the
German soldi* rs were in the habit of
subjecting the Belgians to frequent
search, and I was being held up by
this soldier for no other reason than
that be thought I might be a potato
smuggler!
He felt of my outside clothes and
pockets, and finding no potatoes
seemed to be quite satisfied. Had be
but known who I was lie could have
earned an iron cross! < >r, perhaps, in
view of tin* fact that I lutd a heavy
water bottle in my uplifted hand, it
might have turned out. to be a wooden
cross!
which, of course, I <1 Id riot understand,
and then some Belgian peasants came
along and seemed to distract his atten
tion. Perhaps tie had said : “It's all
right; you may go on," or he may
have been talking to the others In
Flemish, but at any rate, observing
that he was more interested In the
others than he was In me at the mo
ment, I put the bottle In my [rocket
and walked on.
After I walked a few steps, I took a
furtive glume buckwurd and noticed
the soldier who had searched me re
join his comrades at the curb and then
stop another fellow who had come
along, and then I disappeared In the
darkness.
I cannot say that the outcome of
this adventure left #me In the same
coutldent frame of mind that followed
the earlier one. I was sure I had
come out of It all right, but I could
not help thinking what a terribly close
shuve I hud.
Suppose the soldier hud questioned
me! The ruse I had been following
in my dealings with the Belgian peas
ants—pretending I was deuf and
dumb—might possibly hnve worked
here, too, but a soldier—a German
soldier—might not so easily have been
fno!e<t It was more than an even
chance that It would have at least
nrousedhls suspicion and resulted In
furtlicfwi vest Igut Ion. A search of
iny clothing would have revealed n
dozen things which would have estab
lished my identity and all my sham
ming of deafness would have availed
me nothing.
As I wandered along I knew that I
was now approaching the big city
which my Belgian friend had spoken
Searched by German Guards.
of and which I would have to enter
If I was to get the passport, and I
realized now how essential It was to
huve something to enable me to get
through the frequent examinations
to which I expected to bo subjected.
While I was still debating In my
mind whether It was going to be pos
sible for mo to enter the city that
night, I saw In the distance what ap
peared to be an arc light, and as 1
neared tt that was what It turned out
to be. Beneath the light I could
make out the forms of three guards,
und the thought of having to go
through the same kind of ordeal that
I had Just experienced filled me with
misgivings, Was It possible thut 1
could be fortuuute enough to get by
again?
As I slowed up a little, trying to
muke up ray mind what was beat to do,
I was overtaken by a group of Bel
gran women who were shuffling along
the road, and I decided to mingle
with them and see If I couldn't convey
the Impression that I was one of
their party.
As we approached the arc light, the
figures of those three soldiers with
tlfelr spiked helmets banned before
like a regiment. I felt as If I were
walking right Into the jaws of death.
Bather than go through what was In
store for me. 1 felt that I would In
finitely prefer to he fighting again In
the air with those four desperate
Huns who had been the cause of my
present plight — then, at least, I
would have a chance to light hack,
hut now I had to risk my life and
take what was coining to me without
a chance to strike a blow in my own
defense.
I shall never forget my feelings as
we runic within the shaft of light pro
jected hv that great are light nor the
faces of those three guards as we
passed by them. I didn't look directly
at them, hut out of tin* corner of my
< ye I never missed a detail. I held a
handkerchief up to my face as we
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 thorn*
guards and they paid absolutely no
attention to us.
If ever a fellow felt like going down
on his knees and praylug I did at that
moment, hut It wouldn't have done to
| show my elation or gratitude In that
I conspicuous way.
It was then well after 11 o’clock and
| I knew it would he unsafe for me to
attempt to find a lodging place in the
city, and the only thing for me to do
was to locate the man whose name the
Belgian had given me. Ife had given
me a good description of the street
and had directed me how to get there,
and I followed his instructions closely.
After walking the streets for about
half an hour, 1 came upon one of tic*
landmarks my friend had described to
me and ten minutes afterwards I was
knocking at the door of the man who
was to make it possible for me to reach
Holland—and liberty I At least, that
was what I hoped.
(To he Continued)
-«
Twenty-four boxes of Matanuska
strawberies wore recently sold at
Anchorage In Hi minutes they being
the first home-brown berries to up
, pear on the market. Hast year the
grower. I'. F Winchester, raised live
j c rates which netted him $<)".
—»
Three hundred dollars was recently
j raised at Fairbanks for Belgium or
phans and widows
—♦-'
Four fifty per day In Alaska beats
six dollars at Seattle, according to
men returning to the territory recent
ly in southeastern Alaska One man
returning said that $81 per month
was the cheapest he could get by with
in Seattle and live like a white man.
Far fare, room rent and clothing took
the balance of his wages.
-• -
Chief Nikolai of the Susitnas. has
been discharged rom the government
hospital at Anchorage, where he lias
been confined by illness since lust
May The chief who Is a venerable
old Indian, is a great friend of the
whites, and lias achieved considerable
notoriety through his prophecies in
regard to the weather.
—+.
Reports reached Skagway recently
that a native near Crowley on the
Whitehorse railway had shot and kill
ed his hunting companion taking him
for a moose The men were out hunt
ing and one saw the other lying down,
took him for a moose and shot and
l wounded him He shouldered the
man and carried him several miles on
his back, but he bled to death before
he could get him to the section house.
■— 1 ■
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j Copper River
and Northwestern Ry.
FOUR TRAINS WEEKLY BETWEEN
CHITINA AND KENNECOTT
Leave Cordova, Second Street Depot, on Mon
days, Thursdays and Saturdays
Leave Chitina for Cordova Sundays, Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Fridays
Leave Chitina for Kennecott Sundays, Tuesdays
and Friday*
Leave Kennecott for Chitina Mondays, Wednes
days, Thursdays and Saturdays
Tin* above schedule subject to change without
Li* 11 ice.
Dining Car in Connection with all Regular
Passenger Trains between Cordova and Chitina.
l-'ivigiit received ami delivered at Cordova
\ 1 from !> a. m. to 5 p in., except Sundays.
T ];,•;> on salt* at Second Street Depot office
, hour before departure of trains.
CALEB CORSER Superintendent
D. L. LEATON, Ticket Agent
CORDOVA
MACHINE WORKS
E. R. GARNE8, Prop.
Realdence Shop
Phono 1014. * Phono 102
Machine Woik ot all Klnda,
Blackamlthlng, General Repair
lng. Horae Shoeing. Oxy-Acety
leno Welding and Catting.
AUTOMOBILES
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Out of Town Jobe Given Strict
Attention.
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(^•«fl«*S*^««88SNsn«Ni9«9*9
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Northern Hotel Building,
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Hour* 8 a. m. to 9 p. m.
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PHONE 200
WM. A. HESSE
Mining Engineer.
U. 8. Mineral Surveyor.
U. 8. Depaty Surveyor.
BOX It CORDOVA, ALASKA
DR. W. H. CHASE
PHYSICIAN and SURGEON
Office over Cordova Drug Store.
Calls May be Left at Cordova
Drug Store. Residence,
Alaskan Hotel
DR. W. W. COUNCIL
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON.
Office and Residence: Cordova
General Hospital (Ostrander Halid
lng-.
Rhodes—Residence 116; office 111
r— . 1 -■ '■ - ■
DR. C. L. HALE
DENTIST
Office: Over Blum, O’Neill’s Stem
SMITH A McCONAOHY
PLUMBERS ANB STEAMFITTERS
Cor. Front and B Streets
Office Open Evenings.
E. F. MEDLEY
Attorney and Counsellor at Lav*
Room 1.
Adame Block CORDOVA, ALASKA
WILLIAM PALLISTER, M.D
Specialist In the treatment of
diseases and deformities of the
eye, ear. nose and threat; glasses
fitted.
JUNEAU GENERAL HOSPITAL
FRANK A. METCALF *
Civil and Mining Engineer
U. S. Mineral Surveyor
Juneau Alaska
I, ■
FRANK H. FOSTER
Attorney at Law
Room 1 Alaskan Hotel
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|* L. Wain, Prop. ♦
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