ourney.

"Soon after daylight I came upon a house, where I asked for food. I still
wore the German surgeon's uniform, and here this worked to my
disadvantage."

"How was that?" asked Chester.

"It seems that the family were Belgians, and I hadn't thought of that.
They gave me food and drink all right, but they spilled a little drug of
some kind in the drink. The next thing I knew I was bound and gagged and
was looking down the muzzle of a revolver held by a ferocious-looking
Belgian peasant. He informed me my time had come. I told him I was
English, and explained my capture and escape. He listened patiently, but
when I finished he informed me that he wasn't going to take any chances.
I had just five minutes to live, he said."

"Great Scott!" cried Hal. "That was pretty close. How did you escape?"

"More by good luck than anything else," was the reply. "There was some
kind of a noise behind the peasant and he turned to investigate. At that
moment I kicked out with my foot and the toe of my boot caught him
squarely under the chin. He went down with a thump. I don't know whether
I killed him or not."

"But how did you free your hands?" asked Hal.

"Well, I had quite a little trouble, but I managed to drag my chair over
to the fire, and held my hands over the blaze until the cord was burned."

"And didn't you burn your hands?"

"A little," was the quiet response; "but it had to be done. Then I untied
my legs and removed the gag, after which I took to my heels as fast as I
could. I didn't care for any more Belgian hospitality to one who wore a
German uniform.

"In the road I came upon a dead British soldier. I took his uniform and
discarded that of the German surgeon. I now began to feel that I was
reasonably safe, and I lay down at night and slept like a log, in spite
of the cold.

"I was awakened a little before daylight by the sounds of approaching
footsteps. I saw the marchers before they saw me, but still not quite
quick enough. They were the same men from whose hands you rescued me only
a short while ago.

"I had been confined in that hospital so long that I was still somewhat
weak and I couldn't run fast enough to get away from them. I tried, but
it was no use. Then I took a couple of shots at them, and got two or
three, I think. I'm not sure, though. Anyhow, I saw this barn ahead, and
dashed into it, figuring that I might possibly hold them off.

"When they set fire to the barn, and I realized I could