t the night in Antwerp; Arthur Ruhl, Horace
Green, staff of The New York Evening Post; Edward Eyre Hunt,
correspondent of The New York World; Edward Heigel of the staff of
The Chicago Daily Tribune, and Thompson himself.

Except for the glare of burning buildings, which lit up the streets, the
city was in absolute darkness, and near the quay I lost my way in the
byroads trying to get back to the Hotel Wagner. For the second time that
day I narrowly escaped death by a shell. One burst with terrific force
about twenty-five yards from me. I heard its warning whirr, and rushed
into a neighboring porch. Whether it was from concussion of the shell or
in my anxiety to escape, I cannoned against a door and tumbled down. As
I lay on the ground the house on the opposite side crashed in ruins. I
remained still for several minutes feeling quite sick and unable to get
up. Then I pulled myself together, and ran at full speed until I came
to a street which I recognized, and found my way back to the hotel.

As I hastened down the Avenue de Keyser shells were bursting in every
quarter. Several fell into the adjoining street. At the hotel I found my
friend Fox had been up to the Red Cross Hospital to inquire about a
motor car in which we hoped to get away. It had gone, as had the entire
personnel of the hospital.

We began to wonder how we should escape. However, Fox had a bicycle, and
Mr. Singleton, Chief of the Boy Scouts in Antwerp, had given me the key
of a house not far off, in which he told me there was one if I wanted it
in an emergency. I ventured into that dangerous part of the city again
to get it. I got to the house safely and found the bicycle, but as there
was no tube in the back tire it was useless. On my return journey I was
startled to see in the street through which I had just walked a hole six
feet deep, which had just been made by a shell.

On returning to the hotel I joined in a meal, eaten under the weirdest
[Transcriber: original 'wierdest'] conditions imaginable. Descending
into the cellars of the hotel with Miss Mack and Mr. Fox we found the
entire staff gathered there uncertain what to do and not knowing what
was to happen to them. We were all hungry, and one of the men dashed
upstairs to the kitchen and brought down whatever food he could lay his
hands on, and we all partook of pot luck. Considering all the
circumstances we made a very jolly meal of it. We toasted each other in
good red wine of