A THRILLING STORY.

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 36, 10 August 1918, Page 11

A THRILLING STORY.

"Outwitting the Huns." By FlightLieutenant Pat O'Brien. William Heinemann, London.

Lieutenant O'Brien is an American, who, chafing at his country's delay to enter the war, became a member of the Royal Flying Corps in- the British ArmyHe was sent to France, and there fell in a fight in mid-air with Germans. When he recovered consciousness (much to his surprise, for he thought when his machine and" himself were hit that it was all over) lie was in the hands of the Germans. His captors did not then treat 1 him badly, but they were exceedingly coarse and- brutal in their remarks to a helpless man, desperately injured. However, having recovered sufficiently to travel, ■ Lieutenant O'Brien, was taken with other prisoners on a long train journey into Germany; but while the train was travelling at 30 to 35 miles an. hour he managed to take his guard by surprise and slip out of ; the carriage window. He knew the inevitable risk he ran of a horrible death, but he took it, and although badly knocked i about in his fall, he quickly recovered, himself before the train had time to pull up— if it did stop, for O'Brien never heard, /rhen began a long and perilous journey towards Holland, which he reached by' finally burrowing -under. a stockade of heavily-charged- electric wires.. He was kindly received,/ ultimately reaching England, where he was commanded to appear before the King to narrate his adventures. Of King George this young American 1 cannot speak , too highly— "altogether (he writes}, the impression I got of him was that he is a very genial, gracious, and alert Sovereign. I know I have felt" more ill at ease when talking to a major: than when • talking to the King. .... I certainly came awaywiththe utmost respect for him." In the thrilling narrative of his travelling by night through -Luxembourg and Belgium towards Holland, /Lieutenant O'Brien was riot able to see very much at first, but later on, when in a big Belgian :■; city, which may : have been Liege (for he purposely mentions no names of places, where he met people), he actually went,to a cinema, show; and, at his table there came and .sat down, two German officers. .Lieutenant O'Brien's 1 difficul-. ties were intensified by .the fact that he could speak neither French nor German, nor' could he speak Flemish, although he endeavoured to- pass'off as a Belgian. His flying clothes, he buried-when-'at dawn he was able .to replace them by' stealing civilian clothes from lines upon which' unsuspecting peasants had hung them. ■He had s to swim ■„ rivers and canals, and once, when very weak and low for want of food, he was almost gone when he swam across- the Meiise near Huy. He icould not buy food, because hisignorance of the language would betray him, but he stole plenty; of beets, mangels, celery, and other vegetables; but upon such diet he became weaker and weaker daily; „- ■ ■ . • ■

, He fell, in with an unknown friend in a little village. near, a large town '. and was. fed, also given introduction, to an Escapee Agency. The people who. managed it were 1 Belgians, well aware of the risky, nature, of their calling. From them; he obtained a cleverly-forged passport— which, however, he did not use— stating that he was a. Spanish subject.' But a hitch arose, ; and Lieutenant O'Brien thought his "'recapture was a matter of moments., The agent required him to sign,,an order to pay a fabulous sum ..of money for services rendered, This; lieutenant O'Brien could not do. The amount was absurd. He was ready, he, said,; to give .all .that he had, for he had; been, fed, and finally given. hiding in an.empty mansion. He owed his escape,,to his splendid constitution, and ashe acknowledged, to his prayers. . Of the Germans as he saw 1 them, he writes :.' "The more I came to know the enemy the,'more keenly I'realised what a difficult itask we're going. to have' to lick him. In all my experience, the fact, that.there is still a heap of fight ■left in Huns was thoroughly brought home to me. We shall win th© war eventually, if we don't slow up' top j soon in the mistaken idea that the, Huns are ready" to lie down." Again : "The idea of our being able to win the war by starving them out strikes me as ridiculous...; This -is a war tliat must be won by fighting, arid tho-sooner we realise that fact the sooner.it will be,over." Once more: "The Germans have considered their food needs in connection with, .their resources for several years to come;, and they have gone at it in such a methodical, systematic way, taking into consideration every, possible contingency, that, provided-, there is not an absolute, crop failure, there isn't the slightest doubt iin my , mind, that. they can last for years, and the worst of ifc is.they are quite, cocksure about it."

Lieutenant O'Brien lives in his. pages up to the best traditions of the Irish race^ —in personal bravery, love of a scrap (if it comes to it),' and a bright and cheerful outlook on life, even in its most depressing moments. His book is a tonic for pessimists.