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[Page 77]
were ready to leave we managed to get some stockholm tar. This was easy to put on when we were finished we buried all the parts of the boat so that we could not be found out at the last minute and dash our hopes to the ground. We had procured a small German pocket compass with illuminated dial. We had been studying strict economy all this time, and had managed to save up some biscuits and money. The biscuits came from occasional parcels we received, our friends giving us their biscuits when they knew we were going to attempt this escape. We decided to leave on the 29th April 1918.
[Side note: to be underlined]
The Turkish soldiers sentries on the works lived in a big tent close to us and in leaving we had to pass close by this tent. We did not have any sentries actually guarding us but they were stationed on the outskirts of the village to block anybody- Turks or us from leaving the works-. However we waited till there appeared to be nobody about and then we set off with our swags as quick as we could walk. We were afraid to look either side of us for fear we would see anybody watching us. We got well clear of the camp and sneaking along very low to the ground we got into some low bushes Just at this time we heard some men running towards us. Our hearts came into our mouths for we thought that somebody had seen us leave and reported us and we were being followed. We lay down on the ground and kept very quiet. Two men rushed past us followed by two other men, evidently sentries. Then three of 4 rifle shots broke the stillness. We then knew that they were not after us. When all had quietened down again, we moved off. We were now passing through low scrub about 5 feet high. This afforded good cover for us. The next thing in our way was the crossing of the railway line, which we knew was guarded and the road was also close to the railway. We wanted to cross these obstacles before the moon rose. About 9.30 p.m. we got to within a couple of hundred yards of the road and were approaching very cautiously along the bank of a little water course we had just crossed a small patch of wheat about 2 feet high when we heard somebody running. We immediately dropped to the ground. This man came from off the road and just before he got to us he stopped and seemed to be looking at us; then went on. Whether he did see us or not I don't know but he did not take any notice of us. We were afraid to move for a long time, and during this wait the moon rose and we knew we would have to spend the night close by. We could not risk crossing the railway in moonlight. However we selected a small clump of bushes close to the road. We decided to spend the following day in hiding and then move off early in the evening. When daylight broke we found we were not in such a good hiding place as we thought, for anybody coming close would have seen us quite easily. One man driving some cattle passed very close to us, but he did not look in our direction. Towards the evening three men rode by very close to us. One of them looking our direction. Evidently he did not see us for they went on their way. Just after dark we started off very cautiously to cross the road and railway which we succeeded in doing.