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[Page 27]
a bed of leaves, it wasn't long before "shut eye" fell to the three of us. Waking shortly after daylight we made our way farther into the forest to guard against being disturbed. We lay there until about three o'clock in the afternoon, after having partaken of a "snack" from our limited supply, the sweet chocolate gave us a thirst that from our position couldn't be quenched.
It was about this time that some sportsmen could be heard shooting no great distance from us and we were alarmed when approaching footsteps could be heard. Taking stock of the approaching trouble his dog was seen to be smelling around the position we had first slept on and to make things worse the gunman had a shot at a pheasant almost above our heads, but in missing the pheasant he also missed the chance of collecting 90 marks for the German Government allow 30 marks per head to the civilians who effect the capture of escaping prisoners- of-war.
Commencing on what we reckoned was our final "lap" we started out on the main roads again and walked for some hours before we were able to quench the thirst that had troubled us all that day.
We were within the garrisoned border now and the places we were making through were all pretty thick with "Fritzs'1, but whistling away the german march songs not to mention "Asleep in the Ditch" which is very popular amongst the Germans- and giving a gruff "good night" to our passers by, we passed alright.
Our intentions were - after passing a certain railway line which intersected the roadway - to leave the main road for the fields about 300 yards above the line. A number of German soldiers,whom we took to be the patrol,were in an hotel on the roadside and we were congratulating ourselves on having missed them and that in a very short while we would be in the "promised land". The lights of the city of Vento in Holland were conspicuous in contrast to the darkened lights in all the German towns,and for a moment the three of us were discussing in whispers as to what our programme would be next day in Holland, when we were brought to the realization that we hadn't crossed the border by the sharp command of "Halt" from the shadow alongside the road. If we had "got" while the
going was good some o£ us may have got over the border, but it is amazing what can be lost in a few seconds, for in that time the patrol was on top of us asking for our passports. Thinking