“I explained to him rapidly in a low voice that he must turn the propeller over for me to start the motor again. He was willing enough but unaccustomed to such work, and he was not able to swing the propeller hard enough to do the trick.
“Unhooking my belt I jumped out. I had tried twice to turn it over when we heard the pounding thud of heavy boots on the road. It meant that we were discovered. Evidently soldiers in the neighborhood had heard the sing of the wires as we glided into the field.
“The spy said, ‘Be quick! Or they’ll stop you!’
“Swinging frantically on the propeller I tried twice again. But the engine refused to start. We could hear the crashing of underbrush as they approached, and without more ado the spy touched my arm and said, ‘Follow me!’
“We darted into thick woods and then through a clearing just as our pursuers discovered the plane. They must have halted to examine it, and thus gave us time to cover a lot more ground. The spy seemed familiar with the territory for he swung into a path through the forest which led to another road. We could hear the searching party floundering about in the woods, but they did not seem to know which direction we had taken.
“Cautiously following the road we kept well in the shadows and came at last to a stone farmhouse surrounded by a wall. The spy motioned me into the darkness of a doorway and told me to wait. He rapped cautiously at the gate with a peculiar knock, and sometime later a man’s voice answered him. The two men held a long consultation, and with many gestures seemed to be pointing out a direction.
“Then the spy came back to me and explained briefly that it was too dangerous to stay there—it was too close to where the plane had landed—and that we must make our way to a certain house about three miles farther on.
“Then began a nerve-wracking walk through roads and lanes. At one place we made a wide detour to avoid going through a town. If only I had worn my flying suit it would have covered my uniform and made it a little more difficult for the chance passerby to recognize me as an enemy.
“At last we came within sight of the farmhouse, which was to be my home. I was left in the shadow of a wayside shrine while the spy went ahead to make preparations for my reception.
