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[Transcriber's Note: Every effort has been made to replicate this text
as faithfully as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and
other inconsistencies. Text that has been changed to correct an obvious
error is noted at the end of this ebook.]




OUTWITTING THE HUN


[Illustration: LIEUT. PAT O'BRIEN, R. F. C.]




  OUTWITTING
  THE HUN

  _My Escape from a
  German Prison Camp_

  BY

  LIEUT. PAT O'BRIEN

  _Royal Flying Corps_

  ILLUSTRATED

  [Illustration]

  HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
  NEW YORK AND LONDON


  OUTWITTING THE HUN


  Copyright, 1918, by Lieutenant Pat O'Brien
  Printed in the United States of America
  Published March, 1918




  TO

  THE NORTH STAR

  WHOSE GUIDING LIGHT MARKED THE
  PATHWAY TO FREEDOM FOR A WEARY
  FUGITIVE, THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED
  IN HUMBLE GRATITUDE
  AND ABIDING FAITH




CONTENTS


  CHAP.                                     PAGE

  PREFACE                                     xi

  I.    THE FOLLY OF DESPAIR                   1

  II.   I BECOME A FIGHTING-SCOUT              7

  III.  CAPTURED BY THE HUNS                  21

  IV.   CLIPPED WINGS                         34

  V.    THE PRISON-CAMP AT COURTRAI           53

  VI.   A LEAP FOR LIBERTY                    77

  VII.  CRAWLING THROUGH GERMANY              88

  VIII. NINE DAYS IN LUXEMBOURG               97

  IX.   I ENTER BELGIUM                      112

  X.    EXPERIENCES IN BELGIUM               132

  XI.   I ENCOUNTER GERMAN SOLDIERS          145

  XII.  THE FORGED PASSPORT                  159

  XIII. FIVE DAYS IN AN EMPTY HOUSE          186

  XIV.  A NIGHT OF DISSIPATION               207

  XV.   OBSERVATIONS IN A BELGIAN CITY       219

  XVI.  I APPROACH THE FRONTIER              225

  XVII. GETTING THROUGH THE LINES            236

  XVIII. EXPERIENCES IN HOLLAND              250

  XIX.  I AM PRESENTED TO THE KING           273

  XX.   HOME AGAIN!                          281


[Transcriber's Note: Illustrations were interleaved between pages in the
original text. In this version, they have been moved to be between
paragraphs. Page numbers below reflect the position of the illustration
in the original text.]


ILLUSTRATIONS


  LIEUT. PAT O'BRIEN, R. F. C.              _Frontispiece_

  THE AEROPLANE WHICH LIEUTENANT O'BRIEN
    USED IN HIS LAST BATTLE WITH THE HUNS
    WHEN HE WAS BROUGHT DOWN AND
    MADE PRISONER                           _Facing p._ 30

  THE IDENTIFICATION DISK WORN BY LIEUTENANT
    O'BRIEN WHEN HE WAS CAPTURED
    BY THE HUNS. IT REVEALED TO
    THEM THAT HE WAS AN AMERICAN                   "    36

  LIEUT. PAUL H. RANEY OF TORONTO AND LIEUT.
    PAT O'BRIEN                                    "    50

  MAILING-CARD SENT BY GERMAN GOVERNMENT
    TO PAT O'BRIEN'S SISTER, MRS. CLARA
    CLEGG OF MOMENCE, ILLINOIS                     "    60

  OBVERSE SIDE OF CARD SHOWN ABOVE                 "    60

  A GROUP OF PRISONERS OF WAR IN THE PRISON-CAMP
    AT COURTRAI, BELGIUM                           "    70

  THE FORGED PASSPORT PREPARED IN A BELGIAN
    CITY TO AID LIEUTENANT O'BRIEN'S
    ESCAPE INTO HOLLAND, BUT WHICH WAS
    NEVER USED                                     "   164

  COPY OF TELEGRAM INVITING LIEUTENANT
    O'BRIEN TO MEET KING GEORGE                    "   270

  COPY OF TELEGRAM SENT BY LIEUTENANT
    O'BRIEN IN ANSWER TO AN INVITATION
    TO MEET KING GEORGE                            "   270




PREFACE


There is a common idea that the age of miracles is past. Perhaps it
is, but if so, the change must have come about within the past few
weeks--after I escaped into Holland