ccident knocked
against the clock and it fell over on its face. The guard thundered a
curse against his awkwardness, and stooped down to pick it up.

Quick as thought Tom picked up the heavy lantern and brought it
crashing down on the German's head. The next instant his hands were on
the German's throat.

The struggle was brief, for the German at his best would have been no
match for the young American. Tom had soon choked him into
unconsciousness, and when he felt the man become limp beneath him he
relaxed his hold.

He tied the German's hands with his belt and gagged him securely. The
lantern had gone out with the blow and he did not dare to relight it.
Darkness was now his best friend.

His eyes fell on the clock. It had done him good service, but now was
of no further use to him. But a second thought made him pick it up and
put it in his blouse.

He had no compass, but the clock would do in a pinch. His woodcraft
had taught him how the hands of a clock could find for him the cardinal
points. More than once his watch in more peaceful times had done him a
similar service.

The first thing necessary was to put as wide a distance as possible
between himself and the place where he now was. Afterwards he could
figure out how to regain his own lines. By ten o'clock at latest his
attack on the guard would be discovered. He must be miles away before
then, or his life would not be worth a cent.

His impulse was to take the German's gun, but he discarded the thought
at once. His only salvation lay in hiding. The gun would count for
nothing among the innumerable foes that surrounded him. It was heavy
and cumbrous, and would only retard his progress through the woods. He
must travel light if he would travel fast.

He gathered up some fragments of food left from the lunch that the
guard had been munching and tucked them in his pocket. Then like a
shadow he slipped away through the woods.

From what he had seen and bits of information that he had picked up
from other prisoners, some of whom were Frenchmen and knew the country
well, Tom had a pretty good idea of the lay of the land. He knew that
the country was rolling, with here and there a range of hills that rose
almost to the dignity of mountains. Here there ought to be plenty of
hiding places where he could stay while he planned a way to get across
the lines.

Of course his route would be within the German lines for miles. But
the inhabitants w