Controversial Books | Page 178

The Holy City 173 snipers shot at any figure seen crossing the lines, on the theory that the Jews should stay on the Jewish side and Arabs on the Arab side. I found a way that I thought minimized the risk of being sniped at from the front as well as from the back. My route led under barbed wire past the railway station, up a deserted, rubble-strewn street, past several houses that looked deserted but may not have been, through two British checkposts, and across an open space particularly susceptible to Arab snipers. I negotiated the turns and twists without mishap. When I reached the YMCA I found it magnificent— with swimming pool, library, game rooms, restaurant, athletic field, and beautifully landscaped grounds. After a fine American supper and an ecstatic hot shower I used DDT liberally. I spent the night in t