The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-09-05


Joined in the general laughter which
followed every sally.
called to German officer who was
passing our windew.
you're an officer, aren't you? I
asked, respectfully enough.
Yes, what of it?" he rejoined.
"Well. in England" said, 1--WE let
your officers who are prisoners ride
first class. Can't you fix it so that we
can be similarly treated, or least be
transferred to second-class compart-
ment?"
eff had my way" he replied, you'd
ride with the hogs!"
Then he turned TO the crowd and
told them of my request and how he
had answered me, and they all laughed
hilariously.
This got me pretty hot.
''That would be d sight
better than riding with the Germans p
1 yelled after him, but If he consid-
cred that a good joke, he didn't pass
1t on to the crowd.
Some months later when I had the
honor of telling my story to. King
George. he thought this incident was
one of the best jokes he had ever
heard. don't believe he ever laughed
harder in his life.
Before our train pulled out, our
guards had to present their arms for
inspection and their rifles were loaded
in our presence to let us know that
they meant business.
From the moment the train started
on It's way 10 Germany. the thought
kept coming to my head that unless /
could make my escape before we
reached that reprisal camp might as
well make mp my mind, as far as /
was concerned. the war was over.
1t occurred to me that If the eight
of us in that ear could jump ut given
signal and seize those four Hun guards
by surprise. we'd have a splendid
chance of besting them and jumping
on the train when 1t first slowed down,
but when ! passed the idea on to my
comrades they turned 1t down. Even
II the plan worked out as glorious.y
as ] had pictured, they pointed out,
the fact that 80 many Of US had es-
cnped would almost inevitably result
in our recapture. The Huns would
have secured Belgium till they had
got us and then we would ali be shot.
Perhaps they were right.
Nevertheless. was determined that,
no matter what the others decided to
do, 1 was going to make one bid for
freedom, come what might.
As we passed through village after
village in Belgium and realized that
we were getting nearer and nearer to
that dreaded reprisal camp. i con-
cluded that my one and only chance OF
getting free before we reached 1t was
through the window! would have
tn go through that window while the
train was going full-speed, because II
l waited until it Ind slowed up or
stopped entirely, 1t would be a simple
matter for the guards to overtake or
shoot me.
opened the window. The guard
who sat opposite 1me-so close that
his feet touched mine and the stock
OF his gun which he held between his
knees occasionally struck my foot
made no objection, imagining no doubt
that / found the car too warm or that
the smoke, with which the compart-
ment was filed. annoyed me.
As l opened the window, the noise
the train was making as 1t Numbered
along grew louder. 1t seemed to say !:
you're a fool IL you do; you're a fool
II you don't-you're fool II you do
you're "a fool II You don't"--and said
to myself ''the noes have It," and
closed down the window again.
as soon as The window was closed,
the noise Of the train naturally SUBJ
sided and Its speed seemed to dimin-
fish, and my plan appealed to me
stronger than ever.
! knew the guard in front Of me
: didn't understand a word Of English.
and so, in quiet tone Of voice. con-
fided to the English oflicer who sat
next me what had planned to do.
"Tor Gods sake, Pat, chuck It'll" he
urged. Don't be a lunaticl This rail-
road Is double-tracked and rock-bal-
lasted and the other track II on your
side. You stand every chance In the
world Of knocking your brains out
against the rails. or hitting bridge or
a wbistling post. and II you escape
those you will probably be hit by an
other train on the other track. You
haven't one chance in thousand to
make 1t r.
There was good deal Of logic in
what he said, but figured that once
was in that reprisal camp might
never have even one chance in thou
sand to escape, and the idea Of re-
manning prisoner Of war indefinitely
went agnfnst my grain. I resolved to