The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-09-28

steps without slipping and falling. Ny
shoes had wooden soles. and II was
just M bang after another, with the
ice and myself trying to see which
could hit the hardest. Every time we
feil-smashi came q rife over the
back.
I was getting pretty tired. 80 ! said
to some of the fellows hat / was GO
ing to sit down and rest, and they said
and waited until the guards behind
had just about caught up with us. and
then we would go on. We did this
several times until they got on to us,
and we could not do II any more.
Up the road a piece / fell again. and
this time 1 did not care what hap
pened. so l just sat there In the
middle Of the road until Fritz came up.
Instead Of giving me the bayonet, he
made me take on my shoes-that Is.
he took them on OF me with a knife
through the s~trings-and l had to walk
the rest Of the way In my bare feet
1t was about four miles altogether
tiC tdtAOh W hAC CuntRs
When we got ear the camp. all the
boys came out OF the barracks and
lined up along the barbed wire, and
yelled US a welcome. We asked them
If they were downhearted. and they
said no, and we said we were not eth
er. We could hardly see them, but
they began yelling again when we got
nearer and asked US. us there anyone
there from Queenstown" and then
Hull. and Portsmouth. and Dover, and
Toronto and a lot of other places.
l did not pay much attention until
/ heard. ANY Americans theref" and
/ yelled back. YES. where are your"
Barracks 6-B. Grippe g."
where fromf" I yelled.
Boston. Where're you fromr'
"The u 8. A. and Atlantic ports.
See you later"
So. the mex morning. ! went over to
his barracks and asked for the Yank.
They pointed him out to me, where
was lying on the floor. I went over
and laid down with him. and we had
quite a talk. I win not give his name
here for certain reasons.
He had received several wounds at
the time he was taken prisoner. He
had been in the Canadian service for
two years. We used to talk about
New York and Boston and the differ
ent places we knew In both towns. and
we also talked a lot about the rotten
treatment we were receiving, and tried
to cook up some plan of escape. But
every one we could think OF had been
used by some one else. and either had
failed. or the Huns had fixed Ii so the
plan could not be tried again. We
doped out some pretty wild schemes at
that. Altogether, we became great
pals. and we're together as much as
possible at Dulmen. The day / left
the camp. he gave me q ring made
from a shell. and told me to get II safely
back to the States. but some stole
II at B~randenburg.
One day while l was In his barracks
an Engiishman stepped out Of the door
for some reason or other. and though
he did not say a word to Fritz. In two
minutes he was dead. In cold blood.
We never knew why they killed him.
At ~Swinemunde and N~eustreiitx, !
must admit that the Germans had US
pretty badly buffaloed. but at Dulmen
the prisoners were entirely different.
Dulmen was the receiving camp for
the whole western front. and the pris-
oners there got TO be pretty tough
egg as far as Fritz was concerned.
before they had been In camp many
days. They thought nothing Of pick
ing a 1ght with a sentry and giving
him a good battle. even though he was
armed with rife and bayonet. We
soon learned that unless his pals are
around a German will not stand by his
arguments with his fists. In other
words. IL he can outtalk you. he will
beat you up. but IL he cannot. Ii Is o
case Of "Here comes Heinie going
back"
The Russian prisoners at Dulmen
were certainly a miserable looking
bunch. They spent most of their time
wandering around the Russian bar
racks. hunting for rotten potato peel
ings and other garbage, which they
would eat. When they saw FRITZ
throw out his swiil. they would dive
right through the barbed wire n
after another. and their hands and
face and clothes were always torn
from II. II was unhealthy to stand
between the Russians and their garb-
age ~prey-they were so speedy that
nothing stopped them.
One morning. just after bariey-cof.
fee time. i came out Of the barracks
and saw an Australian arguing with
the sentry. l was not only curious.
but anxious to be a good citizen. as
they say. so / went up and slung an
ear at them. The Australian had asked
Fritz what had been done with the
flag that the Huns were going to ny
from the Eiffel tower In Paris.
That was too deep for FRITZ. so the