The Carlisle independent., 1918-11-14

Beast.
 just when man had begun to lose his mind. He would seem just like the rest of us, because none of us was much better than beast.
 We could not take turns sleeping and standing watch against the crazy men, because when we talked about it, we agreed that none of us could tell whether or not the sentries would go crazy while on watch and have the rest of us at their mercy. It was aw- ful to talk about going crazy in this way, and to figure that you yourself might be the next, and that it was al- most sure to happen if you did not get some sleep soon. But it was worse to find man near you going, and have to boot him out with the other insane men.
 The days passed like that, with nothing to do but suffer, and starve and freeze. It got colder and colder, and all We could wrap ourselves in was the coal. We began to speculate
 
 later than an old skipper in our bunch told us that we had rounded the north ern coast of Iceland.
 Finally, one day, a lad yelled down Land !'' and we all dove for the fid- dley like wild men, and those who could get near enough looked out, and sure enough, there was the coast of Norway, very rugged and rocky and covered with snow. We thought it
 But they drilled me up onto the bridge and told me to take the wheel. What their idea was 1 do not know. Possibly they wanted noncombatant at the wheel in case they were Over- hauled by a neutral vessel. We were going full speed at the time, but as soon as 1 took the wheel she cut down !, to half speed, and stayed that way for half an hour. Then up to full speed agaln.
 Pretty soon there was a traml steamer on the starboard bow, and al most before I saw it, there were two more SentrieS on each side of me proddhg me with their revolvers anC warning me to keep on the course They had civilian clothes on. Then we went through the Skagel Rack and Cattegat, which are marrow strips of water leading to the Baltic and we were only d mile from shore with vessels all about us. It would have been an easy thing for me tt signal what our ship was and wht were aboard, but they had six sentriel on my neck all the time to keep m' from it. I never wanted to do any thing worse in my life than juml overheard or signal. But I woult have been shot down before I hat more than started to do either, so just stayed with the wheel. We were nearing one of the Dan ish islands in the Baltic when w sighted a tug. She began to smok, up and blow her siren. The sailors go very excited and ran around in craz, style, and Badewitz began shoutin, more orders than they could get ava. with. The sentries left me and ral with the rest of the Fritzies to th' boat deck and started to lower ore O the lifeboats. But Badewitz was righ on their heels and kicked the who'll bunch around in great shape, roarin like a bnll all the time
 was all over then, and that we would be landed at Bergen sure. Then there was the usual running around ant yelling on deck, and we were not st sure we would be landed, and very suddenly it got colder than ever. I vas in the fddley, aching to ge out, and ready for anything tha might happen, when the door opened suddenly and Badewitz grabbed me and asked me in English if I was { quartermaster. 1 said yes, and h' i pulled me by the arm to cabin. did not know what was going to hap pen, but he took an oilskin from th' wall and told me to put it on. There were two sailors there also and they put life belts on, and theI i l was more puzzled than ever, ant i scared, too, because I thought maybe they were going to throw me over i board, though what that had to dt with being a quartermaster l coult | not
 l To Be Continued]