The Carlisle independent., 1918-12-26


 days and. I think, had escaped by this time. They were not returned while 1 was at Brandenburg.
 This was about : a. m. They drilled us down to the little lake, where the cold was much greater, and kept us there until p. m., without food or drink. At about eight that morning they found Fontaine in a French bar racks and kicked him all the way to the lake where we were.
 All day long we stood there, falling one by one and getting kicked or beat en each time until we dragged our selves up agRin. Two or three died do not know the exact number. But we had enough strength, when ordered back to the barracks, to kick Fon- taine ahead of US all the way. We did not get anything to eat until seven the next morning-twenty-fou hours without food and water, ten of which were spent in the snow without any protection from the cold and wind. No wonder we kicked Fentaine for bringing this punishment on us and en- dangering the two who had escaped he had simply srolled over to the French barracks and forgot to return.
 Now. the food received was just about enough to keep us alive. I SUD- pose. with true kultur, the Huns had figured out just how much it would take to keep man on this side of the starvation line and gave us that much and no more. So we were always famished-always hungrier than you probably ever have been. But some times when we were ravenously hun gry and could not hold out any longer we would trade rations.
 One man would trade his whole ra-- ton for the next day for a half ration today. That is, if you were so hungry that you thought you could not last out the day on your regular share, you would tell someone else that if he gave you half his share today you would give him all of yours tomorrow. If he was gambler he would take you up. That is, he would gamble on his being alive tomorrow, not on your keeping your word. He knew you would come across with your ration the next day, and like as not. if you tried to keep 1t from him, he would kill you, and mo- body would blame him.
 It certainly was hard, when the next day came, to give up your whole ration and go without that day. But I never saw 8 man hedge, or even speak of it. And we did not have any food pirates among us either: We were not captains of industry by any means
 There were times when some of us could not eat certain of our rations. For instance. many and many time 1 was as hungry as anybody could he, and I wanted to eat my bread. but 1t seemed as if I could not get it into my mouth. Then would trade it with his barley coffee.
 We were dying every day in Bran- denburg and after each death the senior men of that barracks would de- tail twelve of their number to go out for half an hour and dig the grave,
 
 which they wrote or carved the mans name. when he was captured, and his regiment or ship. In the middle of the cross were always the letters, R. L P.-Rest in Peace.
 One time we were ordered to report to the German doctors for a serum treatment of some kind-to receive an injection. in other words There was no choice about it this time, as we were simply herded together to the hospital barracks. Now, knew what these things were like and how brutal the German doctors were in giving an injection, so I wanted to be the very first man and not have to witness the other men getting theirs.
 So I pushed up to the head of the line, with the crew of II. NJ s. Nomad. who bad been captured in the Jutland battle, and by the time we got to the hospital was the very first man in line But the sentry threw me back and there were several men ahead of me.
 Each of them barred his chest and the doctors slashed them across the breast with a very thin knife. so you can see that it was very painful. When il came to my turn they slashed me three times in the shape of triangle just to one side of the breast. And that was all there was to it-no injection, noth- ing on the knife that l could see.
 Now, do not know what the idea was. Every man of us was dizzy f. the rest of the day and could not anything but lay around the barrae And h.Glv any e ds hled a dft., th a- he a4shes were deep. think we had any blood m Us ta and that is the truth of it. t just anothor ( Fl cls that no cou'd explain
 One day war . nondent lar Bennett, from paper. 10 the eaInn and trough 4 barracks. to ouA