Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-12-25
CHAPTER XXI.
A Visit From Mr.. Gerard.

out OF the carriages, mustered on the
platform, counted, then drilled through
the streets. In spite Of the lateness,
the streets were pretty we'll filed with
people, and they zig-zagged US through
all the streets they could, so that all
the people would have chance to see
the crazy men, as they called us. Most
OF the people were women, and as soon
as they saw us coming, they began
singing the watch on the Rhine" or
blAe other German song, and it was
-uA-!y to see windows opening and fat
fraus, with night-caps on, sticking
their heads out Of the windows. They
would give US quick once-over, and
pipe up like boatswaln: "Schwein-
Observation-Disclosures am Rhein"
all kinds of things and all mixed up.
So we gave them "Tipperary" and
Pack Up Your Troubles" and
showed them how to sing. Our guards
had no ear for music and tried to stop
us, but though they knocked several
men down, we did not stop until we
had finished the song. Then, after we
had admitted to each other that we
were not downhearted. we shut up.
We would have done so. anyway, be-
cause by this time we were on the out
skirts Of the town, and we needed all
the breath we had. The road we were
on was just one long sheet of ice, and
we could hardly walk more than four
steps without slipping and falling. My
no
just one bang after another, with the
ice and myself trying to see which
could hit the hardest. Every time we
fell-smash came a rifle over the
back.
was getting pretty tired so I said
to some Of the fellows that I was 60
ing to sit down and rest, and they said
they would also. So we dropped out
and waited until the guards behind
had just about caught up with US, and
then we would 60 on. We did this
several times until they got on to US,
i and we could not do it any more.
: Up the road piece fell again, and
this time I did not care what hap
pened, so Just sat there in the
middle Of the road until Fritz came up.
anstead Of giving me the bayonet, he
',pade me take off my shoes-that is,
,e took them off of me with q knife
: through the strings-and had to walk
he rest of the way in my bare feet.
was about four miles altogether
rom the station to the camp.
When we got near the camp, all the
oys came out of the barracks and
ned up along the barbed wire, and
lied us q welcome. We asked them
they were downhearted, and they
lid no. and we said we were not eth
) :. We could hardly see them. but
/ ey began yelling again when we got
y -arer, and asked US, us there anyone
re from Queenstown? and then
IL, and Portsmouth. and Dover, and
onto and lot of other places.
: did not pay much attention until
~oard, ANY Americans there?" and
,Ned back, Yes, where are your"
barracks 6-B, Grippe 8"
Where from?" yelled.
Boston. Where're you from?
1.-THE u. S. A. and Atlantic ports.
See you later"
So, the next morning, I went over to
his barracks and asked for the Yank.
They pointed him out to me. where he
was lying on the floor. l went over
and laid down with him, and we had
quite talk. will 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 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 it so the
plan could not be tried again. We
doped out some pretty wild schemes at
that. Altogether, we became great
,ssible at Dulmen. The day left
camp, he gave me ring made
a shell, and told me to get it safely
to the States, but some one stole
3randenburg.
day while was in his barracks
-nglishman stepped out Of the door
some reason or other, and though
did not say word to Fritz, in two
minutes he was dead in cold blood.
We never knew why they killed him.
At Swinemunde and Neustrelitz, I
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
eggs. as far as Fritz was concerned,
before they had been in camp many
days. They thought nothing Of pick
Ing fight with sentry and giving
him good battle, even though he was
armed with rifle and bayonet. We
soon learned that unless his pals are
around German will not stand by his
arguments with his fists. In other
words, If he can outtalk you, he will
beat you up, but If he cannot, It IL q
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