The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-11-29
.LBERT N. DEPEW
CHAPTER xxIlI-continued.
Copyright, 1918, by Reilly and Britton Co., .


1t certainly was hard, when the next
day came, to give up your whole ration
and go without that day. But / never
saw man hedge, or even speak Of 1t.
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 a time
was as hungry as anybody could be,
and wanted to eat my bread, but it
seemed as if I could not get it into
my mouth. Then / would trade it with
someone else for his shadow soup" or
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,
while others made little crosses, on
which they wrote or carved the mans
name. when he was captured, and his
regiment or ship. In the middle of
she cross were always the letters,
u. Il. .-IhcSt III cctIc.
One tim we were ordered to report
80 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
in,
injection, so 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 FL. M. S. Nomad,
who had 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 it |
came to my turn they slashed me three
times in the shape of a triangle just to |
one side of the breast. And that was |
all there was to it-no injection, moth |
ing on the knife that 1 could see.
Now, do not know what the idea !
was. Every man of us was dizzy for
the rest of the day. and could not do |
anything but lay around the barracks.
And hardly any of. Us sbled a drop.
though the gashes wef3fleep. do not |
think we had any blood in US to run,
and that is the truth of it. 1t was +
just another German trick that no one
could explain.
One day war correspondent named
Bennett, from Chicago paper, came
to the camp and went through all the
barracks. When he came to opr bar
racks / told him / was an American
and asked for the news. Instead of
answering he began to ask all sorts
Of questions. Finally, after had told
him I had been in the French service,
asked him if he could help me in any
way. He answered that had only my
ieif to blame and that it served me
light if 1 had been in one of the allied
trmies.
did not like his looks much and he
eemed unfriendly, but when he began
smoking cigarette it almost drove me
.razy and / could not help asking for
me. He refused me and said / should
ave stayed in my own country, where
could have had plenty of cigarettes.
After while he threw away ciga-
'ette stub and not only I but three or
our others who were near made dive
or it. A man named Kelley got it
/ crazy man who went around trying
o eat wood and cloth and anything
lie could find.
When my three weeks were up and
had not heard from Mr.. Gerard was
ust about ready to go down to the
axe and pick out vacant spot and !.