The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-11-01
CHAPTER xvi4-continued.

fnent began, and we were not only
under fire Of spit, If you could call Il
that, but also of rocks and bottles ant
sticks and most anything that coult
be thrown.
All thig time, '1est you forget" We
had no shoes, and no clothing-Only
what had once been our underwear
1T is all right to be Coney Island
Snowbird and pose around In your
bathing suit in the drifts. because you
are in good condition, and last but not
least, because you do not have to dc
TT Figure out the other side OF Ii
For yourself.
They marched us into field where
there war nothing much but guns and
ammunition and snow, and set us up
In something like skirmish formation.
we stood there for some time, and
then we saw lot of Huns with the
new long rifles coming toward us.
yelling just as they did In battle, and
we thought sure we were being used
for practice targets. 1t is good
thing they halted and stopped yelling
NACh LACJ oidy VI VIC NOofN @iN ' y
started for them to fight 1t out, for
we were not the kind that likes to be
hutchered with hands in the air, and
we would have been glad for chance
30 get q few of them before they got
MS. But they did halt, and then sur
rounded US, and drilled US away
Through swamps and woods and shall
Cow water or slush. The women fol-
bowed, too, and there were plenty of
Bricks and spit left. Women as well
as men are the same the world over.
they say. 1 wonder? You can just
picture the women of, say, Rockland,
Me, following a crowd of German
prisoners that way, can't you? Not!
But of course the women of Rockland
are pretty crude-no kultur at all
and Colt never commissioned Presi-
dent Wilson to take the lid off the
<strafe pot for him.
They drilled us along the docks, and
u looked as though the whole German
navy was tied up at Swinemunde.
We saw many of the ships we had
heard about, among them being the
famous Vulcan, the mother-ship for
There were many sail
ors loafing along the docks, and they
gave the women a hand with their
days work. They were no better with
a brick, but they had more ammunition
when it came to splitting. One of them
eripped a young boy by the name of
Kelly, and as you would never doubt.
Kelly picked up a rock and crashed
the sailor with it. He was then bay
oneted twice in the left leg. We be-
gan singing then. our popular favorite, |
Pack up your troubles" etc., and |
when they heard us, how the swine
stared
Then they drilled US past the Ger
nan soldiers quarters. The men were
1t rifle practice, and I guess all of us
bought how handy we would be as
argets. But when we got near them,
hey quit practicing and crowded
round us yelling: "'Raus Zuruck J"
Finally we got to the top of the
I'LL, and were halted near the bar
acks while an officer read the mar
.al law of Germany to us. At least
We thought maybe that was it.
Finally they let us into the bar
acks, and the first thing we saw was
great pile of hay. That looked good
D us, and we made a rush and dived
ITO it, But the Huns told us to take
be hay and throw it in the middle of
be road. They had to use force be-
pre- we would do it. Finally we gave
], however, and started to carry it
ut. Some Of the young boys were
rying, and do not blame them
uch.
But one of the boys tried to hide
)me of the hay behind box and was
lught doing 1t, and two sentries
Outed him from one end of the bar
lcks to the other. His nose was
-oken and his face mashed to jelly.
ut there was nothing we could do, {
, we just wandered up and down the I
irracks, about as we did between {
scks on the Moewe, trying to keep b
arm.
While this marathon was on we 1
ard a whistle blown very loudly, I
I'd when we looked out we saw a t
ngon piled up with old tin cans.
hen we were told to form single file, t.
ak out to the wagon and each get Il
n for himself. Each man had to t
Ike the first can he laid his hands u
/, and many Of US got rusty ones with s.
les In them. So that about half an c.
ur later, when we received barley ii
flee, and all we had to drink it from
Is the cans, lots OF the men had to b
ink theirs almost In one gulp or lose 81
IL of 1t. IC
The barracks were very dirty and OIL
lelled horribly, and the men were ki
II not even half clothed. We all OF
,ked filthy and smelled that way,
d where the coal dust had rubbed W
we were very pale. And all of us be
re starved looking. a
About eleven o'clock that morning lie
, whistle blew again, and we came W
!; and were given an aluminium ar
,on and dish apiece. Then we di
,ered up and saw corned beef and
'bage for ourselves. An hour later on
y drilled -us through the snow to sp
j. kuche. When we got there we
- In line until at least half-past bu
- an1 thon the Germans about ar