Connecticut western news., 1918-10-10

Beast.
 just when a man had begun to lose his mind. He would seem just like the rest of us, because none of us was much better than a 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- full to talk about going crazy in this way, and to figure that you yourself might be the next, and that 1t 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 on where we were. It was not till later than an old skipper in our bunch told us that we had rounded the north ern coast of Iceland.
 Finally, one day, 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 thon&ht 1t was all over then. and that we would be landed at Bergen sure. Then there was the usual running around and yelling on deck, and we were not so sure we would be landed, and very suddenly 1t got colder than ever. I was in the fiddley, aching to get out, and ready, for anything that might happen, when the door opened suddenly and Badewitz grabbed me, and asked me In English if was a quartermaster. I said yes, and he pulled me by the arm to cabin. l | did not know what was going to hap pen, but he took an oilskin from the wall and told me to put it on. There were two sailors there also, and they put life belts on, and then I was more puzzled than ever, and scared, too, because I thought maybe they were going to throw me over board, though what that had to do with being a quartermaster l could not see.
 But they drilled me up onto the bridge and told me to take the wheel. What their idea was I 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 took the wheel she cut down to half speed, and stayed that way for half an hour. Then up to full speed again.
 Pretty soon there was a tramp steamer on the starboard bow, and al most before I saw it, there were two more sentries on each side of me prodding me with their revolvers an6 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 a mile from shor
 with vessels all about US. It woul'
 have been an. easy thing for ne t. signal what our ship was and wh
 were aboard, but they had six sentrie on my neck all the time to keep m from 1t. I never wanted to do any thing worse in my life than jun overheard or signal. But I woui ; have been shot down before ha | more than started to do either, so , just stayed with the wheel. We were nearing one of the Dar i, ish islands in the Baltic when W 1 sighted a tug. She began to smok up and blow her siren. The sailors g
 very excited and ran around in craz