The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1918-11-28
CHAPTER XXI.
A Visit From Mr.. Gerard.

Late that night we arrived at Dull
men, Westphalia. We were rousted
out of the carriages, mustered on the
platform, counted, then drilled through
the streets. In spite of the lateness,
the streets were pretty well filled 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
some other German song, and 1t was
funny to see windows opening and fat
frans, with night-caps on, sticking
their heads out of the windows. They
would give us quick once-over, and
pipe up like q boatswain: "Schwein-
d-Vaterland-Wacht am Rhein"
-all kinds of things and all mixed up.
So we gave them "Tipperary" and
"I'uck 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 oil
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
shoes had wooden soles, and it was
just one bang after another, with the
ice and myself trying to see which
could hit the hardest. Every time we
fell-smash came rifle over the
back.
was getting pretty tired. so l said
to some of the fellows that l was 60
ing to sit down and rest, and they said
they would also. So we dropped out
and waited until the guards behind
mad just about caught up with us, and
uhen we would go on. We did this
several times until they got on to US,
anI we could not do it any more.
Up the road piece fell again, and
this time l did not care what hap
pcncd, so l just sat there in the
middle of the road until Fritz came up.
instead of giving me the bayonet, he
made me take off my shoes-that is,
he took them off of me with knife
through the strings-and had to walk
,hc rest of the way in my bare feet.
1t was about four miles altogether
from the station to the camp.
When we got near the camp, all the
boys came out of the barracks and
lined up along the barbed wire, and
yelled us welcome. We asked them
If they were downhearted, and they
said no, and we said we We're not eth
er We could hardly see them, but
they began yelling again when we got
nearer, and asked us, "Is there anyone
t!rerc from Queenstown" and then
)ImlI, and Portsmouth, and Dover, and
Toronto and lot Of other places.
did not pay much attention until
heard. ANY Americans there7" and
yelled back, "Yes, where are your
barracks 6-B. Grippe g."
"Where from?" l yelled.
Boston. Where're you fromf"
1.-THE U. S. A. and Atlantic ports
See you later"
So. the next morning, 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 a talk. will not give his name
here for certain reasons.
lie had received several wounds al
Ile time he was taken prisoner. He
And been in the Canadian service fol
two years. We used to talk about
New York aud Boston and the differ
ent places WE knew In both towns, ant
we also talked lot about the rotter
treatment we were receiving, and tried
to cook up some plan of escape. Blu
every one we could think of had beer
used by some one else, and either ha(
failed, or the Huns had fixed it so thu
plan could not be tried again. W.
Hoped out some pretty wild schemes a
that. Altogether, we became grea
pals. and were together as much al
possible at Dulmen. The day / lief
thu camp, he gave me a ring mad'
frGm shell, and told me to get 1t safel!
back to the States, but some one stol'
II r. Brandenburg.
Ore day while I was in his barracks