Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-11-07
The Most Amazing
Story of the War
CHAPTER XXI.
A Visit From Mr.. Gerard.

Late that night we arrived at Dull
mem, Westphalia. We were rOusted
cut OF the carriages, mustered on the
Rlatform, counted, then drilled through
the streets. In spite of the lateness,
the Streets were pretty well filed with
people. and they zig-zagged us through
MI the streets they could, so that all
the people would have a chance to see
the crazy men, as they called US. Most
Of the people were women, and as soon
ms 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
fraas. with night-caps on, sticking
aheir heads out of the windows. They
would give US quick once-over, and
pipe up like boatswain :. "Schwein-
hund-Vaterland- am Rhein"
---an 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
ms, but though they knocked several
MeH down, we did not stop until we
had finished the song. Then, after we
lad 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
tiae breath we had. The road we were
sn was just one long sheet of ice, and
we could hardly walk more than four
steps without slipping and falling My
ah0es had wooden soles, and it was
tRst one bang after another, with the
Ice and myself trying to see which
eould hit the hardest. Every time we
feif-smash! came rifle over the
hack.
u WAS getting pretty tired, so I said
10. some of the fellows that was go
1nE TO sit down and rest, and they said
ltibgT would also. So we dropped out
snd waited until the guards behind
1nh just about caught up with us, and
then we would go on. We did this
several times until they got on to us,
and we could not do it any more.
Up the road piece ] fell again, and
Usis time did not care what hap
xened, so just sat there in the
middle of the road until Fritz came up
Instead Of giving me the bayonet, he
Hnade me take off my shoes-that Is,
me took them off of me with a knife
tmrOugh the stringS-and had to walk
tlhe rest OF the way in my bare feet.
II was about four miles altogether
frUm the station to the camp.
When we got near the camp, all the
lays came out of the barracks and
Ened up along the barbed wire, and
yelled US a welcome. We asked them
nc they were downhearted, and they
s4td NO. and we said we were not eth
&r- We could hardly see them, but
they began yelling again when we got
nearer, and asked US, "Is there anyone
there from Queenstown and then
HELL, and Portsmouth, and Dover, and
Toronto and lot of other places.
X did not pay much attention until
II heard, "Any Americans. there?" and
I,yelled back, Eyes, where are you?"
~F8arracks 6-B, Grippe 3d.
@Where from?" yelled.
I Boston. Where're you from?'
The u. S. A. and Atlantic ports.
E4e you later" ........
So, the next morning, went over to
Dis barracks and asked for the Yank.
They. pvdnted him out to me. where he
was lying ON the flor. went over
and laid down with MIN, and we had
quite talk. / will not give his name
Mere for certain reasons.
He had received several wounds at
xiae time he was taken prisoner. He
h:sA been in the Canadian service for
SNp years. We used to talk about
New York and Boston and the differ
setit places we knew in both towns, and
we also talked q lot about the rotten
treatment we were receiving, and tried
~ cUok up some plan of escape. But
everyone we could think of had been
used sby soune one else, and either had
Failed, -or,the Huns had fixed it SO the
Elan could not be tried again. We
Gfeped out some pretty wild schemes at
Mat Altogether, we became great
pals,s and were, together as much as
uessibae at Dulmen. The day I left
the camp, he gave me a ring made
From q shell, and told me to get it safely
lack to the States, but some one stole
= at Brandenburg.
One day while I was in his barracks
ma. Englishman stepped out of the door
Eksr some reason or other, and though
Ne did not say a word to Fritz, in two
minutes he was dead, in cold blood.
We never knew why they killed him.
At Swinemunde and Neustrelitz,