The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-11-15

days. They thought nothing of pick
ing a fight with a sentry and giving
him a good battle, even though he was
armed with rifle and bayOnet. We
soon learned that unless his pals are
around a German will not stand by his
arguments with his fists. In other
words, II he can outtalk you, he will
beat you up, but IL he cannot, II Is a
case Of Here comes Heinie going
back"
The Russian prisoners at Dulmen
were certainly a miserable looking
bunch. They spent most of their time
wandering around the Russian bar
racks, hunting for rotten potato peel
ings and other garbage, which they
would eat. When they saw Fritz
throw out his swill, they would dive
right through the barbed wire n
after another and their hands and
face and clothes were always torn
from 1t. 1t was unhealthy to stand
between the Russians and their garb-
age ~prey-they were so speedy that
nothing stopped them.
One morning, Just after b~arley-cof-
fee time, / came out Of the barracks
and saw an Australian arguing with
the sentry. / vas not only curious,
but anxious to be a good citizen, as
they say. so / went up and slung an
ear at them. The Australian had asked
Fritz what had been done with the
flag that the. Huns were going to fly
from the Eiffel tower in Paris.
That was too deep for Fritz, sc the
Australian answered it himself. Don't
you know, Fritz? Well, we have no
blankets, you know"
Still the sentry did not get II. So
the Australian carefully explained to
me-so that Fritz could hear-that the
Germans had no blankets and were
using the flag to wrap their cold feet
In.
This started a fight, Of course-the
German idea Of a fight, that Is. The
sentry, being a very brave man for a
German, blew his whistle very loudly,
and sentries came from all directions.
So we beat 1t to the Australians bar
racks, and there / found the second
American In the camp. He was a bar
Der named Stimson, from one Of the
Western states. He had heard l was
there as we'll as the Boston man in the
Canadian service, but he had been
too sick to look US up, and in fact did
not car what happened, he was so
miserable. He had been wounded sew
eral times, and died in a day or two.
/ never knew how he came to be In
the Australian service.
Those two and myself were the only
Americans 4 knew Of in this prison
camp-whether in Canadian, Austria
liam or French service. The other
two had been captured in uniform, so
there was no chance Of their being
released.
Dulmen was very near the Dutch
border and as 1t was quite easy to get
out Of the camp attempts at escape
were frequent. Most Of those who ran
away were brought back, though. The
tried to run away that I almost thought
they were encouraging them. One
chap a doing his ten days In the
guardhouse for the sixth time while
I was ~there-that is. he had just about
completed his period of detention. He
claimed that the sixth time he had
really got across the border and was
arrested In a little town by the Dutch
authorities and turned over to the Ger
mans. That Is against the law In
most countries. but he swore 1t was the
truth. I am not so sure. myself. He
got away for the seventh time while
I was at Dulmen and was not returned.
Ten days In the guardhouse is not
such q light punishment after all, be-
cause water three times q day Is all
the prisoner received during that time,
but 1t Is pretty mild compared to some
Of the things the Huns do.
One morning I thought for sure I
was going cafard. / was just fed up
On the whole business and sick Of do
ing nothing but suffer. So I strolled
along, sticking my head into barracks
doors, sometimes trying to have a talk.