The Carlisle independent., 1918-12-19

ways toward getting the Job,
 Evidently he had been told to get . man for the place. because he ap- pointed me to it then and there. He put me to work right away. We went over to one of the barracks. where a case of sickness had been reported. and found that the invalid was a, big Barbadoes negro named Jim. a fire man from the voltaire. At one time Jim must have weighed 250 pounds, but by this time he was about two pounds lighter than a straw hat, but Rtin black and full Of pep. Light as he was, was no "white hope." and 1t was all I could do to carry hiu 10 the hospital. Swatts kept right along be- hind me, and every time I would stop to rest. he would poke me with broom-the only bcoom saw In Ger maDy-and laugh and point to his ear.
 Then l thought it was frame-up and that he was getting even with me, but was h for it then. and the best I could do was to go through with 1t. But l was all In when we reached the hospital. The first thing I saw when we got tn the door was another negro. also from Barbadoes. and as tall and thin as Jim had once been short and fat. This black boy and I made a great team. but I neve- knew what his name was. I always called him Kate, because night and day he was whistling the old song. Kate. Kate, Meet Me at the Garden gate" or words to that effect I have walked up many night and heard that whistle just about at the same place as when I had fallen asleep. It would not have been so bad If he had known all of it.
 took Swatts' broom and cleaned up. and then asked where the coal or wood was. This got great laugh. It was quite humorous to the men who mad shirered there for weeks, maybe, out to me it was about as funny as cry fer help. I got wood though, be- fore had been there lo0g
 There was a great big cupboard built against the wall of the hospital barracks In one cerner of the room, and not fur from the stove. Kate was the only patient able to be on his feet, so I thought he would have to be my chief cook ahd bottle washer for 8 while; and. besides, there WAS some thing about him that made him look pretty valuable. I had not recognized his whstiing yet. 80 Slim looked to be the right name for him.
 'Siim, what's that big cupboard forY'
 How'd know? NuthIn' in it.
 .'Siim, that would make a fine box for coal or wood, wouldn't itY 'Um. Whar de coal an woodY' 1 I'm going out and take observa- tions, Slim. Take the wheel while I'm gone, and keep your eye peeled for i U-boats." So I sneaked out the door and began looking around
 If, you look at the sketch I have made, it will not take you long to see that next to us was vacated Russian barracks. And it did not take me much longer to see It, too. Back to tifc uOSpftdf duu 0llL.
 ''Slim, what barracks are next to ,usf'
 Russian burrucks, only dey ain't dere now. Been sick"
 And you mean to tell me you don't know where to get woodi"
 Sick men been in dem burrucks."
 Sick men here, aren't there? Let's go.n
 That did the trick. The black boy would watch from the hospital win dows until he saw the coast was clear, then We would slip into the barracks next door. and he would watch again. When there was no sentry near enough to hear us. crash and out would come a dividing board from the hunks. When we had an armful apiece, and had broken them up to the right lengths, all we needed was a It, tie more watching. and then back to the hospital and the big cupboard. Later on. our men todd me they used to watch the smoke that poured from the hospital chimney all the time and wonder where on earth we got the wood.
 We got the same kind of food in the hospital that was served in the other barracks, and I would not have had any more than I used to, except that sometimes some of the twenty-six pa tients could not eat their share, and then, of course, it was mine. One day, though. we all had extra rations.
 Two Russian doctors came to visit us each day. and once they were fool ish enough, or kind enough. to ask if we had received our rations-we had received them earlier than usual and they were finished at the time. Of course, I said no, so they ordered the Russian in the kitchen to deliver twenty-eight rations to us, which Was not quite three ioayes of bread. Ne were that much ahead that day, bu Nnsld not work when tried the agaiu.
 k3sle day German doctor e ihe pita aarracizs. He wol