The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-01


 chances of our mates, who at that period were treking as fast as they could over the snow-clad ground.
 Two hours elapsed before the alarm was given by the sentry that the wires had been cut This was the signal for raid on the huts The sentries and under officer bundled us out of our beds, and those who were not in bed were pushed about by an excited official The sentries were so excited that, instead of gaining time doing their work in an ordinary man. ner, they lost time in pushing US about
 At last the under officer got us counted The list of prisoners in the hut had then to be brought, and this caused the under officer to rage and fume like a madman. When the list was brought to the ''beIt-webble'' he gave it to the lance-corporal in charge of his own men in the hut.
 Fugitives Recaptured After having got everything put in order the officer in charge of us turn on the sentries-
 Then the search began. The sen- tries rushed headlong into the moor, and a, Wolf-hound was brought to the gap in the wire to pick up the trail, but the most amusing part of the whole affair was that the Wolf-hound, after snuffing round the spot, refused 1 to budge an inch
 l Another amusing point in connec- ton with this search was the fact that the Germans knew that they would have to travel as fast as they could to overtake the determined prisoners, yet they went out wrapped up in great heavy coats and with almost as much ammunition on them as would keep an army at bay.
 When the under officer saw the sentries lighting their pipes and strik- | ing matches, which was the most ab- | surd thing they could have done, he nearly tore his hair from his head in rage
 The search was a failure, but un- fortunately the fugitives themselves Hailed to make good on nearing the frontier Two of them, who had treked wonderfully well, actually got
 within a hop skip and jump of the frontier when they blundered into T Isentry, who had them covered in a moment with his rifle.
 The remaining three had not got lso far. In fact, these lads had taken the wrong track, and walked right Unto the danger spot.
 Never more dreary Christmas has
 man ever spent than I did at Burg steinfurt- No special fare was pro- Ivided by the Germans, but we were lwell-off compared with the Russians, whose sole food was preserved tur- nips, which they could not eat.
 The weather, instead of improving,
 got worse, and I have seen Russians absolutely lying on the top of the smoky stove in the hut to try and get warm. The men, in fact, were starv- ing both inwardly and outwardly, yet they were turned out to work in the Vilest weather. Those who were too . weak to keep up to the other men
 were kicked and beaten as they walk . ed. One day I saw the ''belt- -webble'' . deliberately draw his sword and strike a Russian over the head with the flat } side.
 Probably one of the most fiendish
 attacks, however. was made up a Can adian, who was charged with swing 3 ing the leg. The fact of the matter !. was that the Canadian could not dc |, the work owing to the wounds he had = sustained in France. Two of his fin l gers had been shot away on his right 9 hand. He had also been shot through @ the wrist, whilst a good part of the e centre of his left hand had also beer ] blown away. Yet he was expected ]. to use shovel the same as any ordin. e ary man.
 0 On the day he was attacked we @ were digging drain in the middle ot
 d field, when the big" belt-webble'
 came up and selected the unfortunate t Canadian as one of the malingerers f Without any hesitation he threw him s self upon the Canadian and pitched p him into the drain, which was full e of water. When the Canadian gath y cred himself up the ''belt-webble' t again attacker him.
 g Though the wounded Canadian hat e already suffered quite sufficient pun
 ishment, the "belt-webble" ordered o him to be put in the cells. We, how e ever, sent for the interpreter and tolt l. him that the victim was quite unabl k to work. The interpreter informed d the "belt-webble" of the true facts Ie and for once in while the latter be S, came generous, and allowed the Cana s. dian to go free. 70 Kicked Because He Could Not Worl e- One very cold morning one of ou St boys dropped to the ground as he wa
 going to work. He was brought round lg but instead of being sent back to hi le quarters he was made to continue hi T. work. Once more he tainted, an k, whilst he lay on the ground the "belt Id webble' rushed at him and dealt hir Id two or three kicks, which put hir Id completely out. Some time later tn
 lad came round, and when he got t D. his feet he told the bully that he coul e. not work, but the 'belt-webble' push Id ed him away, and once more the vic to tim fell to the ground. Whilst ly ed ing there the 'belt-webble' yelled 2 re him to get up, and the prisoner, be ID ing too weak to do so, was the reciI Vn tent of still more savage kicks. Tn he ''belt-webble" interfered, and refuse m to let us help our comrade, who la ne half-covered in slush until we ha
 finished our work.
 all When we carried, him to the hut ay felt certain that the ''belt-Webble'' ha CT finished him. His condition becan ay so serious in the end that the 'Fbel ng webble" fearing a scandal, had hil d, removed to hospital, where he wa