The Arvada enterprise., 1919-01-23
CHAPTER XXI.
A Visit From Nj. Gerard.

A Visit From Mr.. Gerard.
Late that night we arrived at Dul.
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, 30 that all
the people would have Q chance to sec
the crazy men, ~ they called us. Most
Of the people were women, and as soon
~ they saw rs coming. they began
singing the watch on the Rhine" or
some other German song. and 1t was
funny to see windows opening and fat
fraus, with night-caps ON, sticking
their heads out of the windows. They
would give Us q quick 0nce-over. and
pipe up like q boatswain: "Schwein-
hund-vaterland-Wacht am Rhein"
ALI kinds Of things and all mixed up.
30 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
~, 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 70. anyway, BE-
cause BY this time We were on the out
skirts Of the town. and We needed all
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. Ny
shoes had wooden soles, and 1t was
Just one bang after another. with the
ice and myself trying to sse which
could hit the hardest. Every time We
fell-smashl came Q ride over the
back.
J I was getting pretty tired. % said
to some Of the fellows that was 90
ing to ut down and rest, and they said
they would also. 30 We dropped out
and waited until the guards behind
had Just about caught up with ~. and
then We would 90 on. We did this
several times until they got on to %.
and We could not do 1t any more.
Up the road piece fell again, and
this time I did not care what hap
psned. % I Just sat there In Ahs
middle Of the road until Fritz came ~.
Instead Of giving me the bayonet. be
made me take OF my shoes-that ID.
he took them Oh Of me with q knife
through the strings-and had to walk
the rest Of the way In my bare feet.
II 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 % q welcome. We asked them
II they were downhearted. and they
said NO. and we said We were not eth.
cr. We could hardly see then. but
they began yelling again when We got
nearer. and asked US. "Is there anyone
there from Queenstown and then
Hull. and Portsmouth. and Dover. and
Toronto and lot Of other places.
l did not pay much attention until
! heard, "Any Americans therer' and
] yelled back. "Yes. where are youf"
oSrroCkS Oh, ufUppe y.
"Where fromr I yelled.
'BOston. Where're you fromr
The U. 8. A. and Atlantic ports
See you later"
10. the next morning. ] went over to
his barracks and asked for the Yank.
They pointed him out to me. whore he
was lying on the door. I went over
and laid down with him. and We had
quite talk. will not give his name
here for certain reasons.
He had received several wounds at
the time he was taken prisoner He
had been In the Canadian service for
two years. We used to talk about
New York and Boston and the differ.
ent places We knew in both towns. and
We also talked . lot about the rotten
treatment We were receiving. and tried
70 cook up some plan Of escape. hut
every one we could think Of had been
used BY some one else. and either had
failed. or the Huns had fixed II 20 the
plan could not be tried again. We
doped out some pretty wild schemes At
that. Altogether. we became great
pnls. and were together a. much a.
possible At Duimen. The day I left
the camp. he gave me . ring made
from she'll and told me to get Il safely
hack 70 the States. but some one stole
II at Rrandenburg.
One day while was In his barracks
% eneiishman stepped out Of tho door
for some reason or other. and though
hs did BOT say . wsrd TO Frits. In two
minutes he was dead. In cold blood.
We never knew why they killed him.
A. Swinemunde and Neustrelits. !
must admit that the Germans had Us
pretty badly buRaloed. hot at Duimen
'he prisoners were entirely different
Dulmrn was the receiving camp for
~hs whole western front. and ne pris.
oners there got TO b. pretty tough
Eggs. - far % Frits was concerned.
Asfoee tAsv ~ beeo In camp ma.