The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-06-19
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] ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CHAPTER xxII-contInued.
~
The day we were transferred to the
regular prison barracks four hundred
Russians and Belgians were buried.
Most Of them had died from cholera.
typhoid and NEGOTIATIONS. We heard
from the prisoners there before us that
the Germans had come through the
camps with word that there was an
epidemic Of black typhus and cholera
and that the only thing for the men to
do was to take the serum treatment to
avoid catching these diseases. Most Of
the four hundred men had died from
the NEGOTIATIONS. They had taken the
Germans word, had been inoculated
and had died within nine hours. Which
shows how foolish 1t Is to believe q
German. None Of u had any doubt
but what the serum was poisonous.
The second day that we were in the
regular camp the Germans strung
barbed wire all around our barracks.
They told us we had a case of black
more nor less than q blur, for not one
Of N had typhus, but they put mp the
wire, nevertheless, and We were not
allowed to 60 out.
One day when I was loaflng around
our barracks door and not having any
thing particularly important to do. I
packed Q nice hard SNOWFALL and land
ed 1t neatly behind the ear OF . little
sentry not far away. When he looked
around he did not blow his whistle but
began hunting for the thrower. This
was strange In . German sentry and !
thought he must be pretty good stun.
When he looked around. however, all
he saw WAS q man staggering around
a. II ~ were drunk. The man was
the ono who had done the throwing. all
right but the sentry could not be sure
Of II. for surely NO man would stay
like that. But still. who had done 1T
30 Just kept staggering around.
and the sentry came mp to me and
looked me over pretty hard. Then
thought for the frst time that things
might 70 hard on me. but figured
that II I quit the play acting 1t would
be all over. 30 staggered right mp
to the sentry and looked at him drunk
emily. expecting every moment to get
one from the bayonet.
But he was 20 surprised that all he
could do was stare. 80 I stared back.
pretending that I saw two Of him. and
otherwise acting foolish. Then guess
he realized for the FIRST time that the
chances Of anybody being drunk In
that camp were small-at least for the
prisoners. He was rubbing his ear
an the time, but finally the thought
seeped through the ivory and he began
to laugh. laughed. too. and the nrst
thing you know no had mo doing 1t
again-that 10, the imitation. One
SNOWFALL was enough, figured.
I used to talk to him quite often
eftsf that We had no particular
love for each other. but he was gamer
than the other sentries. and he did not
call me schweinhund every time he saw
me, 20 We got on very well together.
His name must have been Sehwartx. I
guess, but 1t sounded IKE "Swatts" to
HE. 70 Swatts he was. and ] was
''Chipk" te him. ~ everybody else
called me that. ------
b One day he asked me II I could
speak French. and I said yes. italian;
Yes. Russian; yes. No matter what
language he might have mentioned I
would have said yes. because could
smell something In the wind. and I
was curious. Then he told me that II
! went to the hospital and worked
there. might Eet better meals and
would not have to 60 20 far for them.
md that my knowing all the languages
I said I did would help me q great
ways toward getting the Job.
Evidently he had been told to get q
man for the place. because he ap-
pointed me to 1t then and there. He
put me to work right away. We went
over to one OF the barracks, where q
case Of sickness had been reported.
and found that the invalid was . big
Barbados negro named Jim. IRE
man from the Voltaire. At ona time
Tim must have weighed $50 pounds,
but by this time he was ab0ut two
pounds lighter than q straw hat. but
still black and full Of pep. Light a.
he was, I was NO white hops" and 1t
was all could do to carry him to the
hospital. Swatts kept right along b.
hind me. and every time would stop
to rest, he would poke me with q
0room-the only broom I saw in Ger
many-and laugh and point to his ear.
Then I thought 1t was Q frame-up
and that he was getting even with me,
but was In for 1t then. and the best
I could do was to 60 through with it.
But ! vas ali In when we reached the
hospital. The FIRST thing I saw when
-a ro< n, tho door waa another nQRrO.