The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1919-02-01
CHATTER xx,,-cen.lnu.d.


H.
The day we were transferred to the
regular prison barracks four hundred
Russians and BeIgians were buried.
Most Of them had died from cholera.
typhoid and NEGOTIATIONS. We heard
from the prisoners there before us that
the Germans had cone through the
cnmps with word that there was nm
epidemic Of black typhus and cholera
and that the only thing for the men to
do was to take the serum treatment 10
nvoid catching these dIseases. Most Of
the four hundred men had died from
the NEGOTIATIONS. They had taken the
Germans word. had been lnocuinted
and had died within nine hours. Which
shows how foolish II IL to believe .
German. None Of ~ had any doubt
hut 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 N we had case of black
typhus among us. This was nothing
more nor less than 4 blur. for not one
q a. had typhus, but they put up the
wire, nevertheless, and we were not
allowed to 90 out.
One day when was loafinx around
our barracks door and not having any
thing particularly Important to do. I
packed nice hard SNOWFALL and land
ed II 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 . man staggering around
as II he Wsfe drunk. The man WIS
the one who had done the throwing. all
right but the sentry could not be sure
of II, for surely no man would stay
ont In the open and invite accidents
like that. But still. who had done It?
30 I Just kept staggering around.
and the sentry came up to me and
looked me over pretty hard. Then !
thought for the first time that things
might 60 hard on me. but 1 figured
that II quilt the play acting It would
he all over. 30 staggered right up
to the sentry and looked at him drunk
emily. expecting every moment to get
one from the bayOnet.
But he was 20 surprised TINT all he
could do was stare. So I stared back,
pretending that 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
all the time. but finally the thought
seeped through the ivory and he begun
to laugh. laughed. too. and the first
thing you know he had me doing 1t
again-that Is, the imitation. One
SNOWFALL was enough, figured.
I used to talk to him quite often
after 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 Schwarts, I
guess, but 1t sounded like 'Swatts" to
me. 20 6watts he was, and was
"Chisk" te him. n everybody else
called me that.
One day he asked me II I could
speak French. and said yes. Italian;
yes. Russian; yes. No matter what
Language he might have mentioned
would have said yes. because l could
smell something In the wind. and /
was curious. Then he told me that II
went to the hospital and worked
there. I might get better meals and
would not have to go 40 far for them.
and that my knowing all the languages
i said I did would help me great
ways toward getting the job.
Evidently he had been told to get
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
case Of sickness had been reported.
md found that the invalid was n big
Barbados negro named Jim, a IRE
man from the voltaire. At one time
Jim must have weighed $50 pounds,
but BY this time he was about two
pounds lighter than q straw hat, but
still black and full of pep. Light AZ
he was. was no white hope" and II
was all could do to carry him to the
hospital. Swatts kept right along be-
hind me, and every time l would stop
70 rest. he would poke me with
hroom-the only broom l saw In Ger
snany-and laugh and point to his ear.
! Then thought 1t was a frame-up
and that he was getting even with me-
but l was In for 1t then. and the best
! could do was to go through with 1t.
3sut was all In when we reached the
hospital. The nrst thing I saw when
we got In the door was another negro,
also from Barbados, and as tall and
him ~ jim had ouce been short sad
fat. This MACK boy and I made q
great team. bat never knew what
his name was.. always called him
KAte. because night end day he was
whistling the old sosg. skate, Kate,
AZ - NJ - th> ~. 49, n.kn - -.