The Dermott news., 1919-01-16
CHAPTER xlX-Continued.

-17-
 noticed that all the time he was writing the word and giving us the stationery, the sentry was laughing and having grcat time with his own little self, but I figured he was just acting German. and that nothing was important about it.
 We were all ticklcd to death to get n chance to let our people know where We were. and caeh nan thought Il long time about what he would say, and who he would write to. before he ever started to write Each man want cd to say all he could in the small space he had. and we wanted to let our friends know how badly they were many words. because We knew the Huns would censor the letters. and 1t would go hard with anyone who com plained much. So most of the men said they were having q great time and were treated very well, and spread It on so thick that their friends would figure they were lying because they had to.
 One fellow had an idea that was better than that, though. He had been in jail in Portsmouth, England, for three months. for heating up con stable, and he had had d rfg.ty rough time. Sc he wrote a pad ef his that he had been captured hy thc Ger mans. but that everything Wa~ go.He along pretty we'll In faet he said, the on1y other trl4= L. had ever been on. where h. had i bette, time, Was the throc mouths vacation he ta, spaat in Portsmouth tao HeF~ hefere. wuieh h. thaz-h, O. rrAa8 would re- me#bsr. He-a.# fHHt tf# Was bet ter fhz9 Ha.s erg. - f'Ia fraai ca,.sl fseea out f#f l=a'. aaa 'easa at thI-=sff- Na= I.- t-'.t tass ,,4s a -rat 5d.@ tH, uHoetuaats.. not all ot had ben iu J#.I. sa s# roa#8 nat a1 H~r t. Wh#a Vas ja=t a~ Wa#t Me tA1u-ll.- hesaa.a the Ger m@S woui t9 ~asJ.gtous II a.l of us compared d. HHe8fisu "5th others.
 \ few of the m#a d.d fat have any body taey faHla Wraeto. anl some dlt not know tGeir friends addresses. so they would write letterS to friends of the other mea. aaA >iIu | with tic friends nickname
 AS soon aS man had finished Eis letter. he had to ee out to the center of the camp where they had built T raised platform. There the seatfIes took the letters, and the men formed around the square. There were oil cers on the platform reading the let ters. We thought they read them thcr" in the open, before Us, so that we would know thty were not tamper- Ing with the letters. and We thought the heaven would fall If they were getting so uuku.tured as that.
 Finally. nil the men had finished their letters and turned them over to the officers, who read them. And then we saw why the sentry laughed.
 The officers tore up every one of the letters. They were anxious that We would see them do II. se none of Us would have any hope that cur friends would get word.
 But we said to ourselves that If It was information they wanted. they had as much as was good for them, which was none at all, because de not think one letter In the bunch had single word of truth in it But We were all Very angry and pretty low after that. because it showed the Huns still had plenty of kultur left. after all. and We knew there Was roush slcddins ahead of Us. Also some ot the men Were sore because they had wasted their time thinking up dl1ersaf wasS ef tlp- ping their friends or ta tl3,. raal state of anairs. and all far uothrs Why they should worry about ttHr. I could not see. Time WIS the ouiv thing we had plenty ef. and for eae. thought We were eoins to have still more of il.
 Going back to the barracks Me tired to sing Pack Up Your Troubles" but there was not much pep in It Me were not downheartcd, though; at least, we said We were Aot.