The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-06-05
CHAPTER xlx-continu.d.

!, H.
! I noticed that all the time he was
writing the word and giving us the
stationery. the sentry was laughing
and having a great time with his own
little self. but I figured he was just
acting German. and that nothing was
important about it.
We were all tickled to death to get
. chance to let our people know where
we were. and each man thought q
long time about what he would say,
and who he would write to. before he
ever started to write. Each man want
ed to say all he could In the small
space he had. and we wanted to let
our friends know how badly they were
treating Us without saying 1t In 90
many words. because we knew the
Huns would censor the letters. and It
would go hard with anyone who COM
planned much. So most Of the men
said they were having a great time
and were treated very well. and spread
1t on 20 thick that their friends would
fSure 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 beating up q con-
stable. and he had had 4 pretty rough
time. So he wrote a pal Of his that
he had been captured BY the Ger
mans. but that everything was going
along pretty well. In fact, he said.
the only other trip he had ever been
on, where he had a better time, was
the three months vacation he had
spent in Portsmouth two years before,
which he thought the friend would re-
member. He said that trip was bet
ter than this one. 30 the friend could
figure out for himself how pleasant
this one was. Everybody thought tbs
was q great idea. but unfortunately
not all Of rs had been in Jail, 20 we
could not all use It. Which was just
a. well. we thought. because the Ger
mans would be suspicious II all Of N
compared this vacation with otherA
A few Of the men did not have any
body they could write to. and some did
not know their friends addresses, 20
they would write letters to friends Of
the other men, and sign 1t with the
friends nickname.
letter. he had to 60 out to the center
Of the camp. where they had built .
raised platform. There the sentries
took the letters, and the men formed
around the square. There were ON
GERS on the platform reading the let
tiers. We thought they read them
there In the open. before NJ, % that
we would know they were not tampeF.
ing with the letters, and We thought
the heaven would AL II they were
getting 10 unkultured a. that
Finally. all 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 1t, 30 none Of Us
would have any hope that our friends
would get word
But we said to ourselves that, II 1t
was Information they wanted. they had
a. much ~ was good for them. which
was none at all, because do not think
one letter In the bunch had . single
word Of truth In 1t. But we we're all
very angry and pretty low after that.
because 1t showed the Huns stu had
plenty Of kultur left, after all, and we
knew there was rough shedding ahead
Of us. Also. some Of the men were
sore because they had wasted their
time thinking up different ways Of Tn
ping their friends of to the real state
Of affairs. and all for nothing. Why
they should worry about time, I could
not see. Time was the only thing we
had plenty Of, and for one, thought
we were going to have still more Of 1t.
Going back to the barracks we tried
to sing "Pack Up Your Troubles" but
there was not much pep in 1t. We
were not downhearted, though; at
least, we said we were not.
CHAPTER Xxx.