Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-10
(Continued FROM Saturday }

one thing / knew. III oio hos
escape very soon never would, be-
cause I would not have the strength.
Being with the Boche 1 never gain
e dany. 1 lost. What 1 needed was
rest and little heat in my starved
skinny and cootie-covered body, SO
1 eased myself up beside the stove
and stayed there.
Several times I wandered out in
the hallway to hear the latest news
and see what was going on. Dur
ing one of these trips 1 met young
civilian and after talking awhile
with him, he pulled something
and slipped it to me. 1t was n
small sweetened roll OF white bread
and very good eating. My only re-
gret was that there was no more,
but did not make the mistake OF
asking for more.
1t was not necessary in my case,
for my whipcord uniform trimmed
with silver buttons made me a
marked man among the other pris-
oners whose uniforms of the usual
Poilu wool were both dirty and
shapeless. Not that 1t was their
fault. For one cannot inhabit
trenches and look presentable.
just tell YOU this because YOU might
think I was conceited enough to
think it was my personality that
drew all the attention. for draw at
tention did
Wherever I went some newcomer
would notice the uniform and quick
ly come up and ask for the history
OF my capture, and my being an
American only made his pity and
admiration the greater-pity> that I
was brought down, and admiration
that 1 was an American volunteer
in the French army.
Several civilians came to see me,
twelve men the next day, keen-eyed
and efficient business men they were,
there was aroused, and they would
have my story.
Gets More Sweet Rolls. -.
I got several more sweet rolls
that day, and that evening the own
er promised to bring us some real
eats. We stayed here two days. you
know, and this was the second day
4 speak of. 1 forget TO say that. dur
ing the first night while We all
1 twelve sat around the red hot stove
having a sock-drying party, the civil
liam owner and his little daughter
paid us a visit, bringing us some
! chocolate and some little cakes. Re-
member We had been living on black
\ bread and Julian" soup for nearly
a month, and little of that to boot,
and you will get an idea how thank
| fully we drank that chocolate and
ate those small cakes.
| And the next day a committee of
civilians brought a change of un-
derwear for us q much needed
change considering how many cooties
we had, not only us, but all the
prisoners. OF course. there was not
enough to give each a complete out
| fit, so some drew a fshirt, others
pants and others socks.
Socks were the most needed article,
as very few had any. Some used
their handkerchief and othere, like
me, cut UP their blankets for socks.
They also brought many boxes of
biscuits, but there were so many
prisoners that by the time they were
| divided there was only one to a
man. We twelve Jared a little bet
ter though, getting one box for the
| whole of us. I
, That made about eight biscuit
apiece. Isdrew a flannel undershirt
| for my share of the change of
clothing, and like the rest, immedi-
ately put it on, thinking that now
had clean unadulterated shirt
on, the cooties wouldn't bother me
SO much. Which just goes to show
how blissfully ignortant / was, for
the next morning 1 was scratching as
industriously as before.
The EATS" Arrive
That evening the promised eats
arrived-a whole bushel bag full of
vegetables of every kind, and won
der of wonders, several pounds of
domino sugar. How our eyes did
open when we beheld that sugar,
for our allowance of sugar had been
SO small-one teaspoonful every two
days-that. we didn't think there
was so much sugar in all the world.
1t was too good to be true and we
would not believe our eyes. Only a
taste would suffice, so each of us
ate lump. That only made us
hungry for more, SO the adjutant
took command and divided it. We
didn't waste any time making the
soup either, for every one pitched
in and helped peel the vegetables,
and soon we had a soup cooking
away that was thick enough to walk
on and it was good eating too.
/ was out of luck again, though,
for despite the clean shirt and the
warm fire was still feeling very
sick. You can imagine how sick
when say could not eat my share
Of the soup. However, guarded my
sugar jealousy and my share of the
potatoes that had been boiled with
the skins on, preparatory for the
next days march. Just the same. ]
had no intention of marching with
the rest in the morning. 1 was too
sick.
On Sick Roll
The next morning 1 was worse
and when we were mustered out in
line to resume our tramp Berlin
ward, with the aid of an interpreter
1 informed the commander l could
not march. A French adjutant who
had hurt his knee the night before
also made a holler for the hospital
so we two were given in charge OF
an old grizzled guard to be taker
to a hospital at Namur, Belgium
and we were to go by train, too.
To get to the station we had tC
walk a considerable distance, but
ldespite his wounded knee that fool.
ish, spindle-legged Frenchman would
carry all his baggage with him. com.