Jackson County journal., 1919-02-07

ludl we're IN the Duncn. The Huns
knew that Cossack never forgets and
will get revenge for the slightest mis-
treatment, even if it means his death
l have seen sentries turn aside from
the beat they were walking and get out
Of the way when they saw a COssack
coming. There were very few Coss-
acks there, however. I do not think
| they let themselves get captured very
often.
We had roll call every morning. of
course, and were always mustered In
| front of our barracks. the middle of
the line being right at the barracks
door. Sometimes when the cold got
too much for them. the men nearest
the door would duck into the bar
racks. AS they left the ranks the |
other men would close up and this
kept the line even, with the inter still
opposite the barracks icoi Finally |
almost all Of the men -xE: ,e in the |
barracks and by the time IL roll was |
over not one remained outside This
seemed to peeve the German officers
great deal, but they did not punish
us for it until we had been doing il
for some time.
For several days I had noticed that
someone else answered for two men
who had disappeared: at least l had
not seen them for some time. / did
not think much about it, or ask any
, questions, and I did not hear anyone
else talk about it, but l was pretty
sure the two men, Russian and a
Britisher, had escaped. But they were
: marked present at roll call and all
! accounted for. Everything went along
O very well until one day when the name
O 'Fontaine" got by without being an
+ swered. FOntaine was a French fire.
+ man from the Cambrian Range and
o that was the first time he had not been
present. We saw what was coming
and we began to get pretty sore at
Fontaine for not telling us. so we could
, answer for him and keep the escape
! covered.
! The minute they found our count
! one short they blew the whistles and
squad of Sentries came up as an
extra guard. They counted US again,
but by sneaking back Of the line and
| closing up again we made the count
all right except for one man-FOn-
@ taine We would have tried to cover
a up for him, except that they had al.
4 ready discovered his absence. Now,
N we thought, they will nab Fontaine
III but will not discover the escape of the
n others.
But evidently they suspected some.
g thing for soon they brought over 8
"A petty officer from H. M. S. Nomad
"a who had not been with US before, and
M forced him to call the roll from the
"a mastering papers, while they watched
81 the men as they answered. Then they
Y discovered that two more besides Fon
a taine were missing and began to search
IN for them.
M The other two spoke German anC
III had been missing for at least three
ls days and l think, had escaped by thi!
p time. They were not returned while
I was at Brandenburg
"a. This was about a. m. They drilled
IA. Us down to the little lake, where tn
cold was much greater, and kept u
there until p. M, without food o
NO drink. At about eight that mornin
ne they found Fontaine in a French bar
nu racks and kicked him all the way t
a the lake where we were
~ All day long we stood there, fallin
nc one by one and getting kicked or beat
'u' en- each time until we dragged Oul
w. selves up again. Two or three died
oc- l do not know the exact number. Blu
re we had enough strength, when ordere
hO0 70 fhn ho,. o1y 70 III
OF taine ahead of us all the way. w
lot did not get anything to eat until seve
vas the next mOrning-twenty-fOu hour
VI without food and water, ten of whic
ian were spent in the snow without an
'ns protection from the cold and wine
zee. No wonder we kicked FOntaine fl
en- bringing this punishment on us and el
dangering the two who had escaped
vas he had simply strolled over to tt
oor French barracks and forgot to retur
'ith Now, the food received was ju
sht about enough to keep us alive. / Su
'lth pose, with true kultur, the Huns hs
yer figured out just how much it wou
aru take to keep a man on this side
'or' the starvation line and gave us tn
ner much and no more. So we were alwa.
ain- famished-always hungrier than "
III probably ever have been. But som
cRs. times when we were ravenously hu
anu CRY and could not hold out any long
,ept we would trade rationS.
NY One man would trade his whole r
lie tion for the next day for a half rati
iote today. That is, if you were so hung
w. that you thought you could not la
him ont tho dow On ,o,. roo,,1or s.b,ro :,
hole would foil son,oono cleo tb.+ = ho 90
7ent Won bolf bis cboro +olov Won u.or,
my give him all Of yours tomorrow. If
i,ie was a gambler he would take you I
'chS That is, he would gamble on his bel
vino olive +o,oorro,. not ~ ,orr ,.oo,,