The state herald., 1919-06-06

AOE y Wuho W0 OIuuA ASs ouS SxIcE
several of the boys had gone west
and we could not figure out why. q
man told us he thought the water was
poisoned. and Russian doctor. who
was q prisoner, slipped US word about
It also. So. after that. very few Of
N drank water from the hydrant. I
was scared stiff at first. because had
had some Of the water. but after that
I did not touch hydrant water.
It was q good thing for rs that
there was always plenty Of snow in
Germany. and even luckier that the
Huns did not shoot US for eating Il.
It was about the only thing they did
not deprive Us Oft was not verboten.
thought knew what tough coolies
were. In the trenches, but they were
regular mollycoddles compared to the
pets we had In the prison camps. After
we boiled our clothes we would be
free from them for not more than two
hour8, and then they would come
back, with Reinforcement. thirsting
for vengeance.
The camp at Neustrslits was sur.
rounded By big dogs. which were kept
Just outside the barbed wire. We had
them going all the time. Every once
In q while. some fellow would make
an awful racket, and the next thing
we knew. there was vritx coming like
. shot with nusket at his hip. Just
NJ they carry them in charge. and
blowing whistles at each other until
they were blue In the face. When
ever they thought some one was e.
Gaping. they run twice as fast a. I
ever saw them run, except when the
Foreign Legion was on their heels
At Dixmude.
When they got up to the dogs, they
would flrst talk to them and then kick
them. and after that, they would rest
their rifles on the wire and yell
"Zuruck |" at US. We all enjoyed this
innocent pastime very much, and we
were glad they had the dogs.
There were some things the HuAs
did that you Just could not explain.
For instance. one Of the Russians
walked out Of the kuche. as we were
passing, and we heard bang! and
the Russian keeled over and went
west. Now. we had not done anything
and the other Russians said he had
behaved himself. worked hard and had
never had any trouble. They Just
killed him. and that Is all there was to
It. But not one Of us could figure
out why.
After We had been at Neustrelitz
for three weeks. they drilled US out OF |
the camp to railway station. and
stood US In the snow for four hours
waiting for the train. We were ex-
hausted and began falling. one by
one. md each time one Of US fell. the |
sentdes would yell. "Nicht krank !"
and give US the rife butt. We had
our choice Of standing up and dying
or falling down and being killed. and
It was iine choice to have to make.
The cars finally pulled In. and rs
usual. the windows were smashed, the
doors open. and the compartments Just |
packed with snow. When We saw this, |
We knew We were going to get worse
treatment. even. than We had been |
getting, and many Of US wanted TO die. |
II had not been unusual for some Of |
the men to tell the Germans TO shoot |
them too. and II seems as though II
was always q man who wanted to live
who did get It and went west.
However. oil Of US nearly got killed |
when We reached wittenberg. When
the train stopped there. we saw 4 big |
wGsonload Of sliced bread on the sta.
ticn platfora and We all stared at II.
We stood II q lnag A. we could. and |
then We made . rush for II. But when |
we got nearer. we saw that there were |
four sentries guarding II and four
women issuing II out TO the German |
soldiers. They would not give US any. |
Of course.
Do We stood around and watched the |
Huns eat II. while they and the women |
laughed at u. and pretended that |
they were starving and would Eroan
and rub their stomnchs and say.
"NichtS xu essen" TO each other. and
then grab . big hunk Of bread and |
eat II. What we did not say to them
was very little indeed. We were GER
tainly wild n any men ever were.
Then some Of NJ snid We were 20.
Ing to get some Of that bread II We
went west for II. 80 We started Q
neht. and while they were attending to
some Of us. tho others grabbed and hid
all the bread they could. They roustcd
a. back into the cars and We were
Just starting to divide up the bread
when they caught % with II and took
Il away. We were wilder than ever
then. but We could not do anything.
II got colder after We ieft witten.
berg. and the snow blew Into the cars
through the windows and doors until
We were afraid to sleep for fear Of
freezing. Il was the worst night !
have cvcs seen. and the coal bunkcs
on the Yarrowdnie seemed like = pal.
nee compared to the compartments.
4 a.