The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-11-24
,NEA sE vtcE. INC.


 behind some buildings and out of
 the line of fire.''
 Gunnar interrupted. How were you situated? How many of you?"
 "A hundred and four. We were facing town with our back to the water and the wharf on one side. On the other flank We had little hill we could keep pretty well covered" He stopped and stared moodily at his hands, which he kept cradled in front of him. About that time" he said, was when young Olav Brarde launched ! the boat"
 T knew him." Malken inter- rupted. He was a fine young boy"
 Sverre Hammer paid no atten- tion. He damned in all who would go," he said, of the women and children, with the idea of setting them adrift until it was all over. But the first detachment of troops had got up on some roofs by then, and they picked him of like a spar row just as he was getting the boat away. We scattered. With machine guns they were picking of man here and there, and whenever they had cleared space, they'd come running up. doubled over. until sometimes there weren't more than twenty or thirty meters between us. The women had come back from the boats, and most of them were lying on billings under the wharf. We could hear some of them crying, But If they'd come up, they would have had to cross the open dock"
 What happened to them?" asked the pastor. His high, boyish voice quavered.
 Some of them were shot" Hammer said coldly, Some got away"
 GO on," cried Gunnar.
 The men around the table were white-lipped. leaning tense for ward. All that Hammer said they could see in terms of their own wives and houses. The lamp on the table flickered in a draft.
 We fought until dark" Ham, mer said slowly. "and held them of. We'd moved up the hill on cur flank, and had the machine gun in & fine spot, with the whole town lying down in front of us. About that time, one of the women suppose she thought it was dark enough . came up from under the dock and started crawling to- ward us. We kept watching her Two of the old men started to pray. But they saw her and let go with a burst of fire. She got up and began to run. but she didn't get ten steps before they caught her. Her husband broke out from behind our barricade and ran out to help her, screaming at them to leave her alone. and crying, I'm coming. Anna: I'm coming"
 The words trailed of. The pastor buried his face in his hands. When Hammer started talking again he sounded very tired.
 About nine o'clock" he said. there hadn't been any new troops yet, and their firing stepped. We sat back and began to talk over if we could make the boats in the dark '. there had to be a way out. It was about five minutes, and then We heard planes overhead. We doused our light. They sent down a flare and dived. We could not hea- sounG over the bowling of the motors. It was like a hun dred wolves set loose. All of a sudden houses started bursting into flame. Firt one, then another. The whole fjord was yellow. Then their motor started firing again, and its first shot smashed our ma chine gun and killed everyone 1 within ten paces of it. We broke. | whoever was left and they came | at us from two sides. Somehow I | got down to the wharf. I had to | keep my arm in front of my eyes the flames were .so bright All I 1 could smell was powder, salt water ! and burning wood. The walls were falling in all around me. Even the trees were on fire :"
 Suddenly he stopped Not a man breathed.
 What happened? Where are the women?"
 T don't know"
 What did they do to those they 
 T don't know
 What if we fought too, and no one followed us? What if every town in Norway 2"
 Pastor Aalesen leaped up. His hair was disheleyed. His plump, red cheeks were burning. "It's wrong" he cried. Tt would be murder. It's against Gods will.' His voice rang out. Everybody looked up and saw him waverins on the stairs with his arm out. 
 Sverre Hammer showed the table violently aside and started for ward. Gunnar held him back. The man was beside himself. They us in the streets" he .ried furiously. "and you tell me lbout murder"
 Pastor. Pastor" stensgard was him way forward. You ]