Chapter IV

Roulette And Liberty



Our morning toilet was completed with the aid of one small, flimsy
towel for thirty of us. Hot water tinctured with coffee and milk was
served from a bucket with two or three cups. Bread which had
been saved from the previous day was brought forth from pockets
and hiding-places, and for some unaccountable reason a piece of
good butter was brought in. Apparently the Germans were trying to
escape the stigma of mistreating or underfeeding their prisoners.

Orders were given to get ready to move out. After an hour, they
were changed to "Clean up the room." When we had accomplished
this, an inspecting officer entered and began to sniff and snort
until his eyes fairly blazed with wrath, and then in a torrent of words
he expressed his private and official opinion of us. So fast and
freely did his language flow that I couldn't catch all the compliments
he showered upon us; but "Verdammte!" "Donnerwetter!" and
"Schwein!" were stressed frequently enough for me to retain
a distinct memory of the same. One did not have to be a German
linguist to get the drift of his remarks.

They had an electric effect upon the prisoners, who with one
accord got busy picking up microscopic and invisible bits from the